Optimized Cold Start Auxiliary System for Emissions Reduction in Ethanol-Fuelled Engines

The gasoline injection system used as an auxiliary during cold start of ethanol-fuelled engines has been improved to reduce exhaust emissions levels. In substitution to the conventional system, which introduces gasoline in the throttle body through a calibrated pipe in a hole, an electronic fuel injector and other peripheral components have been used to inject gasoline. Experiments were carried out in an ethanol-fuelled vehicle powered by a 1.0 liter engine to measure regulated exhaust pollutant gases concentrations, to compare the modified system to the conventional one. The tests were according to FTP-75 test cycle, which simulates a typical urban travel including cold start and acceleration during warm-up. The results showed that the concentrations of aldehyde, hydrocarbon, carbon monoxide and oxides of nitrogen emissions were simultaneously reduced when the modified system was used.