Determination of the Performance of a Dual Fuel Diesel Engine with the Addition of Various Liquid Fuels to the Intake Charge

An examination of the engine performance and associated combustion is made for a dual fuel engine of the compression ignition type when additional auxiliary fuels were introduced in turn in the form of a spray into the main intake charge with methane being the main fuel. This was attempted with the view of modifying the dual fuel engine behaviour particularly at light load. Alcohols, gasoline, benzene or normal hexane were introduced in turn to various extents into the intake charge of the engine. Comparison with dual fuel operation on a range of gaseous fuels and with water spray injection was made.

It is shown that gasoline, benzene or n-hexane intake addition reduced the overall ignition delay significantly and increased the power output of the dual fuel diesel engine at light load. This, however, was achieved at the cost of undermining the efficiency of fuel utilization at higher loads. Moreover, the quenching of the charge resulting from water or alcohols additions appeared to slow down the combustion rates necessitating the supply of a certain amount of gaseous fuel and diesel pilot fuel injection for a threshold of adequate combustion.