Comparative Emissions Performance of Sasol Fischer-Tropsch Diesel Fuel in Current and Older Technology Heavy-Duty Engines

Comparative exhaust emission tests were performed with five diesel fuels, namely a Sasol Fischer-Tropsch diesel, a fuel meeting the CARB diesel fuel specification, a fuel meeting the US 2-D diesel fuel specification, and two blends of the Fischer-Tropsch diesel and the 2-D diesel. Hot-start and cold-start heavy-duty transient emission tests were performed using a 1999 model year DDC series 60 engine. Regulated exhaust emissions with the Fischer-Tropsch diesel were significantly lower than with the 2-D and CARB diesel fuels, in both the hot-start and cold-start tests. When compared with test results obtained previously with a 1991 engine, it was found that the reduction in NO_X with the Fischer-Tropsch fuel was smaller in the 1999 engine, while the reduction in PM was greater. The reduction in PM with the Fischer-Tropsch fuel in the 1999 engine was primarily as a result of a reduction in the carbon portion of the PM, while in the 1991 engine there were approximately equal reductions in VOF and the carbon portion.