Proceedings of The 10th International Conference on Research in Science and Technology
Year: 2020
DOI:
Investigation of the Effects of a fuel blend on Engine performance by Response Surface Methodology
Tracey Tshivhase
ABSTRACT:
The aim of this paper is to model a response surface that is able to find a more defined brake specific fuel consumption (BSFC) as a function of speed. Engine driving patterns of power output against crankshaft speed was one of the methods employed. The load which is the normalized cylinder air mass in percentage is one of the variables used. The response surface which is directly related to fuel conversion is investigated through the analysis of BSFC. The BSFC is the energy flow divided by the mechanical power out. An engine performance simulation which predicts engine performance quantities such as power, torque, airflow volumetric efficiency and fuel consumption was used. This includes physical models for extending the predictions to include cylinder and tailpipe out emissions. The fuel for this research was an ethanol blend. The surface created was used to create a table, for fuel efficiency. The table is required to operate the engine as near to the bottom of the BSFC bowl as possible. The results qualified the ignition engine as a good representative of present day engines.
Keywords: Brake Specific Fuel Consumption (BSFC), Ethanol, Engine, Smoother surface.