Energy efficiency improvements and CO2 emission reduction by CNG use in medium- and heavy-duty spark-ignition engines

This research studies the mechanism of improving energy efficiency and reducing CO2 emissions from medium- and heavy-duty spark-ignition engines by replacing gasoline fuels with natural gas. Detailed experimental analyses are conducted on a multi-cylinder research engine using 91RON, 98RON gasoline, and natural gas fuels. Under 7 key operating conditions, energy efficiency breakdown is performed for each fuel to quantify the individual impact of the fuel's carbon content, pumping work, knock tendency, and fuel enrichment. Complete engine mapping is thereafter carried out with all three fuels, and CO2 emissions are compared over the emission certification test cycle. As demonstrated by the test results, the lower carbon content of natural gas is the major contributor to CO2 emission reduction. At idle and part load conditions, engine operation on natural gas shows reduced pumping loss, improved idle stability, and thus increased fuel efficiency. At high load conditions, the greater resistance to knock allows natural gas to operate at optimal combustion phasing. At the peak power condition, the earlier combustion phasing helps to lower exhaust temperatures, thereby avoiding fuel enrichment. With proper calibration, natural gas outperforms its gasoline counterparts to produce 4% better peak power performance and emits 22.5% lower CO2 emissions.