Experimental Investigation on the Performance of a 4-Stroke Diesel Engine Fuelled with Alcohols Using Surface Ignition, Ceramic Heaters, and Glow Plugs

Abstract

The increasing need to use clean and sustainable fuels has increased the need to conduct a study on the utilisation of alcohol in compression
engines. Nevertheless, alcohol fuels have low cetane numbers and a high latent heat of vaporization and thus, have poor auto-ignition properties
when used in conventional diesel engines (DEs). This paper provides experimental research on the combustion of a four-stroke DE operating
on alcohol with three assisted ignition systems, i.e. surface ignition, ceramic heaters, and glow plugs. A single-cylinder four-stroke DE was
gauged under varying loads to evaluate performance alongside combustion characteristics. Outcomes showed that assisted ignition improves
alcohol-fuel combustion by increasing thermal efficiency and reducing ignition delay (ID). Ceramic heater assistance performed best at higher
loads, glow plugs were more effective for cold-start and low-load conditions, and surface ignition provided only modest benefits. Overall, the
study supports the practicality of alcohol-fueled DEs with appropriate ignition support for improved low-emission performance.