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Two Wheeler segment being the largest segment for consumption of Gasoline in India, a study was taken-up for establishing the effectiveness of 10% Ethanol in normal and branded gasoline for its use on 4 stroke engine powered two wheelers. This paper presents the test work done on four identical four stroke engine powered two wheelers, one each on neat normal and branded gasoline and their blends with 10% ethanol. Mileage build-up of 15,000 km was carried out on road as well as on chassis dynamometer with intermittent performance test at 5000 km interval, used engine oil sample analysis at regular interval and merit rating of engine components at the end of the trials.

Use of biofuels derived from biomass, bioethanol, biodiesel, etc., are being seriously viewed from multidimensional perspective of depleting fossil fuel resources, environmental health, energy security, agrarian economy and new avenues of gainful employment. For the best use of available biofuels in diesel, a new blend was prepared which constituted 85% diesel + 5% ethanol + 10% biodiesel and was evaluated on Light Commercial Vehicle. This paper discusses the systematic performance evaluation of blended fuels and is compared with neat diesel with respect to lubricity, fuel economy in the steady speed ranges of 40 - 70 km/hr, driving cycle fuel economy, exhaust emissions like CO, HC, CO₂, O₂, NOx, smoke and characterization of particulates including particle size distribution. Synergy of 5% ethanol + 10% biodiesel in diesel was compared with diesel when the fuel was used as individual blends.

Gasoline components play a prime role in the formation of deposits on engine components. In order to reduce the deposit forming tendency of fuels, oil marketing companies dope the multi functional additives in gasoline for trouble free operation over a longer period of time. For assessing intake valve deposits and combustion chamber deposits forming tendency of gasoline/additised gasoline, Coordination European Council (CEC) has established the engine test method CEC F-20-A-98 on Mercedes Benz M 111 gasoline engine. The above test method is able to discriminate IVD and CCD formation tendency with neat fuel and additised fuel. In the present work, an effort has been made to discriminate between the additives and an attempt has also been made to understand their impact on emission characteristics.

Part substitution of alcohol in gasoline alters the composition and combustion characteristics leading to different particulates as emitted by individual fuel. This paper presents the test work done on characterisation of particulate number concentration emitted from four stroke engine powered two wheeler with neat Euro III gasoline and its blend with ethanol (5, 10, 20 & 30 %) using Electrical Low Pressure Impactor (ELPI). The characterisation of particulates was carried out under different operating conditions viz. Indian Driving Cycle (IDC), Road Load Simulation (RLS) and Wide Open Throttle (WOT) conditions on Chassis Dynamometer with the test fuels. It was observed from the study that for all the test fuels, the number concentration increases as the particulate size reduces. Further, it was observed that addition of ethanol in neat Euro III gasoline has reduced the particulate number concentration both in transient and steady speed conditions.

Field trials were conducted on two-stroke engine powered two-wheelers with 5%, 10 % ethanol and 3 % methanol. The performance and emissions of vehicles operating on these fuels were compared to those with neat gasoline up to 20,000 km. No significant change in fuel economy was observed with 5 % ethanol and 3 % methanol, however about 1.1 % loss was observed with 10 % ethanol. Emission test conducted after mileage build-up showed reduction of carbon monoxide (CO) with 5 % and 10 % ethanol, while increase of CO was observed with 3% methanol. Total hydrocarbon emissions increased on mileage build-up with all the test fuels. Merit rating of engine components after 20,000 km indicated that the ratings were better for 5 % ethanol blended gasoline. Startability and drivability problems were observed with 3% methanol after completing 10,000 km.

India and most of the world are concerned with economic and environmental issues associated with energy use. The petroleum-derived fuels are the exclusive fuels being used by the entire transport sector. We therefore need to look for alternatives, which could reduce our dependence on oil. Bio-diesel is renewable fuel produced by the esterification of vegetable oil or animal fat and can be used as blend with diesel in engines. The use of bio-diesel blend is getting increasing attention day by day because it is one of fuels that can match the features of diesel fuel at affordable cost and can be easily adapted for use in existing engine technologies, without any major modifications. This interest can further be attributed to a number of benefits like its production from renewable source, biodegradability and its potential to reduce exhaust emissions. In the present work, impact of different blends of bio-diesel on the vehicle performance and emissions has been studied.

Biofuels derived from renewable plant sources (tree borne vegetable oil) hold immense potential for meeting India's future energy needs. The pure vegetable oils need chemical treatment to be ready as engine fuel. This chemically treated vegetable oil is called Biodiesel. This paper investigates vehicle performance of different blends of biodiesel as engine fuel. Biodiesel used for these studies was derived from Jatropha curcus. Blends of Biodiesel upto 15% did not affect the engine power while blends with higher proportion of Biodiesel showed tendency to decrease the engine power. Best fuel economy was observed with 10% biodiesel blended fuel. Oxides of Nitrogen (NOx) emissions, increased under different operating conditions while smoke was reduced at all speed ranges in Road Load Simulation and Wide Open Throttle test modes.

Biofuels like ethanol are widely used as blended with gasoline in many countries. The consumption of diesel fuel in India is two and half times to that of gasoline and any small reduction in the consumption of diesel fuel, with use of renewable fuels like ethanol as a blend, enhances the energy security of this country. With the use of suitable chemicals as emulsifying agent for preparing a stable blend of ethanol in diesel and also by adding the additives such as cetane improver and lubricity improver, it is possible to use ethanol in diesel. This paper describes the performance evaluation of 5%ethanol-diesel blend in tractors with respect to the engine's power output, fuel economy and emissions. The cold startability tests in climatic chamber at 0°C were also done in order to see the startability of ethanol diesel blend under low temperature applications. It was observed that there is marginal reduction in the CO and PM emission with a marginal increase in the NOx emissions.

Bio-fuels are being viewed from the multi-dimensional prospective of depleting fossil fuels resources and promoting environmental health, energy security, support to agricultural sector and rural employment. Increased attention is being paid for the use of bio fuels production and their utilization in the transport sector. India being a major agricultural based economy with large scale dependence on imported crude oil will certainly benefit through the increased use of agricultural resources for producing bio fuels which could be blended with motor gasoline and diesel fuel. With high volatility in international oil prices, it is important that we must reduce our dependence on imports of oil for energy security of the country. Based on the success of the pilot projects started earlier with 5 % ethanol in gasoline, Government of India has already decided to blend 5 % of ethanol in gasoline on a commercial scale.

Emission regulations for portable generator sets have been enforced in India from June, 2000 and more and more stringent standards are in offing. Studies on application of monolith and packed bed oxidation catalytic converters on a two-stroke gasoline and 4-stroke kerosene fuelled SI engine generator sets were carried out. Substantial reductions in HC (unburned hydrocarbons) and CO (carbon monoxide) emissions were obtained on the 2-stroke generator even without secondary air and it could meet the June 2001 standards. For functioning of the catalytic converters on kerosene generator, secondary air had to be introduced. Although, significant reduction in CO were obtained, for improving conversion of HC, improvements in catalyst formulation and optimization of secondary air are to be done.

A novel catalytic converter technology for 2 stroke engine application has been successfully developed and tested on select two wheeler vehicles. The catalytic converter uses spherical beads, as catalyst carrier, that is characterised by its very low thermal expansion coefficient and excellent thermal shock resistance. This catalyst carrier is very different from the old fixed bed pelleted catalyst carrier used in the four wheelers in late 1970's and early 1980's, in terms of its: chemical and mineralogical composition microstructure and other physical properties When suitably catalysed and canned, it offers unique advantages over conventional honeycomb catalyst on account of its high conversion efficiency, good durability and easy catalyst replacement/refill capability. The reactor which houses the catalyst bead is so designed that it offers least pressure drop across the converter and negligible power loss at WOT conditions.