Comparative analysis of engine running performance with and without thermostat

Abstract

The rate of removal of internal combustion (IC) engine thermostat when engines are imported to Ghana and other part of African continent is alarming. Such phenomenon calls for an experiment to compare the performance of IC engines imported here in Ghana running with and without engine thermostat. The analysis was done by determine engine performance characteristic such as engine torque, indicated power (Ip), brake power (bp), frictional power (fp), fuel consumption, exhaust gas temperature (EGT) as well as exhaust emission at engine speed of 1500 rpm for engine running with thermostat (WT) and without thermostat (WOT). Descriptive statistics and analysis of variance (ANOVA) were done using GenStat software (VSN International, 2021). Statistical significance was carried out at p≤0.05. The best fuel mean value of 103 ml was recorded for engine condition WT at EGT of 283.2 °C while fuel consumed for engine condition WOT was 170 ml at EGT of 155.4 °C. The recorded mean exhaust emission gases for Ex, O2, CO, H2S were 13.2%, 16.2%, 1000 ppm and 35.2 ppm and 0%, 18.38%, 393.2 ppm and 0.4 ppm for engine condition WOT and WT respectively. There was significant difference (p≤0.05) in mean values of EGT, Fuel consumption and exhaust emissions for engine condition WOT with the exception of O2. The removal of engine thermostat affect engine working temperature which result in incomplete combustion, high fuel consumption and high exhaust emissions.