Experimental and Mathematical Investigation on Performance and Emission Characteristics of Ethanol Fumigation in a Single Cylinder Diesel Engine

This work investigates the influence of fumigation fuel on the performance and emissions of a diesel engine using different fumigation ratios (10, 15, 20, 25 and 30%) with diesel fuel. Test was carried out on a single cylinder diesel engine using ethanol as a fumigation fuel. In this work, computer control injection using LabVIEW software is attempted for ethanol fumigation and common rail is used to inject at same pressure always. Ethanol at different rates is used as fumigation fuels. The mathematical experiments were designed using a statistical tool known as design of experiments based on response surface methodology. The resultant models of the response surface methodology were helpful to predict the response parameters such as brake thermal efficiency, brake specific fuel consumption, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, hydrocarbon, nitrogen oxides and smoke. Optimization of the input and response parameters is also done using desirability approach. Finally a software tool is developed using LabVIEW software for predicting engine parameters when the engine input parameters are given.