Investigations on Emissions of Copper Coated Spark Ignition Engines with Methanol Blended Gasoline

Background of the Problem: Carbon monoxide (CO), un-burnt hydrocarbons (UBHC), oxides of nitrogen (NOx) and aldehydes are exhaust emissions from spark ignition engine. Once they are inhaled in, they cause health hazards like vomiting sensation, severe headache, dizziness, loss of hemoglobin, respiratory diseases like tuberculosis, and carcinogenic in nature. Hence the control of these emissions is an immediate and urgent task. In the scenario of fast depletion of fossil fuels, ever increase of pollution levels with fossil fuels, increase of economic burden due to import of crude petroleum, the search for alternative fuels has become pertinent. Alcohols are impotent substitutes for gasoline, as their properties are comparable. Aim: Investigations were carried out to determine the exhaust emissions of two stroke and four stroke of single cylinder, spark ignition (SI) engine having copper coated engine [CCE, copper-(thickness, 300 ) coated on piston crown and inner side of cylinder head] provided with catalytic converter with sponge iron as catalyst with methanol blended gasoline (80% gasoline and 20% methanol by volume) and compared with conventional engine (CE) with neat gasoline operation. Design Variables: Engine configuration CE and CCE, test fuels of neat gasoline, methanol blended gasoline, with and without catalytic converter, Methodology: Exhaust emissions of CO, UBHC and NOx were determined by Netel Chromatograph Multi Gas Analyzer with different values of brake mean effective pressure (BMEP). Aldehydes were measured by wet method. The engine was provided with catalytic converter with sponge iron as catalyst. There was provision for injection of air into the catalytic converter. Brief Results: CCE showed improvement in the exhaust emissions when compared with CE with both test fuels. 4-Stroke engine decreased exhaust emissions effectively in comparison with 2-stroke engine with both versions of the engine. Catalytic converter with air injection significantly reduced pollutants with different test fuels on both configurations of the engine.