Strategies for high efficiency and stability in biogas-fuelled small engines

Jatana, Gurneesh Singh and Himabindu, M and Thakur, Hari S and Ravikrishna, RV (2014) Strategies for high efficiency and stability in biogas-fuelled small engines. In: EXPERIMENTAL THERMAL AND FLUID SCIENCE, 54 . pp. 189-195.

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Abstract

This work assesses the performance of small biogas-fuelled engines and explores high-efficiency strategies for power generation in the very low power range of less than 1000 W. Experiments were performed on a small 95-cc, single-cylinder, four-stroke spark-ignition engine operating on biogas. The engine was operated in two modes, i.e., `premixed' and `fuel injection' modes, using both single and dual spark plug configurations. Measurements of in-cylinder pressure, crank angle, brake power, air and fuel flow rates, and exhaust emissions were conducted. Cycle-to-cycle variations in engine in-cylinder pressure and power were also studied and assessed quantitatively for various loading conditions. Results suggest that biogas combustion can be fairly sensitive to the ignition strategies thereby affecting the power output and efficiency. Further, results indicate that continuous fuel injection shows superior performance compared to the premixed case especially at low loads owing to possible charge stratification in the engine cylinder. Overall, this study has demonstrated for the first time that a combination of technologies such as lean burn, fuel injection, and dual spark plug ignition can provide highly efficient and stable operation in a biogas-fuelled small S.I. engine, especially in the low power range of 450-1000W. (C) 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Item Type:	Journal Article
Publication:	EXPERIMENTAL THERMAL AND FLUID SCIENCE
Publisher:	ELSEVIER SCIENCE INC
Additional Information:	Copyright for this article belongs to the ELSEVIER SCIENCE INC, USA
Keywords:	Biogas combustion; Small engines; Fuel injection; Lean burn
Department/Centre:	Division of Mechanical Sciences > Mechanical Engineering
Date Deposited:	15 May 2014 10:33
Last Modified:	15 May 2014 10:34
URI:	http://eprints.iisc.ac.in/id/eprint/49025

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