Mieczysław Sikora

The advancement of combustion engines is driven by stricter emission regulations (e.g., Euro/EPA standards), requiring innovations in lubrication. Modern oils must ensure wear protection, emission system compatibility (e.g., DPFs) and fuel efficiency. This paper analyzes updates to ACEA, API, and OEM specifications, focusing on oxidation resistance, low-SAPS formulations, and fuel economy. The trend toward low-viscosity oils (0W-20, 0W-16) reduces friction but challenges lubrication under high loads. The study evaluates these changes’ impact on engine durability and future oil development amid tightening sustainability and emission norms. This article will analyze lubricant requirements for passenger cars.

The aim of this study was to assess the impact of adding ethanol to diesel fuel on particulate matter (PM) and nitrogen oxides (NOx) emissions in the Perkins 854E compression-ignition engine. Tests were carried out under European Stationary Cycle (ESC) conditions using the Horiba Mexa 1230 PM analyzer (HORIBA, Ltd., Kyoto, Japan) for particulate measurement and the AVL CEB II analyzer (AVL, Graz, Austria) for NO_x concentration. The engine under investigation featured direct injection, turbocharging, a common-rail fuel supply system, and complied with the Stage IIIB/Tier 4 emission standard. Two types of fuel were used: conventional diesel fuel (DF) and diesel with a 10% ethanol additive by volume (DFE10). In addition to emissions measurements, key engine performance parameters, such as torque, effective power, and fuel consumption, were analyzed. The ESC test was specifically chosen to isolate the influence of the fuel’s properties by avoiding the effects of changes in combustion control strategies. Due to the lower calorific value of DFE10 compared to DF, a slight increase in fuel consumption was observed under certain operating conditions. Nevertheless, overall engine performance remained largely unchanged. The test results showed that the use of DFE10 led to a significant 44% reduction in particulate matter emissions and a moderate 2.2% decrease in NO_x emissions compared to conventional diesel fuel. These findings highlight the potential of ethanol as a diesel fuel additive to reduce harmful exhaust emissions without negatively affecting the performance of modern diesel engines.

The aim of the research was to determine the potential of hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO) in reducing nitrogen oxides and particulate matter emissions from the Perkins 854E-E34TA compression ignition engine. The concentrations of these toxic exhaust gas components were measured using the following analyzers: AVL CEB II (for NOx concentration measurement) and Horiba Mexa 1230 PM (for PM measurement). The measurements were carried out in the ESC test on a compression ignition engine with direct fuel injection and a turbocharger. The engine had a common rail fuel supply system and met the Stage IIIB/Tier 4 exhaust emission standard. Two fuels were used in the tests: diesel fuel (DF) and hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO). As part of the experiment, the basic indicators of engine operation were also determined (torque, effective power, and fuel consumption) and selected parameters of the combustion process, such as the instantaneous pressure of the working medium in the combustion chamber, maximum pressures and temperatures in the combustion chamber, and the heat release rate (HRR), were calculated. The tests were carried out in accordance with the ESC test because the authors wanted to determine how the new generation HVO fuel, powering a modern combustion engine with a common rail fuel system, would perform in a stationary emission test. Based on the obtained research results, the authors concluded that HVO fuel can replace diesel fuel in diesel engines even without major modifications or changes in engine settings.

The article carries out a detailed analysis and evaluation of indicators related to the combustion process (pressure and temperature in the engine combustion chamber, heat release rate, heat release fraction) in a JCB 444 TA4i compression-ignition engine fuelled with diesel and hydrogenated vegetable oil (HVO). During the empirical tests, the operation of the exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) system was stopped and no other changes were made to the engine settings (factory settings were used). In the first stage, the empirical tests were carried out at speed characteristics on an engine dynamometer. Then, an experiment was carried out at the engine crankshaft speed corresponding to the maximum torque - which consisted of determining the indicators related to the combustion process at a constant mass flow of fuel: diesel and HVO fuel. This provided information on the effect of hydrogenated vegetable oil on the combustion process in relation to the diesel engine feed. The conclusions drawn from the empirical study can be used to develop guidelines to change the operating map of a compression-ignition engine when it is fed with hydrogenated vegetable oil.

28 March 2023 the EU Council has adopted a regulation setting stringent carbon dioxide emission standards for new cars and vans. Under the new law, new vehicles with a 100 per cent reduction in carbon dioxide emissions will be able to be registered after 2035. The new EU legislation sets the following targets: a 55 per cent reduction in CO2 emissions for new cars and 50 per cent for new vans between 2030 and 2034 compared to 2021 levels; a 100 per cent reduction in CO2 emissions for both new cars and vans from 2035. This will result in only electric or hydrogen-powered cars and vans being able to be registered after 2035. The fuel omitted from the Fit for 55 packages within cars and vans is hydrotreated vegetable oil. According to the research carried out so far, it is possible to replace diesel with HVO fuel even without interference with the fuel injection control system. If an internal combustion engine is fuelled with HVO fuel instead of diesel, the greenhouse gas emissions can be reduced by up to 90 per cent. What is more, the technology for using HVO fuel has many more possibilities for reducing CO2 emissions, if only by refining the exhaust after-treatment process. The exclusion of this fuel from the Fit for 55 package raises serious doubts about the quality of the analyses based on which HVO fuel was not included in the Fit for 55 packages.

The research was divided into two stages. The first stage of work was to perform empirical research using the Perkins engine. The test stand was equipped with an exhaust gas composition analyzer, a pressure sensor enabling measurement of pressure in the engine cylinder and a crankshaft position...

Simulation tests were carried out for diesel oil (ON) and fatty acid Me esters obtained from used cooking oil. The calcs. were based on thermal NO formation according to the Zeldovich mechanism for diesel engines. Reaction rate coeffs. detd. by Baulch, GRI-MECH 3.0 (G) and Heywood were used. The NO concn. calcd. by method (G) was closest to the results of the exptl. detd. NO concn. and was the best method to demonstrate the actual NO concs. formed in an internal combustion engine fueled with alternative fuel and other higher generations fuels with similar phys. and chem. properties.

The article presents the results of empirical research and their analysis regarding the impact of diesel oil and diesel oil mixture with bioethanol on coking the test injector nozzles of the XUD9 engine from PSA. The research included three fuel deals: diesel fuel as the base fuel and diesel oil mix with ONE10 bioethanol (10% bioethanol plus diesel oil (V/V)), ONE20 (20% bioethanol plus diesel oil (V/V)). They were conducted on the basis of CEC PF-023 developed by CEC (Coordinating European Council). Each of the above-mentioned fuels was tested using a new set of injectors. The propensity of the fuel for coking the injector tips was expressed as a percentage reduction in the air flow through the nozzles of each injector for the given sheer increments. The test result was the average percentage of airflow reduction for all nozzles at 0.1 mm spike increments and was measured according to ISO 4010 "Diesel engines. Calibrating nozzle, delay pintle type”. The test results for individual atomizers of the above-mentioned test engine in the area of sediment formation from flowing fuel shown a lower tendency to coke the injectors using diesel fuel-bioethanol in comparison to the use of pure diesel oil. Based on the CEC PF-023 test, it can be noticed that the level of contamination of the tested injectors for ONE10 fuel is about 3% lower, and for ONE20 fuel is about 4% lower than the level of pollution for diesel fuel.

Ammonia is regarded as an attractive alternative fuel for combustion engines with a great potential to replace currently used petroleum-based energy carriers. Its direct combustion does not result in emission of carbon dioxide and it can be produced from renewable sources. The energy density of ammonia is reasonable, it is relatively easy to store and has well established infrastructure for production, storage, handling and distribution. However, ammonia is corrosive to some materials, difficult to ignite due to high octane number and high autoignition temperature, and has low heating value. Therefore theoretical and experimental studies are needed to enhance the performance and expand the operating range of ammonia-fuelled engines. This study investigates the feasibility of introducing ammonia to dual-fuel compression-ignition engine, where a pilot dose of diesel oil initiates the ignition of ammonia-air mixture. Numerical simulations of the combustion process were carried out using a one-dimensional model, parametrized according to the specifications of a four-cylinder, turbocharged compression-ignition engine with conventional direct injection supply system, modified slightly for ammonia induction. The model was validated by comparison with empirically determined data. The simulations were performed for different combinations of ammonia-diesel oil ratios at various engine load. Ammonia was treated as an energy replacement for diesel oil. Engine performance and emissions of selected pollutants in dual-fuel operation mode were compared to that with diesel oil only. The results showed that different ammonia-diesel oil ratios can be used to achieve the same engine torque. A higher than rated power, depending on engine load conditions, can be obtained with the addition of an extra dose of ammonia. The influence of ammonia on the emissions of particular pollutants varied and was discussed in detail. Acquired combustion characteristics and engine performance parameters allow for a positive verification of the proposed model. The drawn conclusions may be useful for the development of dual-fuel engine control algorithms.