Abstract
Statistical analyses of ROHR (rate of heat release) curves from a modified FIA (Fuel Ignitability Analyser) were introduced for the first time to distinguish trouble-inducing bunker fuel oils (TIO) from trouble-free fuel oils (TFO). The modified FIA employed longer injection duration, higher spray quality, and higher air temperature, which made its combustion conditions closer to those in an actual marine diesel engine. In this study, Linear Discriminant Analysis (LDA) and the Mahalanobis Taguchi System (MTS) were applied to extract effective variables from ROHR curves. Very promising results were obtained, and thus a reliable method for the distinction of bunker fuel oils was realized.
