Influence of fuel type on the fuel economy and environmental performance of an automotive engine

Abstract

Road transport is among the largest consumers of petroleum-based fuels and one of the main contributors to environmental pollution. Therefore, research focused on expanding the fuel base for vehicles and promoting the efficient use of alternative fuels is of significant importance. Currently, in Ukraine, the most widespread alternative fuels are alcohol–gasoline blends containing up to 50% bioethanol by volume, as well as liquefied petroleum gas (LPG). A key advantage of these fuels is that they can be utilized in internal combustion engines without major structural modifications. This paper presents the results of an experimental investigation into the fuel economy and environmental performance of an automotive engine operating on conventional gasoline A-95 and alternative fuels such as alcohol–gasoline blend E40 and liquefied petroleum gas. The results indicate that when operating on E40, the engine demonstrates an average increase of 12% in hourly mass and specific effective fuel consumption. The volumetric fuel consumption rises by approximately 8.5%. In terms of exhaust emissions, the concentration of unburned hydrocarbons (CmHn) decreases by an average of 10.4%, while nitrogen oxides (NO_x) concentrations are reduced by about 3.5%. When operating on LPG, both hourly mass and specific effective fuel consumption decrease, with an average reduction of 16.35%. However, the volumetric fuel consumption increases by approximately 12%. The concentration of unburned hydrocarbons (C_mH_n) in the exhaust gases rises by an average of 36% compared to gasoline A-95 operation, whereas NOx emissions are reduced by about 11.6%.

Keywords: fuel economy, environmental performance, alternative fuels, alcohol–gasoline blend, liquefied petroleum gas.