Comparison of car performance using HVO fuel and diesel fuel

Abstract

All member states of the European Union are bound to the EU directives and regulations on the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions and the use of renewable energy sources in road transport. As the objectives defined in these documents cannot be achieved only by the mandatory blending of biofuels, opportunities to use new generation biofuels in pure form have to be investigated. One of the most promising fuel types in this matter could be hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO), which can be produced from a variety of non-food raw materials. To determine the effect of fuel on the car's dynamic, economic and environmental performance, experimental studies were carried out using a car model Opel Insignia powered by pure HVO fuel (NExBTL manufactured by Neste Oil) and regular diesel fuel. The tests were performed on a power bench, but the AVL measuring equipment was used to determine the exhaust gas composition and fuel consumption. The experimental results show that the power and torque characteristics in the whole range of engine speed are similar when operated with NExBTL and fossil diesel. The average NExBTL fuel volumetric consumption is about 3% higher, fuel mass consumption 5.3% lower and fuel energy input 4.5% lower compared to diesel fuel. This can be explained by the differences between the physical properties of the tested fuels, such as density, lower heating value and compressibility. Exhaust components, which are usually compared in studies of different fuels, using NExBTL fuel tend to decrease compared to fossil diesel. A reduction was observed in most driving modes tested. Unburned hydrocarbons decreased on average by 44%, SO2 - by 13.3%, NOx by 5% and CO2 - by 3.8%. Experimental studies show that NExBTL fuel might compete with fossil diesel in the future. It is confirmed by measurements of power, fuel consumption and exhaust gas content. An important drawback for the wider implementation of this fuel is its production cost.