Preliminary Studies of Acorn Syngas Application in Dual-Fuel Diesel Engines

Acorns are a nut that can be found across Portugal, particularly in the Alentejo region where the raising and feeding of Iberian Pigs is most present. Despite this contribution, they’re often ignored by the general population and therefore go to waste. While there are different attempts at reviving its use among people, this paper aims to explore and demonstrate the results of using acorn syngas in a dual-fuel diesel engine, as an alternative option. To determine the effectiveness of acorn syngas in dual-fuel engine applications, the engine was first run using diesel exclusively in 1000, 1500, and 2000 rpm cycles for 20 min each, and then the same parameters were applied when running the diesel engine in dual-fuel mode using the produced acorn syngas. The results overall illustrate a decrease in the amount of diesel fuel consumed by the engine, as well as a decrease in the intake air flow and the exhaust gas flow. While the obtained results demonstrate a lot of potential for the use of this often-ignored biomass, more studies should be conducted to further determine its viability in dual-fuel engine applications.