Performance Evaluation of Closed Crankcase Ventilation System in an Industrial NG Engine

This study evaluates the impact of a Closed Crankcase Ventilation (CCV) system on Caterpillar G3516J NG engine performance and emissions, focusing on engine performance, methane (CH4) emissions, oil consumption, and oil particle size distribution. Three configurations were analyzed: Indirect Open Crankcase Ventilation (OCV), OCV-Direct, and CCV. The results show that the CCV system significantly reduced CH4 slip, with reductions ranging from 12% to 23% compared to the Indirect OCV configuration, and 10% to 17% compared to the OCV-Direct configuration. The CCV system also lowered oil concentration in the crankcase ventilation gas and demonstrated high filtration efficiency, achieving values between 99.22% and 99.89%. The oil particle size distribution revealed a substantial reduction in the concentration of smaller particles, with filtration efficiencies ranging from 88.77% for the smallest particles (0.032 µm–0.018 µm) to 99.89% for particles between 1 µm and 0.560 µm. These results suggest that the CCV system not only enhances engine thermal efficiency by reducing CH4 slip but also contributes to lower oil consumption and reduced particulate matter (PM) emissions. Additionally, the study demonstrates the effects of the CCV system on engine operational parameters like crankcase pressure and performance metrics like Brake Specific Fuel Consumption (BSFC).