Effect of oxy-hydrogen blending with gasoline on vehicle performance parameters and optimization using response surface methodology

Abstract

ABSTRACT Rapid decline in fossil fuel reservoirs has attracted researchers to use a variety of fuel blends in Spark ignition (SI) and Compression ignition (CI) engines demonstrating similar performance and lower emissions. Oxy-hydrogen gas obtained through electrolysis has been successfully tested for this use. This paper presents a two wheeler chassis dynamometer based study of a two wheeler loaded with newly developed single cylinder variable compression ratio (VCR) engine utilizing different blends of gasoline and oxy-hydrogen gas. Variation in fuel average performance (FAP), wheel power (WP) and acceleration performance (AP) due to oxy-hydrogen blending with gasoline is studied and compared with neat gasoline at five different gears. Further multi objective optimization of FAP and WP is carried out using response surface methodology (RSM). Regression models are postulated for predicting FAP and WP at different levels of compression ratio (CR) and oxy-hydrogen gasoline blends. Interaction between CR and oxy-hydrogen-gasoline blending is also studied and discussed. Modification carried out on an engine improves vehicle performance parameters and oxy-hydrogen gasoline blending further enhances the improvements. Maximum FAP and WP in top gear is obtained at highest CR of 11.57:1 and a oxy-hydrogen gasoline blend with 112.558 ml/min flow rate of oxy-hydrogen gas.