Ecological indicators of the perkins 1104D-e44TA engine after its adaptation for being powered with natural gas and diesel fuel

The contemporary progress of automotive industry and transportation is determined to a large extent by the increasing environmental requirements, aimed at limiting the harmful impact of vehicles upon human life and people’s health. A crucial issue linked with operating vehicles is the exhaust gases generated by internal combustion engines. In order to reduce this hazardous impact upon the natural environment, the construction of the engines is continuously improved, electronic controlling is being developed for managing the course of working processes taking place in cylinders and auxiliary systems, exhaust gases cleaning systems are being developed, alternative fuels are being sought for and the possibilities of their optimal use are being examined. Natural gas is the fuel that is highly expected and hoped to be used more widely for powering internal combustion engines in vehicles. This article presents the values of selected ecological indicators of the Perkins 1104D-E44TA Diesel engine, powered by compressed natural gas and Diesel fuel (CNG + ON). For comparison reasons, the engine was powered with both fuels at the same time and then only by Diesel fuel (ON) in the same working conditions. Before the tests, the powering system control unit had been calibrated so as to enable obtaining similar values of torque while the engine was powered with the Diesel fuel only and with both CNG and ON while working with external speed characteristics; the calibration was also set up to allow for the maximum share of the natural gas in the total fuel amount supplied into the engine cylinders without engine knocking. When powering the engine with both CNG and Diesel fuel, the concentration levels of nitric oxides and carbon dioxide in exhaust gases were lower. However, the total content of hydrocarbons in the exhaust gases grew multiple times, and the content of the carbon monoxide was significantly increased. In addition, the obtained measurement results of the smokiness of the exhaust gases and the content of the soot with the engine powered with two fuels were not satisfactory.