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Results of an experimental investigation into the extent of methane conversion when introduced in extremely small concentrations down to around a fraction of one percent by volume into the intake of a swirl chamber diesel engine are presented. Such an approach represents effectively an unconventional dual fuel engine operation with exceptionally lean gaseous fuel mixtures but combined with unusually very large diesel fuel pilot quantities. It is to be shown that for wide ranges of gas admission concentrations, diesel fuel quantity injected, load and speed that much of the methane added did get oxidized in the indirect injection engine to an extent from 53% to 80%, to appear in the form of carbon dioxide while contributing at the same time to the power output. Such methane admission tended to increase carbon monoxide exhaust emissions slightly, indicating that part of the methane may not have been fully oxidized.

The paper describes the successful operation of a research single cylinder direct injection dual fuel engine on excessively rich mixtures of methane and oxygen enriched air. This is done with the view that the partial oxidation of methane would produce significant concentrations of hydrogen in the exhaust gas while producing simultaneously mechanical power. Various features of engine performance and exhaust hydrogen production under such unconventional operation are presented and discussed.