Fuel Property Effects on Army Diesel Engine Performance 852091

Four military engines were tested to determine the effect of fuel properties on engine performance. These engines were the Detroit Diesel (DD) 4-53T, Continental Motors LDT-465-1C, Cummins NTC-350, and the Caterpillar 3208T. For this program, 18 fuels were blended to attain wide variations in kinematic viscosity, cetane number, ten-percent boiling point (10%BP), and aromatic content. Each of the eighteen fuels was run at the same relative speed and energy levels in each engine. Loads attained from the given speed-energy points were analyzed using the computer program SAS. These multiple linear regression analyses yielded a stable load prediction equation for each engine with energy, speed, aromatic content, inlet air temperature, kinematic viscosity, and 10%BP as the independent variables. Two additional fuel blends were run as cross-validations. Predicted loads agreed well with observed loads for these fuels except at low speed-energy points in some engines.