The effect of using bioethanol on starting and warm-up emissions of a diesel engine powered generator

In this study, the effect of alternative fuel blends consisted of petroleum based diesel fuel and bioethanol on exhaust emissions of a diesel engine generator set were investigated during starting at cold and warm-up. The results obtained with alternative fuel mixtures were compared with those of petroleum based diesel fuel. According to experimental results, compared with petroleum based diesel fuel, there was a slight increase in CO emissions with using alternative fuel mixtures in unloaded state, however, the amount of CO emissions decreased up to 60% by increasing the bioethanol ratio and load. Moreover, it is seen that blended fuel having 15% bioethanol has the lowest CO emission. While the highest unburnt HC emissions with petroluem diesel as 50 ppm was measured at cold-starting (no load state) the lowest one was measured by fuel blend containing 10% v/v bioethanol (BE10) as 43 ppm. During warm-up, by increasing load similar results were obtained as well. NOx emission was measured as highest by using petroluem diesel while it was lowest by BE15 at starting. Despite a high NOx emission was measured with BE10 usage; those of petroluem diesel and BE15 were similar each other at warm-up together with applying load. While the lowest smoke opacity was obtained with BE15 the highest one was by BE10. By applying load smoke opacity increased and highest opacity was measured with BE10 while the lowest was by BE15.