The LPG conversion in motorcycle engine

Transcription

1 The conversion in motorcycle engine CHARALAMPOS ARAPATSAKOS, ANASTASIOS KARKANIS, IOANNΙS PANTOKRATORAS, THEMELIS DIMITRIADIS, ELENA MARIN YASELI DE LA PARRA Department of Production and Management Engineering Democritus University of Thrace V. Sofias Street,, Xanthi GREECE Abstract: -The motorcycles, of which their number is big, emit significant amounts of carbon monoxide, hydrocarbons and oxides of nitrogen. As a consequence they overload the urban and suburban environment. This paper examines the conversion in motorcycle gasoline engine and the engine behavior. The gas emissions of carbon monoxide (CO), hydrocarbons (HC), nitrogen monoxide (NO), carbon dioxide(co ) and the engine power variation, for gasoline and fuel has being measured too. Key-Words: - Gas emissions,, engine power. Introduction The work construction for the facility of traffic and the implementation of traffic measures in big cities have as a result only small scale and temporal improvements, thus could not solve the problem. However, lately it has been made a big progress in the technology of engine vehicles in order to reduce emission of pollutants. Therefore, as it is also envisaged by the relevant European Directives, the effort of solution has been concentrated in the development and progress of not polluted engine technology, differentiation of fuel composition as well as the use of alternative types of fuels The pollutants that are being produced from internal combustion engines include carbon monoxide (CO), hydrocarbons (HC), nitrogen oxides (NOx) and particulate matter. Carbon Monoxide can be harmful for humans because it reacts with hemoglobin and forms carboxyhemoglobin that reduces the oxygen-carrying capacity of the blood [,]. Furthermore, carbon monoxide can be converted to carbon dioxide (CO ) when it reacts with hydroxyl radical (OH) []. Carbon dioxide contributes to long-term environmental damage because it has effect on global warming of the atmosphere (greenhouse effect) []. Hydrocarbons are emitted to the atmosphere from the incomplete combustion of the fuels and also from the evaporation of the fuels. Some hydrocarbons such as benzene and,-butadiene are toxic and can cause cancer to humans []. Reactive hydrocarbons can contribute to ozone production []. The oxides of nitrogen can cause human respiratory tract irritation and can contribute to photochemical smog. When nitrogen oxides combine with water produce acids which means that can contribute to acid rain formation []. The health effect of particulate matter depends on the size of the particulate. Very small particulates are not filtered at the nose and can travel into the lungs causing tissue damage []. In order to improve air quality scientist are focusing in the use of alternative fuels that can give energy without harming the environment. An alternative fuel that can be used in internal combustion engines is the liquefied petroleum gas. Liquefied petroleum gas, also called, is a flammable mixture of the hydrocarbon gases propane (C H8) and butane (C H ) and in some cases is propane or butane alone. These hydrocarbons are gases in atmospheric pressure and so it is necessary to keep them in high pressure for storage and transportation. is used as a fuel in heating appliances and vehicles. For vehicles, the ratio of propane and butane changes depending on the season. In the winter the mixture has more propane and in the summer it has more butane. Also, because these gases are odorless, a powerful odorant, ethanethiol, is added so that leaks can be detected easily. is synthesized by distillation of petroleum or by drying natural gas. There is an abundant supply of from many sources around the world. When specifically used as a vehicle fuel ISBN:

2 it is often referred to as auto gas. In recent years global consumption of auto gas has been rising rapidly. The primary reason why governments in many countries actively encourage the use of auto gas and other alternative fuels is the environment. auto gas is widely used as a "green" fuel as it decreases exhaust emissions. The advantages for the environment compared to other fuels are the following: -It reduces carbon monoxide emissions compared to gasoline engines. - Hydrocarbons which are emitted are of short carbon chain and low ozone-forming reactivity. -Low emission of toxic air contaminants such as benzene and,-butadiene. -Low cold-start emissions. - can be transported, stored, and used virtually anywhere in the world. It does not require a fixed network and will not deteriorate over time. - is cost-effective, since a high proportion of its energy content is converted into heat. can be up to five times more efficient than traditional fuels, resulting in less energy wastage[]. The performance and operational characteristics of auto gas vehicles compare favorably with other fuels. Auto gas has a higher octane rating than gasoline, so converted gasoline engines to use end to run more smoothly. This reduces engine wear and maintenance requirements, including less frequent spark plug and oil changes. Auto gas causes less soot formation than both gasoline and diesel, reducing abrasion and chemical degradation of the engine oil. In addition, Auto gas does not dilute the lubricating film on the cylinder wall, which is a particular problem with gasoline engines in cold starts. Because of the higher octane of auto gas, higher compression ratios can be achieved which can deliver increased engine-power output and better thermal efficiency, reducing fuel consumption and emissions. Auto gas has a lower energy density than gasoline and diesel. Although this has no effect on engine performance, a larger volume of fuel and a bigger tank are required to achieve the same overall driving range[]. Some countries promote auto gas for economic reasons, especially when they have surplus of indigenous to be consumed. The technology for installing auto gas systems in vehicles or converting existing conventional-fuel vehicles is proven. The costs of converting vehicles to run on auto gas are generally much less than for other alternative fuels. The cost of auto gas supply and infrastructure is generally lower than for other alternative fuels. On an energy-content basis, the cost of bulk delivered to service stations is roughly comparable to gasoline. The cost of installing a standard tank, pump and metering equipment for autogas alongside existing gasoline and diesel facilities is typically around a third that of installing dispensing facilities for CNG with the same capacity. The standards of auto gas components are very strict, ensuring that vehicles are as safe as other motor vehicles. These standards are constantly updated to adapt to the evolution of technologies[]. To prevent and minimize the hazards, the industry has developed stringent standards and regulations in design, manufacturing and installation of auto gas parts and equipment[8,9]. The question that is examined in this paper is if system can be installed in a motorcycle engine and how it behaves from the aspect of power, function and emissions.. Instrumentation The tests were carried out on motorcycle with a four-stroke air cooled gasoline engine, with engine volume 9,cc and one cylinder. The maximum power of the engine was,hp/rpm. Initially was installed fuel system on the motorcycle (figure ). The fuel system includes the refill valve, the security multi valve(figure ), the tank(figure ), the evaporator-demand regulator(figure ) and the fuel tubes(figure ). The maximum volume of tank is. liter and is certified in bar max hydraulic pressure. The functional pressure on the fuel tank is 8-bar. The motorcycle was tested under different load conditions(%, % and % of the max dynamometer power) with the contribution of dynamometer system(figure ), when on the motorcycle gear box was stable the nd gear. The measuring system consisted of the HORIBA MEXA-8L gas emission analyzer which received the exhaust s emissions from the motorcycle engine, and transferred them to the PC through a National Instruments device which received the analog signal and transformed it to digital signal, in order to receive the incoming data the labview software. The whole experiment has taken place on a Dyno Race Dimsport dynamometer, especially designed for motorcycles(figue ). The ISBN:

3 dynamometer can handle power up to KW, speeds as fast as Km/h and maximum rpm. From the HORIBA MEXA-8L a probe goes directly to the exhaust of the motorcycle. Also, there are two probes for receiving the rpm from the motorcycle. The one is connected to the control unit of the dynamometer, and the other is connected to the PC trough a device that transforms the signal to square pulse and then transfers it to the labview software. The control unit of the dynamometer is connected to an other PC in which it has been installed the dynamometer software. For the measurement we took the values from both labview and the dynamometer. At the end of each measurement we had one file from the dynamometer s software, containing values for the rpm, power and torque of the motorcycle, and another file from the labview. The file from the labview contained the rpm and gas emissions (HC, CO, CO, NO) related to the time for gasoline and fuel. Figure. The multi valve Figure. The tank Figure. system for motorcycle Figure.The evaporator (demand regulator) ISBN:

4 Figure. The fuel tubes Figure. The motorcycle dynamometer Figure. The measuring system ISBN:

5 . Experimental results The experimental results are shown at the following figures: Power (Hp) nd Gear/ RPM Torque (kgm) POWER POWER TORQUE TORQUE Figure 8. The engine power and torque variation under % load, for gasoline and fuel Power (Hp) 8 nd Gear/ 8 RPM Torque (Kgm) POWER POWER TORQUE TORQUE Figure 9. The engine power and torque variation under % load, for gasoline and fuel Power (Hp) nd Gear/ RPM Torque (Kgm) POWER POWER TORQUE TORQUE Figure. The engine power and torque variation under % load, for gasoline and fuel HC (ppm) HC (nd Gear) % % % % % Figure. The HC variation for any load condition, for gasoline and fuel CO (%) 9 8 CO (nd Gear) % % % % % Figure. The CO variation for any load condition, for gasoline and fuel NO (ppm) 8 NO (nd Gear) % % % % % Figure. The NO variation for any load condition, for gasoline and fuel ISBN:

6 CO (%) 9 8 CO (nd Gear) % % % % % Figure. The CO variation for any load condition, for gasoline and fuel From figures 8, 9, it can be seen the engine power and the engine torque variation for all the load conditions and for every fuel. It has been observed small reduction of the engine power and negligible reduction for the engine torque, in the case that is used as fuel. In figures,,,, it can be seen the HC, CO, ΝΟ and CO variation for any load condition, for gasoline and fuel. It is observed reduction of HC and CO emissions (figures, ) in the case of fuel for any load condition. As a result of this is better combustion in the case of fuel. From figure, it can be noticed that NO emissions are higher when is used as fuel. This is due to higher air combustion quantity in the case of fuel and the engine regulation. From figure, it can be seen that CO emissions are higher in the case of fuel for any load condition. This is due to the fact that the combustion is better in the case of regarding to gasoline fuel and the regulation of the engine is different too.. Conclusion economical and less harmful to the environment in terms of the transportation sector, the technology of conversion engine has been evolved so that the engines can run on. By taken into consideration the experimental measurements, it can be concluded that the use of as fuel it has as result the reduction of CO and HC emissions. References [] C. Arapatsakos, A. Karkanis, P. Sparis, Methanol blends as motor fuels, WSEAS transactions on environment and development (8) 8-8. [] C. Arapatsakos, Alaxandros Ververidis, as fuel on Diesel engine, th International Conference on Energy and Environment Kos- Greece [] C. Arapatsakos, A. Karkanis, P. Sparis, Tests on a small four engine using gasoline ethanol mixtures as fuel, Advances in air pollution () -. [] C. Arapatsakos, P. Sparis, Twc life extension via catalyst mounting invertion under full load conditions at rpm, International Journal of Heat & Technology (998) 9-. [] C. Arapatsakos, P. Sparis, Catalyst regeneration via chemical treatment: driving cycles, Journal of Automobile Engineering (999) 9-. [] World LP Gas Association WA worldlpgas.com [] European Association aegpl.com [8] Global Engineering Documents global.ihs.com [9] World LP Gas Association, Edition of Autogas Updates(December ) The air pollution problem that caused by car traffic is internationally. The primary focus in today s culture is efforts to reduce pollutants and greenhouse gases. Alternative or renewable energy sources show significant promise in helping to reduce the amount of toxins that are by-products of energy source. Moreover, alternative energy use can help preserve the delicate ecological balance of the planet and help us conserve the non renewable energy sources like fossil fuels. In order to replace the fossil fuels with other fuels more efficient, ISBN: