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The emissions reduction of Fischer-Tropsch (FT) diesel fuel has been demonstrated in several recent publications in both laboratory engine testing and in-use vehicle testing. Reduced emission levels have been attributed to several chemical and physical characteristics of the FT fuels including reduced density, ultra-low sulfur levels, low aromatic content and high cetane rating. Some of the effects of these attributes on the combustion characteristics in diesel engines have only recently been documented. In this study, a Ricardo Proteous, single-cylinder, 4-stroke DI engine is instrumented for in-cylinder pressure measurements. The engine was run at several steady engine states at multiple timing conditions using both federal low sulfur and natural gas derived FT fuels. The emissions and performance data for each fuel at each steady state operating conditions were compared.

Due to tightening emission legislations, both within the US and Europe, including concerns regarding greenhouse gases, next-generation combustion strategies for internal combustion diesel engines that simultaneously reduce exhaust emissions while improving thermal efficiency have drawn increasing attention during recent years. In-cylinder combustion temperature plays a critical role in the formation of pollutants as well as in thermal efficiency of the propulsion system. One way to minimize both soot and NOx emissions is to limit the in-cylinder temperature during the combustion process by means of high levels of dilution via exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) combined with flexible fuel injection strategies. However, fuel chemistry plays a significant role in the ignition delay; hence, influencing the overall combustion characteristics and the resulting emissions.