CONVERSION OF A DIESEL ENGINE FOR ETHANOL OPERATION

The possibilities of using ethanol in diesel engines have been investigated using two fundamentally different conversion techniques for dual fuel running: a) direct injection of ethanol into the combustion chamber. This can be considered as a reference version for the evaluation of similar conversion methods as summarized in an introductory survey. b) Ethanol injection into the inlet manifold. This requires a minimum of changes to the original diesel engine. The experimental work was carried out on a 6 cylinder in- line production diesel engine. The results presented allow the examination of the principal parameters and the performance characteristics from the point of view of the amount of fuel substitution, the fuel economy and the exhaust emissions. The various dual fuel versions are also compared with the original diesel engine by means of a drive simulation program. The demands imposed on the injection systems of both fuels and the problems concerning the mechanical behaviour of the engine are also indicated. (Author/TRRL)