The Measurement of Lubricating Oil Combustion Efficiency Using Diesel Particulate Analysis 980523

The relationship between a diesel engine lubricating oil consumption and the particulate volatile unburnt lube oil emissions depends on the combustion efficiency of the lube oil in the engine. Very little data exists on this topic and this is reviewed. An experimental procedure for the determination of lubricating oil consumption from a calcium mass balance between the lubricating oil and particulate was used combined with a thermogravimetric analysis of the particulate to obtain the unburnt lube oil emissions, together these techniques enabled the lube oil combustion efficiency to be determined This technique only requires the particulate filter paper as an experimental measurement in the engine test. Initial results for a Perkins 4-236 NA DI diesel engine are presented for a range of loads and speeds. The calcium technique for lube oil consumption was also shown to be capable of determining the lube oil consumption in a modem very low particulate emissions Perkins diesel engine and the lube oil combustion efficiency was determined for Ford 1.6 and 1.8 litre IDI diesels.