Effects of pilot injection on combustion and emissions characteristics using 2-methylfuran/diesel blends in a diesel engine

Abstract

A direct injection compression ignition (DICI) engine fueled by diesel blended with 10% or 30% mass proportion of 2-methylfuran (MF) was experimentally studied. The in-cylinder combustion pressure, regulated emissions and particulate matter (PM) emissions at different pilot injection timings and masses were investigated under the exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) mode. It was found the blending with MF increased the peak in-cylinder pressure and retarded the combustion phase at different pilot injection timings. The addition of 30% MF increased the peak in-cylinder pressure and heat release rate (HRR) gradually along with the advancement of pilot injection timing. NOx, HC and CO emissions increased with the advancement of pilot injection timing when the pilot injection proportion was fixed at 20%, and the blending with MF reduced HC and CO emissions but increased NOx emissions considerably. 30% MF addition could significantly reduce nucleation mode and accumulation mode particles at different pilot injection timings and masses compared with pure diesel. In addition, the particulate mass concentration (PMC) of 30% MF addition remained at very low levels under all experimental conditions.