ALTERNATIVE FUELS FOR MEDIUM-SPEED DIESEL ENGINES (AFFMSED) PROJECT: SLURRIES, EMULSIONS AND BLENDED-FUEL EXTENDERS; CYLINDR WEAR MEASUREMENTS STAGED INJECTION. THIRD RESEARCH PHASE FINAL REPORT

The third year of research activity on an ongoing research, development and demonstration effort to investigate the use of alternative fuels for medium-speed engines is described. Tests were performed using laboratory medium-speed diesel engines to define the ability of these engines to operate on alternative fuels, the fuel property limits that the engines can tolerate, the problems associated with alternative fuels, the fuel property limits that the engines can tolerate, the problems associated with alternative fuels use, and methods to improve fuel tolerance and to overcome the problems identified. The fuels studied during the Phase III program were alcohol-in-diesel fuel emulsions, water-in-diesel fuel fuel emulsions, sunflower oil/diesel fuel blends, No. 6 fuel oil/diesel fuel blends, and a carbon black/diesel fuel slurry. Also studied were methods to measure cylinder liner and piston ring wear rates in a short period of engine operation. Finally, staged injection was investigated as a means to improve engine performance on low cetane number fuels. (ERA citation 08:055935)