IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jeners/v18y2025i3p710-d1583292.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Comparative Evaluation of the Effect of Exhaust Gas Recirculation Usage on the Performance Characteristics and Emissions of a Natural Gas/Diesel Compression-Ignition Engine Operating at Part-Load Conditions

Author

Listed:
  • Nikolaos Rizopoulos

    (Independent Researcher, 11475 Athens, Greece)

  • Roussos Papagiannakis

    (Thermodynamic, Energy & Propulsion Systems Section, Aeronautical Sciences Department, Hellenic Air Force Academy, 13671 Acharnes, Greece)

Abstract

The use of natural gas as an alternative fuel in dual-fuel compression-ignition engines can lead to a substantial reduction in the majority of pollutant emissions compared to fossil fuels, while the thermal efficiency of the engine can be maintained at adequate levels. Its usage has increased widely in recent years, and significant efforts have been made to investigate the inherent physical and chemical processes that take place during this engine’s combustion, as well as the parameters that affect the operation of the engine and use natural gas as energy source. The scope of this study is to investigate the effect of EGR temperature (cold and hot) and rate (10% and 20%) on the performance characteristics and emissions of a dual-fuel compression-ignition engine operating at a specific engine operating point under dual-fuel (diesel–natural gas) conditions. For this reason, a phenomenological two-zone combustion model was developed. The results of the model were validated against the experimental data obtained from a single-cylinder direct-injection, turbocharged compression-ignition dual-fuel research engine operated under part-load conditions (IMEP = 0.52 Mpa and engine speed = 1500 rpm) and at various replacement percentages of diesel using methane (which was treated as a natural gas surrogate). The model results were in good agreement with the experimental results, revealing the ability of the model to be used in the aforementioned EGR analysis. The results of the study revealed that engine operation with 10% cold EGR does not significantly affect the engine performance characteristics, and combined with the addition of 80% gaseous fuel energy, can lead to a substantial reduction in NO and soot emissions, with a moderate increase in CO emissions. On the other hand, a significant finding of the present work is that engine operation with hot EGR under the investigated operating conditions, even though it had a beneficial effect on NO-specific emissions, led to a reduction in engine efficiency and may raise issues regarding the mechanical strength of the engine.

Suggested Citation

  • Nikolaos Rizopoulos & Roussos Papagiannakis, 2025. "Comparative Evaluation of the Effect of Exhaust Gas Recirculation Usage on the Performance Characteristics and Emissions of a Natural Gas/Diesel Compression-Ignition Engine Operating at Part-Load Cond," Energies, MDPI, vol. 18(3), pages 1-31, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jeners:v:18:y:2025:i:3:p:710-:d:1583292
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/18/3/710/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/18/3/710/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Md Arman Arefin & Md Nurun Nabi & Md Washim Akram & Mohammad Towhidul Islam & Md Wahid Chowdhury, 2020. "A Review on Liquefied Natural Gas as Fuels for Dual Fuel Engines: Opportunities, Challenges and Responses," Energies, MDPI, vol. 13(22), pages 1-19, November.
    2. Theofanis D. Hountalas & Maria Founti & Theodoros C. Zannis, 2023. "Experimental Investigation to Assess the Performance Characteristics of a Marine Two-Stroke Dual Fuel Engine under Diesel and Natural Gas Mode," Energies, MDPI, vol. 16(8), pages 1-19, April.
    3. Yousefi, Amin & Guo, Hongsheng & Birouk, Madjid, 2018. "Effect of swirl ratio on NG/diesel dual-fuel combustion at low to high engine load conditions," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 229(C), pages 375-388.
    4. Rakopoulos, Constantine D. & Rakopoulos, Dimitrios C. & Mavropoulos, George C. & Kosmadakis, George M., 2018. "Investigating the EGR rate and temperature impact on diesel engine combustion and emissions under various injection timings and loads by comprehensive two-zone modeling," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 157(C), pages 990-1014.
    5. Liu, Jinlong & Dumitrescu, Cosmin E., 2019. "Single and double Wiebe function combustion model for a heavy-duty diesel engine retrofitted to natural-gas spark-ignition," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 248(C), pages 95-103.
    6. Jingrui Li & Jietuo Wang & Teng Liu & Jingjin Dong & Bo Liu & Chaohui Wu & Ying Ye & Hu Wang & Haifeng Liu, 2019. "An Investigation of the Influence of Gas Injection Rate Shape on High-Pressure Direct-Injection Natural Gas Marine Engines," Energies, MDPI, vol. 12(13), pages 1-18, July.
    7. Hua Zhou & Hong-Wei Zhao & Yu-Peng Huang & Jian-Hui Wei & Yu-Hui Peng, 2019. "Effects of Injection Timing on Combustion and Emission Performance of Dual-Fuel Diesel Engine under Low to Medium Load Conditions," Energies, MDPI, vol. 12(12), pages 1-14, June.
    8. Styliani Livaniou & Georgios A. Papadopoulos, 2022. "Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) as a Transitional Choice Replacing Marine Conventional Fuels (Heavy Fuel Oil/Marine Diesel Oil), towards the Era of Decarbonisation," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(24), pages 1-14, December.
    9. Noor Yusuf & Tareq Al-Ansari, 2023. "Current and Future Role of Natural Gas Supply Chains in the Transition to a Low-Carbon Hydrogen Economy: A Comprehensive Review on Integrated Natural Gas Supply Chain Optimisation Models," Energies, MDPI, vol. 16(22), pages 1-33, November.
    10. Yifan Wang & Laurence A. Wright, 2021. "A Comparative Review of Alternative Fuels for the Maritime Sector: Economic, Technology, and Policy Challenges for Clean Energy Implementation," World, MDPI, vol. 2(4), pages 1-26, October.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Vélez Godiño, José Antonio & Torres García, Miguel & Jiménez-Espadafor Aguilar, Francisco José, 2022. "Experimental analysis of late direct injection combustion mode in a compression-ignition engine fuelled with biodiesel/diesel blends," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 239(PA).
    2. Kim, Hyung Jun & Jo, Seongin & Lee, Jong-Tae & Park, Suhan, 2020. "Biodiesel fueled combustion performance and emission characteristics under various intake air temperature and injection timing conditions," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 206(C).
    3. Zhang, Rui & Cao, Xuewen & Zhang, Xingwang & Yang, Jian & Bian, Jiang, 2024. "Co-benefits of the liquid hydrogen economy and LNG economy: Advances in LNG integrating LH2 production processes," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 301(C).
    4. Agostino Bruzzone & Anna Sciomachen, 2023. "Simulating Operating Performance of Alternative Configurations of LNG Bunkering Stations," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(13), pages 1-18, June.
    5. Pan, Suozhu & Cai, Kai & Cai, Min & Du, Chenbo & Li, Xin & Han, Weiqiang & Wang, Xin & Liu, Daming & Wei, Jiangjun & Fang, Jia & Bao, Xiuchao, 2021. "Experimental study on the cyclic variations of ethanol/diesel reactivity controlled compression ignition (RCCI) combustion in a heavy-duty diesel engine," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 237(C).
    6. Fredrik von Malmborg, 2024. "Tapping the Conversation on the Meaning of Decarbonization: Discourses and Discursive Agency in EU Politics on Low-Carbon Fuels for Maritime Shipping," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(13), pages 1-36, June.
    7. Liu, Qi & Guo, Tao & Fu, Jianqin & Dai, Hongliang & Liu, Jingping, 2022. "Experimental study on the effects of injection parameters and exhaust gas recirculation on combustion, emission and performance of Atkinson cycle gasoline direct-injection engine," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 238(PB).
    8. Daniele La Corte & Marina Maddaloni & Reza Vahidzadeh & Marta Domini & Giorgio Bertanza & Samee Ullah Ansari & Matteo Marchionni & Vittorio Tola & Nancy Artioli, 2025. "Recovered Ammonia as a Sustainable Energy Carrier: Innovations in Recovery, Combustion, and Fuel Cells," Energies, MDPI, vol. 18(3), pages 1-46, January.
    9. Chen, Leiming & Xu, Zhaoping & Liu, Shuangshuang & Liu, Liang, 2022. "Dynamic modeling of a free-piston engine based on combustion parameters prediction," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 249(C).
    10. Li, Ji & Wu, Dawei & Mohammadsami Attar, Hassan & Xu, Hongming, 2022. "Geometric neuro-fuzzy transfer learning for in-cylinder pressure modelling of a diesel engine fuelled with raw microalgae oil," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 306(PA).
    11. Yousefi, Amin & Guo, Hongsheng & Birouk, Madjid & Liko, Brian, 2019. "On greenhouse gas emissions and thermal efficiency of natural gas/diesel dual-fuel engine at low load conditions: Coupled effect of injector rail pressure and split injection," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 242(C), pages 216-231.
    12. Duarte Lynce de Faria, 2024. "The EU Emission Trading System Tax Regime and the Issue of Unfair Maritime Competition," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(21), pages 1-14, October.
    13. Hasan Ustun Basaran, 2023. "Enhanced Exhaust after-Treatment Warmup in a Heavy-Duty Diesel Engine System via Miller Cycle and Delayed Exhaust Valve Opening," Energies, MDPI, vol. 16(12), pages 1-25, June.
    14. Kim, Seongsu & Kim, Junghwan, 2023. "Assessing fuel economy and NOx emissions of a hydrogen engine bus using neural network algorithms for urban mass transit systems," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 275(C).
    15. Serigne Abdoul Aziz Niang & Abdoulaye Cisse & Mamadou Simina Dramé & Ismaila Diallo & Arona Diedhiou & Seydina Oumar Ndiaye & Kharouna Talla & Alle Dioum & Yorou Tchakondo, 2024. "A Tale of Sustainable Energy Transition Under New Fossil Fuel Discoveries: The Case of Senegal (West Africa)," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(23), pages 1-22, December.
    16. Giglio, Veniero & di Gaeta, Alessandro, 2020. "Novel regression models for wiebe parameters aimed at 0D combustion simulation in spark ignition engines," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 210(C).
    17. Yang, Xiao & He, Zhihong & Qiu, Penghua & Dong, Shikui & Tan, Heping, 2019. "Numerical investigations on combustion and emission characteristics of a novel elliptical jet-stabilized model combustor," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 170(C), pages 1082-1097.
    18. Bolu, Sencer & Ozgul, Emre & Epguzel, Emre & Gurel, Cetin, 2022. "Use of thermodynamic models for compression ratio and peak firing pressure optimization in heavy-duty diesel engine," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 248(C).
    19. Ahmad, Zeeshan & Kaario, Ossi & Qiang, Cheng & Vuorinen, Ville & Larmi, Martti, 2019. "A parametric investigation of diesel/methane dual-fuel combustion progression/stages in a heavy-duty optical engine," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 251(C), pages 1-1.
    20. Santiago Molina & Ricardo Novella & Josep Gomez-Soriano & Miguel Olcina-Girona, 2021. "New Combustion Modelling Approach for Methane-Hydrogen Fueled Engines Using Machine Learning and Engine Virtualization," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(20), pages 1-21, October.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jeners:v:18:y:2025:i:3:p:710-:d:1583292. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.