Adaptation of small capacity natural gas engine for producer gas operation

Dasappa, S and Sridhar, G and Paul, PJ (2012) Adaptation of small capacity natural gas engine for producer gas operation. In: PROCEEDINGS OF THE INSTITUTION OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERS PART C-JOURNAL OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERING SCIENCE, 226 (C6). pp. 1568-1578.

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Abstract

This article addresses the adaptation of a low-power natural gas engine for using producer gas as a fuel. The 5.9 L natural gas engine with a compression ratio of 10.5:1, rated at 55 kW shaft power, delivered 30 kW using producer gas as fuel in the naturally aspirated mode. Optimal ignition timing for peak power was found to be 20 degrees before top dead centre. Air-to-fuel ratio (A/F) was found to be 1.2 +/- 0.1 over a range of loads. Critical evaluation of the energy flows in the engine resulted in identifying losses and optimizing the engine cooling. The specific fuel consumption was found to be 1.2 +/- 0.1 kg of biomass per kilowatt hour. A reduction of 40 per cent in brake mean effective pressure was observed compared with natural gas operation. Governor response to load variations has been studied with respect to frequency recovery time. The study also attempts to adopt a turbocharger for higher power output. Preliminary results suggest a possibility of about 30 per cent increase in the output.

Item Type:	Journal Article
Publication:	PROCEEDINGS OF THE INSTITUTION OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERS PART C-JOURNAL OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERING SCIENCE
Publisher:	SAGE PUBLICATIONS LTD
Additional Information:	Copy right for this article belongs to Sage Publisher
Keywords:	producer gas;gas engines;gasifier; natural gas
Department/Centre:	Division of Mechanical Sciences > Aerospace Engineering(Formerly Aeronautical Engineering)
Date Deposited:	17 Jul 2012 11:38
Last Modified:	17 Jul 2012 11:38
URI:	http://eprints.iisc.ac.in/id/eprint/44847

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