Combustion characteristics in a diesel engine running on a diesel fuel produced by the Fischer-Tropsch synthesis process from lignite

Abstract

In this study, Fischer-Tropsch (FT) diesel produced by the liquefaction synthesis of lignite mined in Türkiye was used as an alternative to conventional diesel and its combustion and emission characteristics were observed. The fuel injection timing was also varied on a diesel engine running on FT diesel and petrol-based diesel to evaluate the effect of fuel injection timing. The findings indicated that the initiation and completion of combustion occurred earlier with FT diesel compared to petroleum-based diesel, resulting in elevated in-cylinder gas temperatures. The advancement of injection timing was observed to enhance the engine's knock tendency for both fuels, while the retardation of injection timing exhibited a mitigating effect on engine knock. The findings indicate that the combination of FT diesel with injection strategies has the potential to reduce emissions of total hydrocarbons, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, and soot by 50 %, 48.7 %, 7.8 %, and 50 %, respectively, while only experiencing a slight power reduction of up to 4.6 %. The analysis of its fuel properties, combustion characteristics, knock tendency, and emissions performance indicates that FT diesel is a viable alternative fuel for diesel engines without the necessity for modifications to engine systems. It is also worth noting that the use of FT diesel can lead to a reduction in knock tendency through the optimization of fuel injection strategies.