ENGINE FLEXIBILITY FOR SI ENGINES FUELED BY LIQUID GAS WITH DIMETHYL ETHER BLEND

The aim of the study is to present the changes in the vehicle dynamics that occur in connection with the use of various fuels that power the engine. The article presents the effect of gaseous fuels being mixtures of LPG and BioDME on the flexibility of the vehicle. In previous studies, not much attention has been paid to the problem of changing the performance of the vehicle with the use of various fuels supplying the engine. It is a new approach that allows to determine the advantages and disadvantages of using alternative fuels, including mixtures using BioDME. The study was conducted for a four-cylinder SI engine with a displacement of 1.6 dm³, installed in a passenger vehicle. The mixture of LPG and DME was assessed, and the results compared to the parameters obtained for the LPG-powered engine. Received results have been made it possible to determine changes in the value of the engine flexibility for selected engine loads and various DME shares in the mixture. The thesis that DME can be considered as an activator of the combustion process and may have an impact on the vehicle dynamics is confirmed.