Investigation of performance and emission characteristics using ethanol-blended gasoline fuel as a flex-fuel in two-wheeler vehicle mounted on a chassis dynamometer

Abstract

This study investigated the performance and emissions of flex fuels in a 110-cc BS6-compliant fuel-injected two-wheeler without ethanol adaptation adjustments. The tests were carried out under controlled conditions on a chassis dynamometer at 1000, 2000 and 3000 r.p.m. using ethanol blends from 10% ethanol (E10) to 85% ethanol (E85). Parameters examined included brake power (BP) output, brake-specific fuel consumption (BSFC), peak in-cylinder pressure and exhaust temperature. Emissions, including carbon monoxide (CO), hydrocarbons (HC), nitrogen oxide (NOx) and unregulated emissions, were also assessed. As the percentages of the ethanol blend increased from E10 to E85, there was a noticeable improvement in power output. At 1000 r.p.m., the BP ranged from 2.4 to 4.6 kW for different blends. The BSFC and the peak in-cylinder pressure followed a similar pattern, indicating enhanced performance and fuel efficiency with higher ethanol concentrations. Interestingly, using E85 at 1000 r.p.m. resulted in a significant 41.08% reduction in exhaust temperature compared with E10, although this difference decreased with higher blend percentages. Furthermore, replacing E10 with E85 at 1000 r.p.m. reduced CO and HC emissions by 9.17% and 38.34%, respectively. In contrast, NOx emissions increased at all r.p.m. levels with higher-ethanol blends, peaking at a 415 parts per million increase at 3000 r.p.m. However, unregulated emissions decreased significantly with increased r.p.m. and ethanol content. In summary, the use of flex-fuel blends in a two-wheeler resulted in a modest increase in BP output, improved fuel efficiency and lower CO and HC emissions. These findings are vital for optimizing ethanol blend utilization in two-wheeler engines under low-load conditions, considering both performance and environmental aspects.