Reduction of harmful emissions with REVITALIZANT®

#XADO #Revitalizant #technology #emissions

Currently, reducing air pollution caused by toxic substances emitted by industrial enterprises and motor transport is one of the most important problems facing humanity. Air pollution has harmful effects on humans and the environment. The material damage caused by air pollution is difficult to estimate, but even according to incomplete data, it is quite substantial. Over the past decades, humankind has finally become convinced that the main culprit responsible for the pollution of atmospheric air, one of the primary sources of life on our planet, is the brainchild of scientific and technological progress, namely, the automobile. Vehicles, while absorbing oxygen that is so essential to life, at the same time intensively pollute the air with toxic components, causing tangible harm to all living and nonliving things. Their contribution to the pollution of the environment, mainly the atmosphere, is 60–90%.

For example, the combustion equation for gasoline looks as follows:

2 С8Н18 + 25 О2 = 16 СО2 + 18 Н2О

Note that it takes 25 molecules of oxygen to burn 2 molecules of gasoline. Granted, a gasoline molecule is heavier, but said reaction requires a lot of lighter oxygen molecules!

Previously, the main problem of air pollution was the incomplete and uneven combustion of fuel. Only 15% of it is spent on the movement of the car whereas 85% goes to thermal and mechanical losses. In addition, the combustion chamber of an automobile engine is a kind of chemical reactor that synthesizes toxic substances and releases them into the atmosphere. During deceleration, the exhaust gases of spark-ignition engines contain a large amount of hydrocarbons. One of the ways to meet the need for fuel and contribute significantly to the ecologization of internal combustion engines is the use of alternative fuels. These include fuels that are not the products of oil refining nor traditional petroleum fuels modified with various additives. Such alternative fuels, along with catalytic exhaust gas cleaning systems and recirculation systems, have made it possible to significantly reduce the emission of harmful substances from the engine into the atmosphere.

It should be noted that the emissions of a modern, fully serviceable automobile engine are rather insignificant, and the operating factors that have a substantial impact on the level of toxic emissions include driving conditions (engine operating modes), ambient temperature, and most importantly, the technical condition of the engine.

Let’s take a look at two main malfunctions that affect the degree of environmental pollution caused by the engine:

1. Faulty fuel system and/or gas distribution mechanism;

2. Problems in the cylinder-piston group.

Problems with the gas distribution mechanism can be divided into two types: problems with the air intake and problems with the fuel system and gas distribution mechanism. With poor air filtration as well as loss of tightness inside the intake manifold, contaminants begin to enter the combustion chamber, hitting the CPG and wearing down the cylinder surfaces, rings, and the pistons themselves. In this case, cracks form in the cylinder walls; when these cracks fill with oil, it burns there. Moreover, the grease can mix with dirt; in this case, a mixture forms that resembles a paste with microgranules. Such a paste rubs off the moving parts of the engine, reduces the tightness of the cylinder, and increases the oil consumption through burning. Also, the throughput of the air filter affects the air–fuel mixture since the fuel may not burn completely.

Too much fuel can accumulate inside the cylinder, which usually occurs when the air–fuel mixture is too rich. If the fuel inside the cylinder has not been burned, it begins to wash the oil off the walls; further friction leads to wear of the CPG, the vehicle power drops, and the lubricant consumption increases. The most common cause of incomplete fuel combustion is the malfunction of the injection system nozzles as well as the adjustment of valve clearances in the gas distribution mechanism.

Wear of the cylinder-piston group

During long-term operation, the engine, akin to any running mechanism, experiences even wear. This wear is usually called abrasive as it is characterized by mutual abrasion of the operating surfaces during which wear particles are formed (this is the natural wear process). Wear can also be uneven, for example, due to improper operation or unforeseen factors.

With even wear, motor oil consumption increases gradually. No mechanism lasts forever, but the problem of wear can be partially solved by using special friction modifiers (XADO REVITALIZANT® compositions can restore the operating surfaces of the CPG and reduce thermal gaps to the nominal values) or by increasing the oil viscosity.

With uneven wear, for example, in case of various burnouts, abrasion of piston rings, etc., the problem can only be solved by replacing the worn parts.

Consequently, the worse the condition of the cylinder-piston group of the engine, the more oil enters the combustion chamber, which negatively affects not only the operation of the engine but also the environment in general.

Study of the effect of REVITALIZANT®

XADO has long been conducting experiments and studies of the properties of REVITALIZANT® compositions as well as their effect on the overall condition of the engine and the reduction of exhaust emissions in particular.

XADO analyzed the impact of one of its popular products, АМС Maximum 1 Stage, on the restoration of operating parameters and the reduction of harmful emissions into the environment.

The goal of the study was to determine whether the use of AMC Maximum 1 Stage leads to changes in the geometry of the friction parts of the engine, exhaust toxicity, fuel consumption, engine power, noise and vibration levels, oil pressure, and oil lubricity.

The following tests were conducted:

1. Compression was measured using recording equipment (ZECA 362, ZECA 363, Motometer) according to the user manual.

2. Restorative properties of the product and stability of parts dimensions were determined by direct measurements of engine parts using a micrometer in accordance with GOST 14846-81.

3. Pressure was measured in the engine oil lubrication system.

4. Exhaust toxicity was measured in the gasoline engine (СО and СН) in accordance with DSTU 4277-2004 as well as in the diesel engine (smoking) in accordance with DSTU 4276-2004.

5. Fuel consumption was measured in accordance with GOST 20306-90.

6. Noise and vibration levels of the engine were analyzed in accordance with GOST R 53838-2010 and GOST ISO 10816-1-97.

7. Metal content in oil was determined in accordance with GOST 27860-88.

8. Tribological properties of motor oil were analyzed in accordance with GOST 9490-75.

The following test vehicles were used:

Daewoo Lanos (2006, 1.5 L, gasoline, 203,355 km of run);

Toyota Hi-Ace (2001, 2.4 L, diesel, 585,831 km of run);

Peugeot J9 Karsan (2003, 2.3 L, diesel, 293,007 km of run);

Dacia Logan (2008, 1.4 L, gasoline, 208,630 km of run);

Toyota RAV 4 (2003, 1.8 L, gasoline, 123,690 km of run);

Chevrolet Aveo (2005, 1.5 L, gasoline, 117,000 km of run);

VW Caddy 1.9 TDI (2005, 1.9 L, diesel, 241,000 km of run);

Chevrolet Lacetti (2007, 1.8 L, gasoline, 174,200 km of run).

The analysis of the use of XADO Maximum 1 Stage on eight passenger cars has confirmed its positive effect on the performance of engines, including a reduction of exhaust toxicity:

1. Compression increases by 16%, and its variation across the cylinders decreases from 3.0 bar to 0.5 bar.

2. Geometry of worn-out friction parts of the engine is restored: cylinder dimensions increase by 0.04 mm; dimensions of connecting rods of the engine crankshaft increase by 0.038 mm. The restored dimensions are maintained for more than 108,000 km of run.

3. Exhaust toxicity decreases: in a gasoline engine, СО by 19.0% and НС by 9.6%; in a diesel engine, smoking by 15.7%.

4. Fuel consumption in operating mode decreases by 2.8%.

5. Engine vibration values decrease at reference points by 45%.

6. The total content of metal wear products in oil decreases by four times; the oil retains its antiwear properties for 132,000 km of run of a gasoline engine and 113,000 km of run of a diesel engine.

Run, thousand km	Fe	Al	Cr	Cu	Total metal content, mg/kg
241	21	5	2	4	32
255	10	2	1	2	15
282	8	3	0	2	13
297	8	2	1	1	12
324	5	1	1	2	9
354	6	1	0	1	8

The use of REVITALIZANT® compositions not only allows protecting and restoring the engine but also has an overall positive effect on reducing harmful emissions by keeping the engine in good technical condition.