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The paper presents a comparative analysis of the operational parameters, smoke emission and the content of toxic components in exhaust gases of a compression ignition engine fuelled with fossil diesel, commercially available biodiesel (fatty acid methyl ester) and their 50%/50% blend. The study was carried out using a diesel engine equipped with an in-line injection pump used in delivery vans. An indirect injection, considerably worn engine was chosen because such engines are very often fuelled with the less expensive biodiesel. Measurements were made on an engine operated at different rotational speeds under full load as well as using the European Stationary Cycle (ESC) test. Emissions of regulated and non-regulated compounds were measured with the use of the Fourier-Transform Infrared (FTIR) analytical system, which provided concentrations of 23 exhaust gas components.

To comply with the ambitious CO2 targets of the European Union, greenhouse gas emissions from the transport sector should be eliminated by 2050. Incremental powertrain improvement and electrification are only a part of the solution and need to be supplemented by carbon-neutral fuels. Due to the high technology readiness level, biofuels offer a short-term decarbonization measure. The high process energy demand for transesterification or hydrotreating however, hinders the well-to-wheel CO2 reduction potential of current market biodiesels. An often-raised, economically and energetically feasible alternative is to use unprocessed oils with viscosity and cold-properties improvers instead. The present work investigates the suitability of one such biofuel (PlantanolTM) for advanced common rail engines operating in a partially premixed compression ignition mode. Preliminary investigations are carried out on a Euro VIb light-duty car engine.