Abstract
This work investigates the effects of low reactivity fuel (LRF) on reactivity controlled compression ignition (RCCI) engine with fossil diesel. RCCI mode of combustion is a low temperature combustion (LTC) strategy which reduces both oxides of nitrogen (NOx) and soot emissions simultaneously. Syngas and methanol can be obtained from renewable biological resources and conventional coal. LRF (methanol, syngas and gasoline) has been supplied to the engine along with intake air and diesel is injected to initiate the combustion process. Test engine has been operated for different dual fuel modes at constant engine speed (1500 rpm) and load (80%). Closed cycle combustion simulations have been performed to complement the experimental results and in-cylinder dynamics. Particle size mimic (PSM) model has been used to investigate the soot particle number and mass-size distributions and mean particle size. Results confirmed that maximum gross indicated thermal efficiency (38%) has been observed in gasoline/diesel dual fuel mode. Compared to gasoline/diesel dual fuel mode, about 74% and 86%, lower soot and NOx emissions have been observed for methanol/diesel dual fuel mode, while about 46% and 52% lower soot and NOx emissions have been found in syngas/diesel mode. About 53% higher carbon monoxide emission has been observed for syngas/diesel case as compared to gasoline/diesel case. Predictions from soot modelling reveal that condensation mode, surface growth mode and nucleation mode particles are dominant in methanol, syngas and gasoline/diesel dual fuel modes respectively. Bigger primary soot particles (diameter > 35 nm, nanometre) have been observed for methanol/diesel mode and the gasoline/diesel mode shows a smaller size of primary particles.
