Future combustion engine power plant: WP4 fuel flexibility. Periodic report of 3rd year

Future fuels seminar and biofuel deterioration tasks were completed and reported in earlier years. Task on LNG in shipping continued in the 3rd year by improving the general conception and knowledge of the implementation requirements for the LNG logistic. The study regarding alternative upgrading technologies providing sufficient gas quality for the supply to the natural gas grid was continued. The main focus was on operational parameters, upgrading costs and recent developments. Minimum limit for biogas upgrading consisted of cost review and construction of siloxane removal test bench. International co-operation was realised closely with siloxane removal system manufacturers. While useful to predict turbocharging system energy balance and maximum pressure when running on different fuels, GT Power proved to have limited predictive capability of the combustion process. Another approach to develop prediction method was started in cooperation with Bauman Moscow State Technical University with their Diesel-RK software. Engine tests with different fuels will be utilized for developing the prediction method. Possible alternative fuels were explored and tested in laboratory before engine tests. for example, new laboratory methods were developed and combustion properties of new fuels were studied with special ignition test unit. Medium-duty engine tests were carried out with selected fuels. Development of the dual fuel injection system continued for the difficult fuels. Also, on-line blending of the third fuel or compound into feed flow of dual fuel system was tested. Some tests yielded promising results when engine performance and emissions are considered. Alternative fuels, namely hydrotreated vegetable oil, fish based methyl ester, and animal fat derived methyl esters, were studied with a modern high-speed non-road diesel engine and different injector tips were investigated. Diesel-ethanol dual-fuel engine testing and calibration is almost completed. The performance targets have been met and the engine can be switched from diesel to diesel-ethanol operation at any load without noticeable change in engine operating point. Depending on speed and load, 20 to 70 % of diesel consumption can be replaced with ethanol. The parameter maps created in these tests will be utilized in a demonstrator tractor.