Performance improvement and emissions reduction of methanol fuelled marine dual-fuel engine with variable compression ratio

Methanol use in marine engines is associated with challenges pertaining to misfiring and knocking. This study aims at parametrically optimising a marine dual-fuel four stroke engine considering variable compression ratio (VCR) settings and methanol direct injection with 90 % energy fraction. CFD mod...

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Main Authors: Panagiotis Karvounis, Gerasimos Theotokatos
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2025-07-01
Series:Fuel Processing Technology
Subjects:
Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0378382025000323
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author Panagiotis Karvounis
Gerasimos Theotokatos
author_facet Panagiotis Karvounis
Gerasimos Theotokatos
author_sort Panagiotis Karvounis
collection DOAJ
description Methanol use in marine engines is associated with challenges pertaining to misfiring and knocking. This study aims at parametrically optimising a marine dual-fuel four stroke engine considering variable compression ratio (VCR) settings and methanol direct injection with 90 % energy fraction. CFD models are developed and validated against experimental data. Parametric runs are employed in 20, 55 and 90 % load, with compression ratio ranging 11–19, to reveal the optimal CR values for each load considering the engine performance and emissions parameters along with constraints on combustion efficiency and stability. The sustainability index is employed to assess the environmental sustainability of the engine under optimal VCR settings compared to FCR. The results reveal that the engine thermal efficiency for CR 19, 16 and 12 at low, medium and high loads respectively increases by 7 %, 2 % at low and medium loads, whereas, decreases by 4 % at the high load. The engine with the proposed VCR settings achieves the compliance with the IMO Tier III limits and increases its sustainability index by 21 % compared to the fixed compression ratio. This study provides insights for the effective use of high methanol energy fractions in marine dual engines, thus contributing to the shipping sector sustainability.
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spelling doaj-art-13f36e10f1ca466ba3d69a844451ce682025-08-20T02:13:35ZengElsevierFuel Processing Technology0378-38202025-07-0127210820810.1016/j.fuproc.2025.108208Performance improvement and emissions reduction of methanol fuelled marine dual-fuel engine with variable compression ratioPanagiotis Karvounis0Gerasimos Theotokatos1Corresponding author.; Maritime Safety Research Centre, Department of Naval Architecture, Ocean, and Marine Engineering, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow G4 0LZ, United KingdomMaritime Safety Research Centre, Department of Naval Architecture, Ocean, and Marine Engineering, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow G4 0LZ, United KingdomMethanol use in marine engines is associated with challenges pertaining to misfiring and knocking. This study aims at parametrically optimising a marine dual-fuel four stroke engine considering variable compression ratio (VCR) settings and methanol direct injection with 90 % energy fraction. CFD models are developed and validated against experimental data. Parametric runs are employed in 20, 55 and 90 % load, with compression ratio ranging 11–19, to reveal the optimal CR values for each load considering the engine performance and emissions parameters along with constraints on combustion efficiency and stability. The sustainability index is employed to assess the environmental sustainability of the engine under optimal VCR settings compared to FCR. The results reveal that the engine thermal efficiency for CR 19, 16 and 12 at low, medium and high loads respectively increases by 7 %, 2 % at low and medium loads, whereas, decreases by 4 % at the high load. The engine with the proposed VCR settings achieves the compliance with the IMO Tier III limits and increases its sustainability index by 21 % compared to the fixed compression ratio. This study provides insights for the effective use of high methanol energy fractions in marine dual engines, thus contributing to the shipping sector sustainability.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0378382025000323Marine dual fuel enginesVariable compression ratioMethanolNOx emissionsShipping sustainabilityDecarbonisation
spellingShingle Panagiotis Karvounis
Gerasimos Theotokatos
Performance improvement and emissions reduction of methanol fuelled marine dual-fuel engine with variable compression ratio
Fuel Processing Technology
Marine dual fuel engines
Variable compression ratio
Methanol
NOx emissions
Shipping sustainability
Decarbonisation
title Performance improvement and emissions reduction of methanol fuelled marine dual-fuel engine with variable compression ratio
title_full Performance improvement and emissions reduction of methanol fuelled marine dual-fuel engine with variable compression ratio
title_fullStr Performance improvement and emissions reduction of methanol fuelled marine dual-fuel engine with variable compression ratio
title_full_unstemmed Performance improvement and emissions reduction of methanol fuelled marine dual-fuel engine with variable compression ratio
title_short Performance improvement and emissions reduction of methanol fuelled marine dual-fuel engine with variable compression ratio
title_sort performance improvement and emissions reduction of methanol fuelled marine dual fuel engine with variable compression ratio
topic Marine dual fuel engines
Variable compression ratio
Methanol
NOx emissions
Shipping sustainability
Decarbonisation
url http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0378382025000323
work_keys_str_mv AT panagiotiskarvounis performanceimprovementandemissionsreductionofmethanolfuelledmarinedualfuelenginewithvariablecompressionratio
AT gerasimostheotokatos performanceimprovementandemissionsreductionofmethanolfuelledmarinedualfuelenginewithvariablecompressionratio