Methanol (M85) Port-Fuel-Injected Spark Ignition Motorcycle Engine Development—Part 2: Dynamic Performance, Transient Emissions, and Catalytic Converter Effectiveness

Abstract

Methanol is emerging as an alternate internal combustion engine fuel. It is getting attention in countries such as China and India as an emerging transport fuel. Using methanol in spark ignition engines is easier and more economical than in compression ignition engines via the blending approach. M85 (85% v/v methanol and 15% v/v gasoline) is one of the preferred blends with the highest methanol concentration. However, its physicochemical properties significantly differ from gasoline, leading to challenges in operating existing vehicles. This experimental study addresses the challenges such as cold-start operation and poor throttle response of M85-fueled motorcycle using a port fuel injection engine. In this study, M85-fueled motorcycle prototype is developed with superior performance, similar/better drivability, and lower emissions than a gasoline-fueled port-fuel-injected motorcycle. An open electronic control unit was installed using suitable wiring harness/sensors and actuators to control the engine. Then the motorcycle electronic control unit was calibrated for transient operations on a chassis dynamometer. The motorcycle was tested under road load simulation and wide-open throttle conditions on the chassis dynamometer to compare its performance with a baseline gasoline-fueled motorcycle. Evaluation parameters included power at wheels, maximum vehicle speed, and time-based and speed-based acceleration characteristics. Transient emissions were evaluated following the Indian driving cycle protocols. The effectiveness of the catalytic converter for M85 fueling was assessed by comparing various emissions upstream and downstream of the catalytic converter. M85-fueled motorcycle generated higher power at wheels and similar maximum speeds as baseline gasoline-fueled motorcycle. Fine-tuned M85-fueled motorcycle exhibited superior acceleration characteristics over baseline gasoline-fueled motorcycle, indicating that an appropriate tuning strategy could tackle the issue of “drivability.” M85-fueled motorcycle emitted lower carbon monoxide and hydrocarbon during the warm-up cycles in the Indian driving cycle protocol. The inherent fuel oxygen of M85 enhanced the carbon monoxide–carbon dioxide conversion, reducing carbon monoxide emissions in the engine exhaust. The existing catalytic converter was also suitable for M85 fueling since the hydrocarbon, nitric oxide, and carbon monoxide emissions were effectively reduced downstream of the catalytic converter in all test conditions.