Investigation of the Effect of JP8-Boron Additive on Performance in Commercial Piston Engine with 1D Model
Abstract
Toxic effects and greenhouse gas impacts adversely affect both human and environmental health, with climate change being a significant consequence of these phenomena. The use of fossil fuels is a primary driver of these increasing environmental damages and global climate change. Consequently, the search for fuels that simultaneously enhance performance and reduce pollutant emissions in internal combustion engines—used widely in the transportation and power generation sectors—continues. Achieving both positive effects requires more efficient energy utilization; thus, various fuels are still being investigated in the literature with ongoing potential for commercialization. In this study, the changes in combustion and, consequently, engine performance resulting from the addition of JP8 and amorphous elemental boron to gasoline as additive fuels in a commercial reciprocating engine were investigated using an experimentally validated 1-Dimensional (1D) engine model. The experimental phase involved testing a Honda L13A4 dual-spark plug engine using gasoline at a maximum torque speed of 2800 rpm and Wide Open Throttle (WOT) conditions. Subsequently, the same engine was modeled in 1D, and the effects of adding JP8—an aviation fuel—to gasoline at mass ratios of 5%, 10%, 15%, and 20% were numerically analyzed over a wide range. Furthermore, in a novel approach not previously encountered in the literature, elemental boron—an automotive and aviation fuel additive—was added to these mixtures at a constant rate of 2%, and the numerical analyses were repeated. Engine performance parameters, including torque, power, specific fuel consumption, mean effective pressure, and volumetric efficiency, were examined through 1D modeling. Compared to pure gasoline, the torque parameter increased by 0.015%, 0.862%, 1.102%, and 2.352% at increasing JP8 ratios (5-10-15-20%), respectively. When 2% amorphous elemental boron was added to all gasoline-JP8 blends, this increase rates compared to gasoline reached 2.352%, 2.499%, 3.191% and, 4.577%, respectively. The highest torque and the lowest specific fuel consumption were observed with the JP8_20_2B fuel blend.
Keywords
Aviation fuel , piston engine , JP8 , amorphous elemental boron , engine testing , 1B modeling
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