Field-Testing of Biodiesel (B100) and Diesel-Fueled Vehicles: Part 4—Piston Rating, and Fuel Injection Equipment Issues

This study investigated the use of biodiesel (B100) and baseline diesel in two identical unmodified vehicles to realistically assess different aspects of biodiesel's compatibility with modern common rail direct injection (CRDI) fuel injection equipment (FIE) and evaluate biodiesel's long-term durability/compatibility with engine components. Two identical vehicles were fueled with biodiesel (B100) and baseline mineral diesel for 30,000 km field-trials on highway under identical operating conditions. Exhaustive experimental results from this series of tests are divided into four segments. The fourth and the last paper of this series compares the effects of long-term usage of biodiesel on piston deposits and FIE components compared to baseline mineral diesel. A key challenge for improving engine performance and fuel economy is the reduction of frictional losses, primarily at the piston ring–liner interface, which accounts for majority of frictional losses. Piston rating was done for the two vehicles after the conclusion of field-trials and it revealed that rating of different piston sections was ∼5–15% superior in case of biodiesel-fueled vehicle compared to that of diesel-fueled vehicle. Performance of FIE components such as fuel filter, fuel injectors, and fuel pump was assessed after the conclusion of field-trials. Pressure drop at different fuel flow-rates across the fuel filter was measured for assessing the fuel filter blockage. Pressure drop across biodiesel filter was ∼30% higher than diesel filter after 10,000 km usage but almost twice after 15,000 km usage. These experimental results indicated that some additional technical measures should be taken by automotive manufacturers to offset these technical challenges before biodiesel is adapted on a large-scale in modern CRDI vehicles.