Garcia Tobar, M.; Cabrera Ojeda, O.; Crespo Montaño, F. Impact of Oil Viscosity on Emissions and Fuel Efficiency at High Altitudes: A Response Surface Methodology Analysis. Lubricants2024, 12, 277.
Garcia Tobar, M.; Cabrera Ojeda, O.; Crespo Montaño, F. Impact of Oil Viscosity on Emissions and Fuel Efficiency at High Altitudes: A Response Surface Methodology Analysis. Lubricants 2024, 12, 277.
Garcia Tobar, M.; Cabrera Ojeda, O.; Crespo Montaño, F. Impact of Oil Viscosity on Emissions and Fuel Efficiency at High Altitudes: A Response Surface Methodology Analysis. Lubricants2024, 12, 277.
Garcia Tobar, M.; Cabrera Ojeda, O.; Crespo Montaño, F. Impact of Oil Viscosity on Emissions and Fuel Efficiency at High Altitudes: A Response Surface Methodology Analysis. Lubricants 2024, 12, 277.
Abstract
This study investigates the effect of oil viscosity on pollutant emissions and fuel consumption of an internal combustion engine (ICE) in high-altitude using Response Surface Methodology (RSM). A Chevrolet Corsa Evolution 1.5 SOHC gasoline engine was used in Cuenca, Ecuador (2560 meters above sea level), testing three lubricating oils with kinematic viscosities of 9.66, 14.08, and 18.5 cSt under various engine speeds and loads. Key findings include: hydrocarbon (HC) emissions were minimized to 7.25 ppm with low viscosity and load; carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions peaked at 15.2% vol with high viscosity and load; carbon monoxide (CO) ranged from 0.04% to 3.74% depending on viscosity and load; nitrogen oxides (NOx) were significantly influenced by viscosity, RPM, and load, indicating a need for model refinement; and fuel consumption was significantly affected by load and viscosity. RSM-based optimization identified optimal operational conditions with a viscosity of 13 sCt, 1473 rpm, and a load of 78%, resulting in 52.35 ppm of HC, 13.97% vol of CO2, 1.2% vol of CO, 0 ppm of NOx, and a fuel consumption of 6.66 l/h. These conditions demonstrate the ability to adjust operational variables to maximize fuel efficiency and minimize emissions. This study underscores the critical role of optimizing lubricant viscosity and operational conditions to mitigate environmental impact and enhance engine performance in high-altitude environments.
Copyright:
This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
