Edwin C. Owens

Emissions Comparison of Alternative Fuels in an Advanced Automotive Diesel Engine

Exhaust emissions mappings were conducted for six alternative diesel fuels in a Daimler-Benz (DB) OM6l1 diesel engine. The OM6l 1 engine is a 2.2L, direct-injection diesel with a Bosch, high-pressure, common-rail, fuel-injection system. The engine design closely matches the specifications of the Partnership for a New Generation Vehicle (PNGV) target compression-ignition engine. Triplicate 13-mode, steady-state test sequences were performed for each fuel, with a 2-D control fuel serving as the baseline. No adjustments were made to the engine to compensate for any performance differences resulting from fuel property variations.

The Effects of Lubricant Composition on S.I. Engine Wear With Alcohol Fuels

An investigation of the effects of lubricant composition changes on spark ignition engine wear and deposits when using alcohol fuel was jointly sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy and the U.S. Army Mobility Equipment Research and Development Command. In the work covered by this paper, tests were conducted with methanol fuel in a 2.3-liter engine using a modified ASTM Sequence V-D procedure. The baseline lubricant was a 10W-30 grade product, qualified under MIL-L-46152, for which a large amount of field and laboratory data were available. Eleven variations of the baseline lubricant were supplied and tested. The results indicate that a magnesium-based detergent additive was less effective in controlling methanol-related engine wear than was a calcium-based additive. Ashless dispersant chemistry was also determined to be of importance in controlling wear with methanol fuel. Experiments were conducted to identify the wear mechanism using the 2.3-liter engine, 20-hour steady-state test. This 20-hour test shows promise as a lubricant screening procedure when using methanol fuel.

The Effects of Alcohol Fuels and Fully Formulated Lubricants on Engine Wear

An investigation of the effects of alcohol fuels and lubricant formulations on spark ignition engine wear and deposition was made. Tests were conducted using near methanol, anhydrous ethanol, and alcohol blends as fuel in a 2.3-liter engine using a modified ASTM Sequence V-D test procedure.

Low-Temperature Pumpability of U.S. Army Diesel Engine Oils

Abstract : Borderline oil-pumpability temperatures (BPTs) were determined for U.S. Army diesel engines by cranking experiments conducted in a cold box. The variables investigated included: four different diesel engine types; four different oil viscosity grades; and three different viscosity index improver chemical types. In general, for a given oil, the decreasing order of engine severity (i.e., highest BPT) was: the Continental LDT-465-1C and the Cummins VTA-903T were the most severe, and were approximately equivalent. The GM 6.2L engine was the next least severe with the DDC 6V-53T engine being the overall least severe. The different viscosity index improver chemistries of specially blended test oils included: olefin copolymer (OCP), styrene-isoprene polymer (SI), aNd polymethacrylate (PMA). The PMA-containing 15W-40 oils had superior low-temperature oil pumpability performance in each engine in which they were evaluated.

Engine wear with methanol fuel in a nitrogen-free environment

Several test programs have shown that the combustion of methanol in spark ignition engines can cause unusually high corrosive wear of the upper cylinder bore and ring areas. In this study, a 2.3-liter engine fueled with methanol was operated in a nitrogen-free atmosphere to determine the importance of nitric acid in the corrosion mechanism. A 20-hour steady-state test was carried out using neat methanol as the fuel and a mixture of oxygen, argon, and carbon dioxide in place of air. The intake and exhaust gases were frequently analyzed to be sure their compositions were constant and free of nitrogen. Emission measurements showed only trace amounts (1 ppm) of NOx in the exhaust. Analysis of the condensates from the exhaust and blow also showed that the wear indicated by iron buildup in the lubricant was essentially the same in the nitrogen-free test as that detected in baseline engine tests combusting methanol-air mixtures. It was concluded that nitric acid does not play a role in the corrosion of the upper cylinder bore and ring areas of methanol-fuelded engines.

Laboratory Evaluation of Army Multiviscosity Grade Tactical Engine Oils

Several multiviscosity grade oils were subjected to a special 240-hour endurance test procedure in an Army high-output two-cycle diesel engine, and certain of the oils were laboratory tested in the Armys multifuel, four-cycle compression ignition engine and in the Armys air-cooled four-cycle diesel tank engine. Certain of the lubricants were also subjected to standard hydraulic/power transmission tests because acceptable power transmission performance will now be a formal requirement in the D-revision to the engine lubricant specification MIL-L-2104. Parallel to these laboratory evaluations, pilot field tests were conducted in combat/tactical vehicles (engines and power shift transmissions) at three Army bases. The limited field tests indicated that the use of arctic/conventional multiviscosity grade lubricants at ambient temperatures up to 38 deg C (100 deg F) may be possible, and their introduction under MIL-L-2104 should be pursued. Laboratory test results produced a suitable two-cycle diesel engine lubricants qualification test, and showed that SAE 15W-40 grade oils are acceptable for use in Army diesel-powered combat/tactical engine and power transmission fluid systems. Areas for continued lubricant development are outlined.

The measurement of octane numbers for methanol and reference fuels blends

The purpose of this work was to develop a series of octane reference fuels for road testing methanol fueled vehicles. Preliminary attempts to measure the research octane number of neat methanol by the standard ASTM test procedure produced anomalous results. This led to a more basic method of measuring the octane number based on the incipient knock compression ratio