Performance Analysis of Ethanol and Fusel Oil Blends in RON95 Gasoline Engine

Abstract

This study investigates the performance of RON95 gasoline blended with ethanol (E10, E20, E30) and fusel oil (F10, F20, F30) in a spark-ignition engine at varying engine loads (10%–40%) and rotational speeds (1000, 2000, and 3000 RPM). The experiments were conducted using a single-cylinder, four-stroke engine under controlled conditions to evaluate Brake Power (BP) and Brake Mean Effective Pressure (BMEP). The results show that adding ethanol and fusel oil enhances engine performance compared to pure gasoline (G). At 1000 RPM and 40% load, the highest BP was recorded for E20 at 10.4 kW, while gasoline achieved only 9.4 kW. Similarly, at 2000 RPM and 40% load, F10 reached 27.1 kW compared to gasoline's 24.5 kW. The most significant improvement was observed at 3000 RPM and 40% load, where F30 achieved 55.2 kW, outperforming gasoline at 45.8 kW. BMEP values followed a similar trend, with the highest BMEP at 3000 RPM and 40% load for F30 at 7.6 bar, surpassing gasoline at 7.0 bar. These findings demonstrate that ethanol and fusel oil blends, particularly at higher concentrations and engine speeds, can substantially improve engine performance. This research contributes novelty by systematically comparing the effects of ethanol and fusel oil blends on gasoline engine performance, providing an alternative pathway to utilizing bio-based fuels for enhanced power output without engine modifications.