Principles for the Design of a Biomass-Fueled Internal Combustion Engine

Gonzalo Suanes, David Bolonio (), Antonio Cantero and José Ignacio Yenes
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Gonzalo Suanes: Department of Energy and Fuels, E.T.S. Ingenieros de Minas y Energía, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Ríos Rosas 21, 28003 Madrid, Spain
David Bolonio: Department of Energy and Fuels, E.T.S. Ingenieros de Minas y Energía, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Ríos Rosas 21, 28003 Madrid, Spain
Antonio Cantero: Department of Weapon Systems Industrial Technologies, Research and PhD Sub-Directorate, Escuela Politécnica Superior del Ejército, Joaquín Costa 6, 28006 Madrid, Spain
José Ignacio Yenes: Escuela Politécnica Superior del Ejército, Joaquín Costa 6, 28006 Madrid, Spain

Energies, 2024, vol. 17, issue 7, 1-21

Abstract: Biomass-fueled engines are a promising way to reduce the consumption of and dependence on fossil fuels. To create a working prototype, a detailed study of the thermodynamic cycle was developed. The dead volume was revealed to be the most limiting parameter for the engine efficiency. The cycle efficiency is reduced from 51.8% to 30.5% for the given example. The engine needs to be properly designed to minimize energy losses. In addition, the optimal compression ratio of the cycle is very low (about 3.5), losing energy in the exhaust gases and contributing to an inefficient engine. However, using a turbocharger can improve the cycle efficiency, combining the basic cycle with a Brayton cycle. Moreover, a two-stroke engine design is recommended for biomass-fueled engines. It allows minimization of the dead volume, is less sensitive to dirt, and avoids gas exchange with the combustion chamber during scavenging. Finally, the combustion chamber of the initial prototype was redesigned, based on the aforementioned improvements and allowing the successful start-up of the engine. This work demonstrates that biomass is a viable alternative to fossil fuels in applications where internal combustion engines are required.

Keywords: biomass; alternative fuels; combustion engine; decarbonization (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
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