Experimental evaluation of the influence of blends of aviation fuel with RME on the performance of an engine with a common-rail power system

Abstract

This paper presents original experimental research aimed at determining the effect of blends of aviation fuel with plant-based fuels on the useful parameters and exhaust gas composition of a compression-ignition engine with a common-rail (CR) tray power system. Original results were obtained for the parameters of an engine fueled with six fuels differing in chemical composition: the base fuel (F-54 diesel), F-34 aviation fuel, and four blends formed from F-34 fuel and RME (Rape Methyl Ester - rapeseed oil fatty acid methyl esters) with different weight percentages in the blend. Studies of blends of jet fuel with biocomponents in a wide range of shares in military fuel applications are not found in the available literature. The performance of the tested engine changed significantly. A decrease in useful power of about 3 % was obtained when the engine was powered by aviation fuel, compared to an engine powered by diesel fuel. For mixtures of aviation fuel F-34 with RME, the decrease is 5–10 %, depending on the content of RME in the mixture. Specific fuel consumption is higher for blends with methyl esters, and the increase is proportional to the RME content in the blend, ranging from 6 to 12 % depending on the proportion of RME, resulting in increased fuel demand. Supplying the engine with mixtures of F-34 fuel with RME resulted in an increase in average CO₂, CO and HC emissions in the range of 12–18 %. The addition of RME to F-34 fuel resulted in an almost 3-fold reduction in smoke opacity compared to powering an F-54 engine, a phenomenon that is very beneficial from an environmental perspective. It is possible to use mixtures of F-34 jet fuel with RME to power modern internal combustion engines with common-rail power systems, which expand the fuel range during armed conflicts.