impact of ethanol on fuel injection pump of diesel engine

ENGINEERING FOR RURAL DEVELOPMENT Jelgava, 26.-27.05.2011.As a result <strong>of</strong> all measurements we determined average surface roughness <strong>of</strong> the plungersR a =0.035 µm and the average distance between the highest and lowest point <strong>of</strong> surface irregularitiesR z =0.6 µm. The average difference in the plunger diameters, measured with micrometre before andafter the test, was no more than 0.003 µm and the average difference in the nozzle needle diameterswas no more than 0.0005 µm (calculated). The micrometer error limit is 0.0005 µm. The onlyexception was the third section injector, the nozzle needle diameter <strong>of</strong> which had reduced to 0.001 µmand hence caused the most significant reduction in the injection pressure.The main problem when using <strong>ethanol</strong> in the fuel-injection pump was the possible contact <strong>of</strong><strong>ethanol</strong> with lubricant oil. The problem consists in non-solubility <strong>of</strong> <strong>ethanol</strong> and oil, which may causeserious issues in centrally oiled engines with this type <strong>of</strong> fuel injection pumps. The aforesaid problemshould not occur in case <strong>of</strong> plunger pairs with additional reflux flute, but this was not the mainobjective <strong>of</strong> this study. Another problem arises from corrosion generated during the storage <strong>of</strong> thepump, as it causes damage to the work surfaces <strong>of</strong> the moving parts.ConclusionsThe aim <strong>of</strong> the study discussed in this article was to determine the <strong>impact</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>ethanol</strong> on the outputparameters <strong>of</strong> the diesel engine fuel injection pump УТН-5A, and the details <strong>of</strong> subsystem <strong>of</strong> fuelsupplyequipment. The tests revealed that:1. The pump section capacity with the same work parameters <strong>of</strong> the fuel-supply equipment shows nosignificant change when using <strong>ethanol</strong> in comparison to diesel fuel;2. When using <strong>ethanol</strong>, the work surfaces did not have any significant damage that could affect thecapacity and reliability <strong>of</strong> the fuel-supply equipment;3. The geometric circularity <strong>of</strong> the measured work parts were generally improved. This leads to theconclusion that <strong>ethanol</strong> environment is suitable for running in the details indicated in the study;4. Due to its low viscosity, <strong>ethanol</strong> comes into contact with lubricant through plunger pairs whenusing this type <strong>of</strong> fuel injection pumps;5. The risk <strong>of</strong> corrosion <strong>of</strong> the work surfaces is higher in case <strong>of</strong> long-term storage <strong>of</strong> the fuel-supplyequipment that has been used with <strong>ethanol</strong> than in case <strong>of</strong> equipment operating on diesel fuel.Based on the previous results and analyses we may conclude that using <strong>ethanol</strong> in fuel-supplyequipment does not cause jamming <strong>of</strong> precise units and consequent subsystem failure. But these testsdo not allow accurate evaluation <strong>of</strong> the maximum duration <strong>of</strong> operation <strong>of</strong> the fuel-supply equipment.The authors recommend using additives that improve lubrication. In the given field further studiesshall be carried out with regard to the diesel engine fuel-supply equipment with a different structure,by using <strong>ethanol</strong> mixtures with various alcohol content based on renewable raw materials.References1. Harndorf H., Schuemann U., Wichmann V., Fink C. Motorprozessverhalten und Abgasemissionenalternativer Kraftst<strong>of</strong>fe im Vergleich mit Dieselkraftst<strong>of</strong>f, MTZ 7-8/2008, 69 Jahrgang, 2008. pp.640-646.2. Steinbach N., Harndorf H., Weberbauer F., Thiel M. Motorisches Potential von synthetischenDieselkraftst<strong>of</strong>fen, MTZ 02/2006, 67 Jahrgang, 2006. pp. 96-102.3. Govindarajan K. Alcohol as an Automotive Fuel, 2008. [online] [04.03.2011]. Available at:http://www.cheresources.com/energy_future/<strong>ethanol</strong>_transportation_fuel.shtml.4. Ma X.Q., DeCarmine., Xiao T.D. Plasma Spray High Lubricity Nanocomposite Coatings.Thermal Spray 2004, Advances in Tehnology and Application.5. Baširov R., Kislov V., Pavlov V., Popov V. Reliability <strong>of</strong> Fuel Injection Equipment Tractor andCombine Diesels. Engineering. 1978. 184 p. (in Russian)6. Kirsi T. Machinery Maintenance, Diagnosis and Repair. Tallinn: Valgus, 1991. 400 p. (inEstonian)259