Performance enhancement of a spark ignition engine fed by different fuel types

• Biogas mixed with hydrogen is checked for a spark ignition engine.
• An engine fed by biogas, hydrogen, natural gas or liquid petroleum gas is studied.
• Efficiency is optimized with respect to consumption and exhaust gas recirculation.
• Combustion reaction progress is characterized in real time.

A numerical model based on thermodynamic and kinetic analyses has been established in order to evaluate biogas, hydrogen, natural gas or liquid petroleum gas as fuels in a spark ignition engine. For each fuel type, consumption as well as efficiency have been compared to gasoline in order to generate the same engine work (in the range of 0.28–0.43 W h/cycle). It was found that the spark ignition engine can be fed by an equimolar mixture of biogas and hydrogen. Moreover, thermal efficiency has been enhanced with respect to fuel consumption and exhaust gas recirculation (EGR). It was shown that an equimolar mixture between biogas and hydrogen increases the ITE by around 2.2% and decreases the mass consumption by less than 0.01 g/cycle. In addition, the combustion reaction progresses as well as CO and CO2 emissions have been characterized in real time.