Hydrogen is an attractive fuel source not only because it is abundant and renewable but also because it produces almost zero regulated emissions. Internal combustion engines fueled by compressed natural gas (CNG) are operated throughout a variety of industries in a number of mobile and stationary applications. While CNG engines offer many advantages over conventional gasoline and diesel combustion engines, CNG engine performance can be substantially improved in the lean operating region. Lean operation has a number of benefits, the most notable of which is reduced emissions. However, the extremely low flame propagation velocities of CNG greatly restrict the lean operating limits of CNG engines. Hydrogen, however, has a high flame speed and a wide operating limit that extends into the lean region. The addition of hydrogen to a CNG engine makes it a viable and economical method to significantly extend the lean operating limit and thereby improve performance and reduce emissions. Drawbacks of hydrogen as a fuel source, however, include lower power density due to a lower heating value per unit volume as compared to CNG, and susceptibility to pre-ignition and engine knock due to wide flammability limits and low minimum ignition energy. Combining hydrogen with CNG, however, overcomes the drawbacks inherent in each fuel type. Objectives of the current study were to evaluate the feasibility of using blends of hydrogen and natural gas as a fuel for conventional natural gas engines. The experiment and data analysis included evaluation of engine performance, efficiency, and emissions along with detailed in-cylinder measurements of key physical parameters. This provided a detailed knowledge base of the impact of using hydrogen/natural gas blends. A four-stroke, 4.2 L, V-6 naturally aspirated natural gas engine coupled to an eddy current dynamometer was used to measure the impact of hydrogen/natural gas blends on performance, thermodynamic efficiency and exhaust gas emissions in a reciprocating four stroke cycle engine. The test matrix varied engine load and air-to-fuel ratio at throttle openings of 50% and 100% at equivalence ratios of 1.00 and 0.90 for hydrogen percentages of 10%, 20% and 30% by volume. In addition, tests were performed at 100% throttle opening, with an equivalence ratio of 0.98 and a hydrogen blend of 20% to further investigate CO emission variations. Data analysis indicated that the use of hydrogen/natural gas fuel blend penalizes the engine operation with a 1.5 to 2.0% decrease in torque, but provided up to a 36% reduction in CO, a 30% reduction in NOX, and a 5% increase in brake thermal efficiency. These results concur with previous results published in the open literature. Further reduction in emissions can be obtained by retarding the ignition timing.

Biofuels such as ethanol, butanol, and biodiesel have more desirable physico-chemical properties than base petroleum fuels (diesel and gasoline), making them more suitable for use in internal combustion engines. The book begins with a comprehensive review of biofuels and their utilization processes and culminates in an analysis of biofuel quality and impact on engine performance and emissions characteristics, while discussing relevant engine types, combustion aspects and effect on greenhouse gases. It will facilitate scattered information on biofuels and its utilization has to be integrated as a single information source. The information provided in this book would help readers to update their basic knowledge in the area of "biofuels and its utilization in internal combustion engines and its impact Environment and Ecology". It will serve as a reference source for UG/PG/Ph.D. Doctoral Scholars for their projects / research works and can provide valuable information to Researchers from Academic Universities and Industries. Key Features: • Compiles exhaustive information of biofuels and their utilization in internal combustion engines. • Explains engine performance of biofuels • Studies impact of biofuels on greenhouse gases and ecology highlighting integrated bio-energy system. • Discusses fuel quality of different biofuels and their suitability for internal combustion engines. • Details effects of biofuels on combustion and emissions characteristics.

"In order to develop design guidelines for optimum operations of internal combustion engines fueled with alternative fuels, a comprehensive understanding combustion behavior and the pollutant formation inside the cylinder are needed. The first part of this thesis aimed to numerically study the engine performance and in-cylinder pollutant formation in a spark ignition engine fueled with hydrogen. Advanced simulations were performed using multi- dimensional software AVL FIRE coupled with CHEMKIN. The detailed chemical reactions with 29 steps of hydrogen oxidation with additional nitrogen oxidation reactions were also employed. Formation rates of nitrogen oxides (NO[subscript x]) within the engine were accurately predicted using the extended Zeldovich mechanism with parameters adjusted for a carbon-free fuel. The computational results were first validated against experimental results with different equivalence ratios and then employed to examine a spark-ignition engine fueled with hydrogen under different operating conditions. Strategies that could have significant effects on the engine performance and emissions, such as exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) and ignition timing were also investigated. Furthermore, the maximization of engine power and minimization of NO[subscript x] emissions were considered as conflicting objectives for preliminary optimization. Finally, a skeletal reaction mechanism was developed to include the reaction kinetics of diesel and hydrogen fuel mixtures to investigate in-cylinder combustion processes of such a dual fuel compression-ignition engine. The model was then employed to examine the effects of exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) and N2 dilution on NO[subscript x] emissions"--Abstract, page iv.

This book covers the various advanced reciprocating combustion engine technologies that utilize natural gas and alternative fuels for transportation and power generation applications. It is divided into three major sections consisting of both fundamental and applied technologies to identify (but not limited to) clean, high-efficiency opportunities with natural gas fueling that have been developed through experimental protocols, numerical and high-performance computational simulations, and zero-dimensional, multizone combustion simulations. Particular emphasis is placed on statutes to monitor fine particulate emissions from tailpipe of engines operating on natural gas and alternative fuels.