A simple, relatively short and inexpensive screening test method has been developed for evaluation of available detergent/dispersant diesel fuel additives. The screening test is based on experiments of running a laboratory diesel engine in a pre-determined regime(load cycle). The engine is a single cylinder, 4-stroke DI, naturally aspirated and air cooled. It is coupled to a generator feeding electrical heaters as the load. The test rig is controlled electronically to enable fully automatic test bench operation, including start/stop, load change, emergency shut-down, etc.
The experiments were performed by running the engine on a reference base fuel and then the same fuel with different detergent additives. The nozzle of the fuel injector was checked for clogging by air flow measurements, using the ISO-4010 test rig.
The conclusions drawn from the analysis of the test results are that the method employed here for evaluating the detergent/dispersant additives is effective and has potential as a rapid screening test. It enables comparison between additives which have passed the recognized performance tests and selection of appropriate ones for experimental work in fleet tests or even for actual choice of suitable additives.