Biogas use as fuel in spark ignition engines

Abstract

This paper reviews the utilization of biogas in spark ignition engines with a view to making a case for it as an efficient substitute fuel for petrol. However, its gaseous nature which accounts for its low volumetric density implies that apart from the basic modification needed to accommodate the fuel, the engine might need further alterations to get the best from this relatively low cost and readily available fuel. Various modes of enhancing performance particularly methane enrichment, prechamber combustion, alteration of ignition parameters, increasing compression ratio and addition of hydrogen to improve performance and emissions were drawn from previous works to validate its efficiency as a viable substitute fuel in SI engines.