Abstract
Heating value of gaseous fuel produced from solid fuel (wastes and biomass) gasification systems is as low 1/10 of that of natural gas, and there is almost no established energy conversion methods for such low-BTU gas. Two kinds of simulated low-BTU gas produced from natural gas diluted with nitrogen (methane rich) and obtained from two-step pyrolysis/reforming gasification (contain hydrogen and CO) were tested in a commercial-scale dual fueled diesel engine. In these experiments, power output was fixed at 37kW, 29kW, 22kW and 11kW respectively by controlling the gas oil supply, when low-BTU gas supply was changed. It was demonstrated that nearly 80% of oil supply can be replaced by low-BTU fuel gas with slight decrease of the thermal efficiency. It is possible to reduce NOx emission by low-BTU gas supply. Experimental results show that dual fueled diesel engines are quite feasible option for efficient utilization of low-BTU gas.
