Preliminary experiment on fuel consumption and emission reduction in SI engine using blended bioethanol-gasoline and radiator tube-heater

The objective of this research is to investigate the reduction in fuel consumption and emission in spark ignition engine using blended bioethanol-gasoline and novel radiator-tube heater. Different percentages of ethanol - 0, 5, 10, 15, 20, 25 and 30% - are employed. The blended fuel is then pre-heated by sending it into a tube-heater-installed upper tank radiator which has different shape. The results show a significant reduction in fuel consumption and emission in engine. The best economical fuel consumption occurs in the tube-heater with a fin pipe of 10 mm space at 2.153 × 10 −3 cc per cycle or 5.632%. However, the most economical fuel consumption occurs when 25% of bioethanol is added to fuel at 3.175 × 10 −3 per cycle. This decreases fuel consumption by 8.306%. The highest decrease in fuel consumption occurs when fuel blended with 25% of bioethanol and tube-heater of 10 mm 6.236 × 10 −3 cc per cycle or 16.313% is combined. In terms of emission reduction, the tube-heater with a space of 20 mm between fins (Tube 20) using a fuel mixture of 25% ethanol and 75% gasoline produced the lowest CO emissions.