Shell’s dual fuel

Shell has developed a unique dual fuel diesel Mercedes Actros on-highway truck to provide fuel performance and emissions comparisons for its research and development programs. The engine has two banks of cylinders, which can be fed with different fuels so that their performances can be measured simultaneously in the same engine.
“In dual fuel mode, each bank of cylinders can be run on a different diesel fuel, while in bi-fuel mode, the whole engine can be switched between two different diesel fuels,” said Nick Davenport at Shell Global Solutions (UK).
“In addition, pressure transducers fitted into the central cylinder on each bank send signals back to a data logging system. By measuring the in-cylinder pressure through a normal four stroke cycle it is possible to calculate the energy made available from the combustion pressure, which can then be used to determine engine power and fuel performance,” said Dr Davenport.
The Shell dual fuel system can also be used to collect emissions data as the exhaust manifold has been adapted to include gas sampling points. “The system allows exhaust gasses to be sampled and tested for NOx and particulate matter,” said Dr Davenport.
“With Shell dual fuel we are able to run Shell and other fuels on the same engine, at the same time in simulated operating conditions. This enables us to not only see the benefits of products such as our Shell Diesel Extra in different engines, but also compare it in the same engine under identical operating conditions.”