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When switching from regular diesel fuel (sulfur free) to paraffinic hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO), the changes in fuel chemistry and physical properties will affect emission characteristics in a very positive way. The effects also depend on the technology, after-treatment and sophistication of the engine. To determine the real effects in the case of city buses, 17 typical buses, representing emission classes from Euro II to EEV, were measured with HVO, regular diesel and several blended fuels. The average reduction was 10% for nitrogen oxides (NOx) and 30% for particulate matter (PM). Also some engine tests were performed to demonstrate the potential for additional performance benefits when fuel injection timing was optimized for HVO.

The objective of this paper is to analyse the performance and the combustion of a large-bore single-cylinder medium speed engine running with hydrotreated vegetable oil. This fuel has a paraffinic chemical structure and high Cetane number. These features enable achievement of complete and clean combustion with different engine setups. The main benefits are thus lower soot and nitrogen oxides emissions compared to diesel fuel. The facility used in this study is a research engine, where the conditions upstream the machine, the valve timing and the injection parameters are fully adjustable. In fact, the boundary conditions upstream and downstream the engine are freely controlled by a separated supply air plant and by a throttle valve, located at the end of the exhaust pipe. The injection system is common-rail: rail pressure, injection timing and duration are completely adjustable.