The effect of aromatic hydrocarbons and oxygenates on diesel engine emissions

Abstract

Tests were conducted in a Cooperative Fuel Research (CFR) diesel engine aimed at discerning the effects of fuel aromatic and oxygenate compounds on exhaust emissions. The base fuel was heptane to which were added increasing amounts of monoaromatic toluene and diaromatic methylnaphthalene. Blends of heptane and toluene containing oxygenated compounds (methanol, ethanol, heptanol and diglyme) were also tested. The results indicate that both toluene and methylnaphthalene increase smoke, oxides of nitrogen (NO x ) and unburned hydrocarbon (UHC) emissions substantially. The results also showed that increases in ignition delay could account for some of these rises in exhaust emissions. The oxygenated fuel blends tested caused reductions in NO x and smoke emissions. The exception was heptanol, which showed no reduction in smoke emission. This may be associated with the fact that heptanol had the lowest amount of molecular-bound oxygen.