Publication
Performance study about biodiesel impact on buses engines using dynamometer tests and fleet consumption data
| dc.contributor.author | Serrano, Luis M.V. | |
| dc.contributor.author | Câmara, Rui M.O. | |
| dc.contributor.author | Carreira, Vasco J.R. | |
| dc.contributor.author | Silva, M.C. Gameiro da | |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2026-01-07T14:44:57Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2026-01-07T14:44:57Z | |
| dc.date.issued | 2012 | |
| dc.description.abstract | The use of biodiesel in engines is increasing all over the World, especially in Europe where by 2020, 10% of the energy used in transportation must be renewable energy. The problem of reducing harmful emissions, mainly particulate matter (PM) and nitrogen oxides (NOx) originated in compression ignition combustion engines, and also the mandatory intention of lowering the CO2 impacts of road transportation define the need to improve our knowledge on biodiesel use in engines. There are many researches on first generation biodiesel, but most of them are being focused in full load tests or in certain cycles made for engines homologation, not for study fuels' impacts. A new methodology on the use of biodiesel in engines is presented, where the performance results of an engine obtained in a dynamometer were analyzed by comparing those results with consumption data of a fleet of 200 buses. A 6 in line cylinders Volvo engine was submitted to a 100 minutes cycle with 27 stabilized steps for 7 different fuel blends from pure fossil diesel (B0) to pure Biodiesel (B100), considering also B10, B15, B20, B30, B50 fuel blends. The cycle imposed tries to simulate a normal use of a bus in an urban and extra-urban circuit, considering different engine rotation and loads applied. For each type of fuel, the cycle was repeated 3 times and the average of the consumption value for each step was considered. The emission results (NOx, CO, HC and PM) were also recorded and analyzed. To complete this study, an analysis on consumption data obtained of a fleet was made. The fleet had near 200 buses, used different fuel blends, and operated in the north of Portugal. These vehicles are grouped in 2 different types of fleets, one that makes a circuit in the city of Guimarães (TUG), and the other that makes extra-urban circuits, connecting cities (ARRIVA). Results reveal that the cycle imposed reflects very well the tendency of consumption, allowing to confirm the methodology and also to check influences on consumption, mainly associated with possibilities to decrease CO2 emissions by using some biodiesel blends on buses. By comparing the results obtained in engine bench tests with the fleet results, it is possible to define possible weaknesses in the methodology that can be improved. This allows increasing the quality of data in vehicle real use and tightening the uncertainties on the actual effects of using biodiesel as energy source for people and goods transportation. | eng |
| dc.description.sponsorship | The authors wish to express their appreciation to Arriva-Portugal, Tranportes Lda. for the cession of operational data about bus fleets. The comparisons of different biodiesel blends in the engine test bench are the result of a research contract with the company Prio Energy S.A. The authors also acknowledge the Portuguese Science and Technology Foundation (FCT) for their support under the research project PTDC/TRA/72996/2006. | |
| dc.identifier.citation | Serrano L.M.V., Câmara R.M.O., Carreira V.J.R., Gameiro da Silva M.C., Performance study about biodiesel impact on buses engines using dynamometer tests and fleet consumption data (2011) Proceedings of the 24th International Conference on Efficiency, Cost, Optimization, Simulation and Environmental Impact of Energy Systems, ECOS 2011, pp. 533 - 544. | |
| dc.identifier.doi | 10.1016/j.enconman.2011.11.029 | |
| dc.identifier.issn | 0196-8904 | |
| dc.identifier.uri | http://hdl.handle.net/10400.8/15247 | |
| dc.language.iso | eng | |
| dc.peerreviewed | yes | |
| dc.publisher | Elsevier | |
| dc.relation.hasversion | https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/84903642234 | |
| dc.rights.uri | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ | |
| dc.subject | Biodiesel | |
| dc.subject | Buses | |
| dc.subject | Energy | |
| dc.subject | Engines | |
| dc.subject | Performance | |
| dc.subject | Test cycles | |
| dc.title | Performance study about biodiesel impact on buses engines using dynamometer tests and fleet consumption data | eng |
| dc.type | research article | |
| dspace.entity.type | Publication | |
| oaire.citation.endPage | 9 | |
| oaire.citation.issue | 60 | |
| oaire.citation.startPage | 2 | |
| oaire.citation.title | Energy Conversion and Management | |
| oaire.version | http://purl.org/coar/version/c_970fb48d4fbd8a85 | |
| person.familyName | Serrano | |
| person.givenName | Luis | |
| person.identifier.ciencia-id | C811-CF46-B837 | |
| person.identifier.orcid | 0000-0003-2864-7597 | |
| person.identifier.rid | I-2522-2014 | |
| person.identifier.scopus-author-id | 55947741500 | |
| relation.isAuthorOfPublication | 6d391425-6343-4ffa-b6b8-74aef2ea7c1f | |
| relation.isAuthorOfPublication.latestForDiscovery | 6d391425-6343-4ffa-b6b8-74aef2ea7c1f |