FUELS,

OCTANE NO & CETANE NO

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 FUELS
➢ Generally Liquid fuels are preferential

1. Energy per gram is too high

2. Fast conversion of chemical energy to thermal energy
3. Easy mix with oxygen
4. No ash after combustion
5. Easy transport and storage

➢ Every liquid substance which provides the sufficient

thermal energy
can be used as a fuel for internal combustion engines.

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 •Diesel fuel contains more heat energy than
gasoline by volume

• The most common type of automotive fuel

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 Octane Number And Cetane Number

• Cetane number (diesel fuel) and octane number (gasoline)

both measure the tendency of the fuel to ignite
spontaneously.

• The cetane number refers to the ease with which diesel

fuel ignites easily at a relatively low temperature.

• Octane/Cetane number is actually a measure of a fuel's auto

ignition delay; the time period between the start of injection
and start of combustion (ignition) of the fuel

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 Octane/Cetane Number
• In a particular internal combustion engine,
higher octane fuels will have
larger ignition delay periods than lower octane
fuels.
• In a particular diesel engine, higher cetane fuels
will have shorter ignition delay periods than
lower cetane fuel.

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 Octane Number
• The Octane Number of a gasoline is defined as the volume
percent of iso-octane in a blend of iso-octane and n-
heptane.
• An 87-octane gasoline, for example, has the same octane
rating as a mixture of 87 vol-% isooctane and 13 vol-% n-
heptane.
• Isooctane is given a maximum octane number, i.e. 100
• n-heptane is given a minimum octane number, i.e. 0.

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 Cetane number
• The cetane number of a fuel is defined as the volume percent
of n-hexadecane in a blend of n-hexadecane and 1-
methylnaphthalene that gives the same ignition delay period
as the test sample.
• For example, a fuel with a cetane number of 40 will perform
the same in the engine as a blend of 40% n-hexadecane and
60% 1-methylnaphthalene.
• Cetane numbers are only used for the relatively light distillate
diesel oils.

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 Octane/Cetane Numbers

Related with:

• improved combustion

• improved cold starting

• reduced noise, white smoke, HC, CO and

particulate emissions.

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 RON & MON
• Research Octane Number (RON) determined at 600 rpm
engine speed, mild driving conditions, without consistent
heavy loads

• Motor Octane Number (MON) determined at 900 rpm

engine speed, represents severe, sustained high speed,
high load driving.

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 Fuel Rating

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 Gasoline Octane Rating

• Measurement of the fuel’s ability to resist

ignition caused by pressure and heat
– resists knock or ping
• Octane numbers give the antiknock value of
gasoline

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 Gasoline Octane Rating

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 Cetane Rating
• Indicates the cold starting ability of diesel
fuel
• Most automakers recommend a cetane
rating of about 45
• High cetane rating means the fuel will
ignite easily from heat and pressure and
burn quickly

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 Octane and Cetane number of fuel
Fuel Research Octane Motor Octane Cetane Boiling
Number Number number point
(ROM) (MON) (ºC)
Gasoline 92-98 80-90 0-5 37-205
Diesel -25 - 45-55 140-360
Methanol 106 92 5 65
Ethanol 107 89 5 79
Propane (LPG) 112 97 -2 -42.15
Methane (CNG) 120 120 0 -161.6

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