Evaluation of vibration and noise characteristics of a compression-ignition engine fuelled with natural gas-biodiesel dual fuel

As environmental requirements become more stringent and the planet becomes more polluted, the replacement of conventional diesel is attracting more interest. For alternative fuels, such as biodiesel and natural gas, to be used, their effects must be examined not only in terms of the engine’s environmental indicators but also in terms of engine vibrations and sound pressure. This study examined the influence of dual fuel – biodiesel and natural gas – on vibrations and sound pressure of a compression-ignition (CI) engine. Conventional diesel or hydrotreated vegetable oil biodiesel was used as a pilot fuel for gas ignition. The gaseous fuel was natural gas, which was injected into the intake manifold with different energy shares of the gaseous fuel (40%, 60% and 80%). Tests were performed at a constant engine crankshaft speed and a fixed start of pilot fuel injection of 6° BTDC while the fuel composition and engine load were changed. This experiment revealed correlations between gas energy share (GES) in liquid fuel and ecological and energy indicators of a CI engine.