Performance Improvement for a Diesel Engine Combined with a Methanol and Aqueous Urea Reformer Through Exhaust Gas Recirculation

CSME 2026/02
Volume 47 No.1 : 27-34

Performance Improvement for a Diesel Engine Combined with a Methanol and Aqueous Urea Reformer Through Exhaust Gas Recirculation

Horng-Wen Wu ^a, Zhi-Wei Guo ^b, Chung-Yuan Wu ^b, Wei-Cheng Chiu ^c and Dhinesh Balasubramanian ^d
^aProfessor, Department of Systems and Naval Mechatronic Engineering, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan, Taiwan 701401, ROC.
^bGraduate Student, Department of Systems and Naval Mechatronic Engineering, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan, Taiwan 701401, ROC.
^cDepartment of Mechanical Engineering, Kun Shan University, Green Energy Technology Research Center, Kun Shan University, No.195, Kunda Rd., Yongkang Dist., Tainan City 710, Taiwan (R.O.C.)
^dSenior Assistant Professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Mepco Schlenk Engineering College, Sivakasi, Virudhunagar, Tamil Nadu 626005, India.

Abstract: This study establishes an exhaust gas recirculation device in a diesel engine and integrate a reformation system of methanol blended with aqueous urea. Modifying the diesel engine's intake inducts hydrogen-rich gas into the exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) for testing and investigating how inducting hydrogen-rich gas influences the engine's exhaust emissions. The results are as follows. The engine exhaust outlet and intake have integrated the EGR system with the methanol and aqueous urea reformation system. When employing engine exhaust gases as auxiliary heating during methanol-urea aqueous steam reforming, the waste heat recovery rates range from 10.01% to 12.68%. The cylinder pressure increases significantly under the condition of adding hydrogen-rich gas. For 40% EGR, adding hydrogen-rich gas reduces smoke and CO emissions by about 19.29% and 40% but increases NOX and HC emissions. However, inducting hydrogen-rich gas and 40% EGR can reduce NOX by 18.62% compared to diesel with no EGR addition.

Keywords: performance improvement, diesel engine, methanol blended with aqueous urea reformer, waste heat recovery, exhaust gas recirculation integration

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