How fuel made from vegetable oil affects automobile performance

Researchers from Latvia are working on the effects of hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO) when used together with commercial diesel fuel. The study, which appeared in the journal Agronomy Research, particularly looked at how HVO impacts automobile performance using a chassis dynamometer.

• Two types of fuel oil were used for the test: One contained hydrogenated vegetable oil, while the other was regular fossil fuel oil. The fuel used in the study, as well as the test vehicle, was provided by Neste Lavia, Ltd.
• The test vehicle, a four-wheel Mazda CX-5 2015, was outfitted with a 2.2. liter Euro 6 engine, which has a compression ratio of 14:0:1. The effective power of the vehicle – with a common-rail fuel system equipped – was recorded at 129 kW, and the rear axle drive was mechanically unlocked to accommodate the installation of the Mustang MD-1750 chassis dynamometer.
• The following tests were performed to measure the power and torque on the driving axle, as well as its fuel consumption: power test, idle running test, constant speed tests (at 50 km/h, 90 km/h, and 110 km/h), IM-240 driving cycle (which simulates non-urban driving), and the “Jelgava” worked driving cycle (which simulates typical urban driving in the Latvian city of Jelgava).
• Based on the results of the test, the maximum power value of the HVO fuel is 1.2 percent higher than that of regular fossil diesel. Maximum torque was recorded to be two percent higher than that of diesel, with a crankshaft speed of 1,700 per minute in power and torque values – a difference of 67 percent compared to fossil fuel.
• In terms of fuel consumption, the IM-240 driving cycle indicated that HVO decreased fuel consumption by 1.5 percent in the 50 km/h test, 0.7 percent in the 90 km/h test, and 3.7 percent at the 110 km/h test. It also reduced the vehicle’s consumption by up to 3.9 percent in the Jelgava test.

Researchers concluded that HVO was able to achieve a higher power and torque, as well as reduce fuel consumption in low speeds, compared to regular fossil fuel.

Find the full text of the study at this link.

Journal Reference:

Birzietis G, Pirs V, Dukulis I, Gailis M. EFFECT OF COMMERCIAL DIESEL FUEL AND HYDROTREATED VEGETABLE OIL BLEND ON AUTOMOBILE PERFORMANCE. Agronomy Research. 2017:15, 964–970.