Emission Analysis of Alternative Diesel Fuels Using a Compression Ignition Benchtop Engine Generator

A compact diesel-powered generator (5 kW) experimental setup was used to systematically evaluate the emissions generated by the combustion of several commercially produced alternative diesel fuels. The measured diesel engine exhaust components include oxides of nitrogen (NOx), carbon monoxide (CO), particulate matter (PM), volatile hydrocarbons (HCs), and carbon dioxide (CO2). Alternative diesel fuels, including biodiesel made from various feedstocks (soy, canola, palm, and tallow) and gas-to-liquid (GTL) diesel fuel, were compared to Texas low-emission diesel (TxLED), a petroleum-based ultra-low sulfur diesel (ULSD), in terms of emissions and fuel consumption. The biodiesel feedstock oil identity is an important variable affecting the level of NOx emissions, because increases were found for soy biodiesel and canola biodiesel, which are the most common feedstocks in the United States and Europe, respectively. At low engine load, NOx emissions increased for all biodiesels when compared to the ULSD, with th...