Integrated Control Strategies of EGR System and Fuel Injection Pressure to Reduce Emissions and Fuel Consumption in a DI Engine Fueled with Diesel-WCOME Blends and Neat Biodiesel

A wide experimental campaign was developed on an automotive turbocharged diesel engine, using two blends between diesel oil and waste cooking oil methyl esters (WCOME) and neat biodiesel. A conventional B7 diesel oil was considered as a reference fuel. The two blends, respectively, included 40 and 70% of WCOME, on a volumetric basis. The influence of biodiesel was analyzed by testing the engine in two part-load operating conditions, applying proper control strategies to the exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) circuit and rail pressure, to assess the interactions between the engine management and the tested fuels. The variable nozzle turbine (VNT) was controlled to obtain a constant level of intake pressure in the two experimental points. Referring to biodiesel effects at constant operating mode, higher WCOME content generally resulted in better efficiency and soot emission, while NOX emission was negatively affected. EGR activation allowed for limited NO formation but with penalties in soot emission. Furthermore, interactions between the EGR circuit and turbocharger operations and control led to higher fuel consumption and lower efficiency. Finally, the increase in rail pressure corresponded to better soot emission and penalties in NOX emission. Combining all these effects, the selection of EGR rate and rail pressure values higher than the standard levels resulted in better efficiency, NOX, and soot emissions when comparing blends and neat biodiesel to conventional B7, granting advantages not only with regard to greenhouse gas emissions. Combustion parameters were also assessed, showing that combustion stability and combustion noise were not negatively affected by biodiesel use. Combustion duration was reduced when using WCOME and its blend, even if the center of combustion was slightly shifted along the expansion stroke. The main contribution of this investigation to the scientific and technical knowledge on biodiesel application to internal combustion engines is related to the development of tests on diesel–biodiesel blends with high WCOME content or neat WCOME, identifying their effects on NOX emissions, the definition of integrated strategies of HP EGR system, fuel rail pressure, and VNT for the simultaneous reduction in NOX and soot emissions, and the detailed assessment of the influence of biodiesel on a wide range of combustion parameters.