Energy aspects of using of water-hydrocarbons emulsion as a fuel for diesel engines

Abstract

The recent development of internal combustion engines (ICE) goes towards the meeting of increasingly stringent requirements imposed to reduce toxic exhaust emissions and fuel consumption and thus to strive for carbon dioxide abatement and against depletion of global natural resources. The research on engines fuelled by water-hydrocarbons emulsions has already a long tradition. So far, tests were based on emulsions obtained in chemical reactions. In this paper, similar analysis results have been presented, but the water-fuel emulsions used for the tests were obtained with making use of the cavitation effect. For this reason a unique cavitator was developed, which was then used to produce water-hydrocarbons emulsions of common, mineral and synthetic diesel fuel. Both of these fuels as well as their water emulsions with 20% water content by volume, were used for tests. The ESC (European Stationary Cycle) test conditions were determined and the engine was tested on engine dynamometer in accordance with the predetermined ESC test conditions. During the tests, under close scrutiny, engine emission and fuel consumption levels were measured . The tests it be more time repeat (with every liquid to engine fuelling was 34 times) to achieve the statistical assessment of the results. By the use of emulsions was found to result in a significant reduction in the consumption of diesel fuels . This result is statistically significant.