Abstract
There is a growing market demand for small-scale biomass gasifiers that is driven by the economic incentives and the legislative framework. Small-scale gasifiers produce a gaseous fuel, commonly referred to as producer gas, with relatively low heating value. Thus, the most common energy conversion systems that are coupled with small-scale gasifiers are internal combustion engines. In order to increase the electrical efficiency, the operators choose dual-fuel engines and mix the producer gas with diesel. The Wiebe function has been a valuable tool for assessing the efficiency of dual-fuel internal combustion engines. This study introduces a thermodynamic model that works in parallel with the Wiebe function and calculates the emissions of the engines. This ‘vis-à-vis’ approach takes into consideration the actual conditions inside the cylinders –as they are returned by the Wiebe function- and calculates the final thermodynamic equilibrium of the flue gases mixture. This approach aims to enhance the operation of the dual-fuel internal combustion engines by identifying the optimal operating conditions and –at the same time- advance pollution control and minimize the environmental impact.