Technical Feasibility of Ethanol-Kerosene Blends for Farm Kerosene Engines

에타놀-석유(石油) 혼합연료(混合燃料)의 농용석유(農用石油)엔진에의 이용(利用)에 관(關)한 연구(硏究)

As an attempt to reduce the consumption of petroleum resources and to improve the performance of a kerosene engine, a series of experiments was conducted using several kinds of ethanol-kerosene blends under the various compression ratios. The engine used in this study was a single-cylinder, four-cycle kerosene engine having a compression ratio of 4.5. To investigate the feasibility of ethanol-kerosene blends in the original engine, kerosene and blends of 5-percent, 10-percent, and 20-percent-ethanol, by volume, with kerosene were used. And to investigate the feasibility of improving the performance of the kerosene engine, a portion of the cylinder head was cut off to increase the compression ratio up to 5.0 by reducing the combustion chamber volume. Kerosene and blends of 30-percent and 40-percent-ethanol, by volume, with kerosene were used for the modified engine with an increased compression ratio. Variable speed tests at wide-open throttle were also conducted at five speed levels in the range of 1000 to 2200 rpm for each compression ratio and fuel type. Volumetric efficiency, engine torque, and brake specific fuel consumption were determined, and brake thermal efficiency based on the lower heating values of kerosene and ethanol was calculated. The results obtained in the study are summarized as follows: A. Test with the original engine: (1) No abnormal conditions were found when burning ethanol-kerosene blends in the original engine. (2) Volumetric efficiency increased with ethanol concentration in blends. When burning blends of 5-percent, 10-percent, and 20-percent ethanol, by volume, with kerosene, average volumetric efficiency increased 1.6 percent, 2.6 percent, and 4.1 percent respectively, than when burning kerosene. (3) Mean engine torque increased 5.2 percent for 5-percent-ethanol blend, 9.3 percent for 10-percent-ethanol blend, and 11.5 percent for 20-percent-ethanol blend than for kerosene. Increase in engine torque when using ethanol-kerosene blends was due to the improved combustion characteristics of ethanol as well as an increase in volumetric efficiency. (4) Up to ethanol concentration of 20 percent, mean brake specific fuel consumption was nearly constant inspite of the difference in heating value between ethanol and kerosene. (5) Brake thermal efficiency increased 0.3 percent for 5-percent-ethanol blend, 3.8 percent for 10-percent-ethanol blend, and 6.8 percent for 20-percent-ethanol blend than for kerosene. B. Test with the modified engine with an increased compression ratio: (1) When burning kerosene, mean volumetric efficiency, engine torque, and brake thermal efficiency were somewhat lower than for the original engine. (2) Engine torque increased 15.1 percent for 30-percent-ethanol blend and 18.4 percent for 40-percent-ethanol blend than for kerosene. (3) There was no significant difference in brake specific fuel consumption regardless of ethanol concentration in blends. (4) Brake thermal efficiency increased 15.0 percent for 30-percent-ethanol blend and 19. 5 percent for 40-percent-ethanol blend than for kerosene.