Experimental investigation of hydrogen addition in the intake air of compressed ignition engines running on biodiesel blend

Abstract This study investigates the effects on the performance of a diesel generator set at constant electric power of 2.43 kW (approximately 60% nominal engine load condition) and rotation at 3600 rpm operating with a 7% biodiesel-diesel blend ( B7 ) and being doped with hydrogen into the intake air. Hydrogen was injected continuously into the engine intake manifold at different mass concentrations of 2, 6, 8 and 10% of the total fuel mass ( B7  + hydrogen) which represents energy fractions of 5, 15, 20 and 24% of total fuel energy. To this, a small L-shaped tube installed at the center of the pipe was used. It is anticipated that the intake air fluctuations at that location, due to opening and closing the intake valve, allows a rapid mixture of hydrogen and air. Due to the addition of hydrogen the total amount of energy in the fuel ( B7  + hydrogen) introduced into the engine was increased, so that the engine speed tends to increase, but this was prevented by the governor of the fuel injection pump which decreases the amount of B7 injected until the working frequency of the generator was 60 Hz. The test results showed a reduction in the specific fuel consumption as a function of the increase of hydrogen concentrations. Likewise, CO 2 , CO and HC emissions decreased proportionately as the hydrogen concentration was increased. On the other hand, the emissions of nitrogen oxides ( NO x ) increased due to the increase in the average temperature inside the cylinder. There was also an increase in the peak pressure and in the heat release rate inside the cylinder, since B7 ignition delay was reduced due to the increase in hydrogen content.