Title: The Performance Characteristics of Petrol and Liquefied Natural Gas in an Engine Test Bed using Versatile Data Acquisition System
Authors: Yeri Julius Eniyekedou, Worgu Fortune and Uchendu Imereoma Frank
Volume: 9
Issue: 9
Pages: 37-42
Publication Date: 2025/09/28
Abstract:
Different types of fuels such as gasoline and liquefied natural gas (LNG) exhibit varying performance characteristics when applied in thermal systems like furnace, boilers, internal combustion engines etc. This necessitate determining and comparing their performance metrics using the Versatile Digital Acquisition System (VDAS). The aim of this work was to apply VDAS to determine the performance characteristics of gasoline and LNG in an internal combustion engine test bed. A TD 200 four-stroke gasoline test engine (modified for the Tec-Equipment TD 200 small engine test bed), a hydraulic dynamometer, a dual carburettor and a VDAS were all used in the experimental configuration. Measured performance metrics included torque, power, air mass flow rate, brake mean pressure (BMEP), volumetric efficiency and exhaust gas temperature. The experimental results reveals that in contrast to gasoline, which produced 1876 W at lower rpm, LNG produced more power at higher speeds, peaking at 2,521 kW around 3800 rpm. At 2900 rpm, LNG's BMEP (5.28 bar) was higher than that of gasoline. While both fuels showed reduced efficiency at higher speeds, gasoline had a better volumetric efficiency (85.7% at 2300 rpm) than LNG (82.27% at the same speed). Using LNG as a fuel can result in a significant reduction in fuel consumption. The conclusion of the investigations showed that, altogether, LNG performs better than gasoline, making it the preferred choice for engine applications.