Numerical Studies of Engine Performance, Emission and Combustion Characteristics of a Diesel Engine Fuelled with Hydrogen Blends Tayfun OZGUR 1,a , Erdi TOSUN 1,b , Ceyla OZGUR 1,c , Gökhan TUCCAR 1,d , Kadir AYDIN 1,e 1 Cukurova University, Department of Mechanical Engineering, 01330, Adana, TURKEY a tozgur@cu.edu.tr, b etosun@cu.edu.tr, c cgungor@cu.edu.tr, d gtuccar@cu.edu.tr, e kdraydin@cu.edu.tr Keywords: AVL BOOST, hydrogen, emission, performance Abstract: In this study the performance, exhaust emission characteristics and combustion process of the engine fueled with hydrogen-diesel blends were compared to diesel fuel. Hydrogen was blended with diesel fuel at the volumetric ratios of 5%, 10% and 20%. AVL BOOST software was dedicated to simulate the performance and emission values for various blends of hydrogen with diesel fuel. The simulation results showed that hydrogen addition to diesel fuel improve both engine performance and exhaust emmisions. Introduction Due to recent increases in petroleum prices, energy crisis and environmental issues, there is renewed in alternative fuels in diesel engines. Diesel engines are widely used, particularly for transportation and power generation due to their higher thermal efficiency. Although, it is well known that exhaust emissions are the significant problems for use of diesel engine. For this reason, many researches have been study so as to promote diesel engines efficiency and lower their emission [1-2]. The pollutants from the fossil fuels are carbon monoxide (CO), oxides of nitrogen (NOx), smoke and particulate matter. It is very important to decrease emissions and to develop thermal efficiency. The higher thermal efficiency of diesel engines has some advantages like conserving energy and reduce the exhaust emissions [3]. Between all fuels hydrogen are receiving attention as an alternative diesel fuel, while it increase fuel conversion efficiency and be beneficial for decrease exhaust emissions. Hydrogen has also known as a clean, powerful, and efficient energy source[4]. Because of the low ignition energy and wide flammable range of hydrogen, hydrogen engines are preffered to run at lean conditions which are helpful for the enhanced fuel economy, exhaust emissions and combustion [5-6]. Nagarajan studied the performance and emission values of the engine as functios of brake load at various hydrogen proportions. They used hydrogen as a improver to the diesel fuel. Hydrogen diesel blends were prepared by mixing diesel at volumetric rates of between 10 to 90%. They deduced that knock can consist when the hydrogen enrichment equals 50% or more at full load of the engine. They observed that hydrocarbons (HC) and (NOx) emission was increased. As a result that they concluded that the ideal hydrogen proportion with diesel was 30%[7]. Masood et al. investigated the influences of hydrogen-diesel blends in different doses on combustion and exhaust emissions. They concluded that the hydrogen–diesel co fuelling solved the drawback of lean operation of diesel, which are hard to ignite and results in decreased power output, by decreasing misfires, improving performance, emissions fuel economy [8]. In this work hydrogen was blended with diesel fuel at the volumetric ratios of 5%, 10% and 20% and AVL BOOST software was dedicated to simulate the performance, emission and combustion process for various blends of hydrogen with diesel fuel. Advanced Materials Research Vol. 1016 (2014) pp 582-586 Submitted: 26.06.2014 Online available since 2014/Aug/28 at www.scientific.net Accepted: 27.06.2014 © (2014) Trans Tech Publications, Switzerland doi:10.4028/www.scientific.net/AMR.1016.582 All rights reserved. No part of contents of this paper may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means without the written permission of TTP, www.ttp.net. (ID: 193.255.197.89-05/01/15,19:16:40)