The Effect of Retrofit Technologies on Formaldehyde Emissions from a Large Bore Natural Gas Engine

Formaldehyde is an air toxic that is typically emitted from natural gas-fired internal combustion engines as a product of incomplete combustion. The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulates air toxic emissions, including formaldehyde, from stationary reciprocating internal combustion engines. National air toxic standards are required under the 1990 Clean Air Act Amendments. This work investigates the effect that hardware modifications, or retrofit technologies, have on formaldehyde emissions from a large bore natural gas engine. The test engine is a Cooper-Bessemer GMV-4TF two stroke cycle engine with a 14" (35.6 cm) bore and a 14" (35.6 cm) stroke. The impact of modifications to the fuel injection and ignition systems are investigated. Data analysis and discussion is performed with reference to possible formaldehyde formation mechanisms and in-cylinder phenomena. The results show that high pressure fuel injection (HPFI) and precombustion chamber (PCC) ignition significantly reduce formaldehyde emissions.