GTA's
Fuel Technology Applied to Diesel Engines
GTA has discovered that adding of a small amount of a high molecular weight
polymer to diesel fuel increases engine power, reduces fuel consumption,
reduces engine exhaust temperature and reduces emissions of particulate
matter.
It is well known that diesel engine combustion behavior can be improved by
improving air/fuel mixture formation.
Some improvements have been made by mechanical fixes, such as increased
injection pressure, multiple injector orifices and modifications of combustion
chamber geometry.
GTA Fuel Enhancer mixture formation by modifying the fuel rather than the
engine. A small amount of a
high molecular weight polymer is added to the fuel making it
viscoelastic. At rest the fuel
behaves like an ordinary liquid.
Under conditions of sudden stress, however, as in being sprayed from
an injector, the fuel has greatly increased viscosity or solid like elastic
properties.
A viscoelastic fuel has different spray and vaporization
behavior. The injector spray
is more controlled producing more uniform droplet size and more uniform
distribution of fuel over the cross section of the spray
cone. Super fine, satellite
droplets are eliminated and overall Sauter Mean Diameter is
reduced. The solid like fuel
droplets also resist growth by collision.
The vaporization of viscoelastic fuel droplets is also more
controlled. Increased surface
tension holds in light end fuel components which would otherwise vaporize,
leaving the less volatile components behind.
The benefits gained from changes in spray and vapor behavior are in fuel
jet penetration and dispersion and in homogeneity of light and heavy fuel
species in the air/fuel mixture, each essential to ideal mixture
formation. Increased spray
penetration and improved dispersion are achieved by having more uniform droplet
size, more uniform droplet distribution and reduced droplet growth by collision.
The result is a more homogeneous air/fuel equivalency ratio. Modification
of the vaporization behavior so that light and heavy components vaporize
uniformly from the surface leads to more homogeneous distribution of fast
and slow burning fuel species in the air/fuel mixture.
Improved uniformity of air/fuel equivalency ratio throughout the mixture
leads to greater cyclic uniformity.
Less understood, but equally important in mixture formation, homogeneous
distribution of fuel components leads to lower peak temperatures and faster
flame propagation. The light
ends which normally dominate and drive initial inflammation are moderated
by the slower burning molecules.
During flame propagation the normally slow burning molecules are heated
and thereby aided in burning by the fast burning light end
molecules. Overall, uniformity of the air/fuel mixture results in
more uniform and complete combustion of the fuel.
From review of SAE literature it is indicated that the changes in mixture
formation caused by making fuel viscoelastic hold the greatest promise for
large diesel engines where low running speed and lack of swirl effect make
spray behavior more important.
If you haven't arrived at this page from the GTA home page, you can see more about GTA Fuel Enhancer at: www.apdinc.com/GTAfuel.html. Use the BACK arrow if you have come from the home page or a GTA sub-directory.