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In order to reduce the levels of particulate matter emitted by diesel vehicle in large urban centers, retrofit programs for vehicles that meet emission levels EURO3 are needed, for example, in Santiago (Chile), since September 2012 - Reference #1. The conversion relies on the installation of a particulate filter regeneration system and a passive periodic cleaning schedule.

With the discovery of oil and gas in the pre-salt Santos and Campos basin, the supply of natural gas (NG) is expected to increase considerably, so the use of compressed natural gas (CNG) in city buses will be an important option for reducing the overall consumption of fossil diesel fuel and a reduction in operating costs in São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro Metropolitan Areas in Brazil. A vehicle with an engine that can run on pure diesel or diesel and CNG has advantage over a vehicle that works exclusively with CNG, because when there is no availability or the lack of CNG, the vehicle / engine operates with diesel only. Another benefit of this technology is the resale value in Brazil, because after the life cycle of use in theses two big cities, Urban Buses are sold country side to small cities where CNG is not available.

This paper describes the experimental results of performance and emission of a Mercedes-Benz OM 904 LA direct injection turbo-cooled diesel engine operating on a test bench, as part of studies supported by the Brazilian Biodiesel Program (Programa Nacional de Produção e Uso de Biodiesel). Several fuel blends, prepared with methyl and ethyl esters from soybean or castor vegetable oils and petrodiesel, were tested. Changes in full load performance parameters and emissions according to 13-modes Euro 3 cycle were evaluated. Complementary tests to quantify lubricant dilution and engine behavior at low-load high-speed condition were also developed.