Experimental Studies on Increasing Energy Saving of Power Drives During Their Conversion to Gaseous Products of Methanol Conversion

The article presents the results of an experiment aimed at investigating the performance of a serial D21A1 diesel engine retrofitted to operate on gaseous products derived from methanol conversion as an alternative fuel. The conducted tests experimentally confirmed the feasibility and potential benefits of converting diesel engines to operate on methanol-derived fuels. To assess the impact of various factors on improving fuel efficiency, a series of experiments was carried out using a methanol conversion reactor. The results demonstrated that thermochemical utilization of heat reduced fuel consumption by 6–8%, while optimization of the engine’s working process provided an additional fuel saving of approximately 4–6%. For a more in-depth analysis of the factors contributing to improved fuel economy, further experimental studies were conducted. These confirmed the advantages of using gaseous products from methanol conversion, which led to a 14% increase in effective engine power compared to conventional diesel fuel, albeit with a slight increase in fuel consumption. Considering that the average cost of methanol is only 10–20% of the price of diesel fuel, converting diesel engines to operate on methanol conversion products proves to be economically advantageous.