Experimental investigation of the performance and exhaust emissions of a swirl chamber diesel engine using JP-8 aviation fuel

An experimental study is conducted to evaluate the use of JP‐8 aviation fuel as a full substitute for diesel fuel in a Ricardo E‐6 high‐speed naturally‐aspirated four‐stroke experimental engine having a swirl combustion chamber. The study covers a wide range of engine load and speed operating conditions, comprising measurements of cylinder pressure diagrams, high‐pressure fuel pipe pressures, exhaust gas temperatures, fuel consumptions, exhaust smokiness and exhaust gas emissions (nitrogen oxides, unburned hydrocarbons and carbon monoxide). Processing of the measurements provides important performance parameters such as maximum combustion pressure, dynamic injection timing, ignition delay, combustion irregularity and knocking tendency. The differences in the measured performance and exhaust emission parameters are determined for engine operation with JP‐8 fuel, against baseline engine operation using diesel fuel. The study shows that the exhaust emission levels are not much different for operation with the two fuels. On the contrary, operation with JP‐8 fuel increases combustion pressures, combustion intensity and irregularity. This is caused mainly by high pressure fluctuations present in the fuel injection system due to the different physical properties of JP‐8 fuel (compared to diesel fuel), which totally change the injection characteristics. Retardation of the static injection timing is one means of improving this situation, while using the same fuel injection equipment. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.