Performance simulation and optimization of SI engine fueled with peach biomass-based producer gas and propane blend

Abstract

Biomass and agricultural waste can be used to generate electricity in remote areas through a Gasifier-engine-generator set. However, producer gas-fueled engines have low power and thermal efficiency. In this view, the objective of this study is to determine optimum operation setting of a spark ignition (SI) engine with improved efficiency, reduced emissions, and fuel consumption. Hence, in the present study, initially, SI engine performance and emission have been simulated through a comprehensive quasi-dimensional thermodynamic model. Thereafter, parametric optimization has been performed to improve the performance of SI engines fueled with peach-based producer gas (PG) and propane blend. The effect of blending percentage, equivalence ratio, and start of ignition (SOI) timing has been considered to analyze the engine performance using response surface methodology (RSM). The experiments were designed according to the design of experiment (DoE) tool based on RSM and optimized using the desirability approach. The use of ANOVA to form regression models resulted high accuracy in forecasting output response variables with a 95% confidence interval. RSM results depict, optimum input parameters to be 90 blend percentage, 1.002 equivalence ratio (ER), and 33.83 SOI at 1500 rpm. Corresponding to these optimal inputs, response output performances were found to be 2.41 kW, 0.3003 kg/kW-hr, 27.19 %, 0.809 (vol.%), 2026.05 (ppm) for brake power (BP), Brake specific fuel consumption (BSFC), Brake thermal efficiency (BTE), CO, and NO respectively, with a composite desirability of 0.868. Thus, RSM has the potential to optimize the performance and emission characteristics of engines fuelled with propane and PG. © 2023 Elsevier Ltd