Low-sulfur “clean” diesel fuel has been mandated in the
US and Europe. However, quality of diesel fuel,
particularly the sulfur content, varies significantly in other
parts of the world. Due to logistical issues in various
theaters of operation, the Army is often forced to rely on
local fuel supplies, which exposes vehicles to diesel fuel
or jet fuel (JP-8) with elevated levels of sulfur. Modern
engines typically use cooled Exhaust Gas Recirculation
(EGR) to meet emissions regulations. Using high-sulfur
fuels and cooled EGR elevates problems associated with cooler fouling and corrosion of engine components.
Hence, an experimental study has been carried out in a
heavy-duty diesel engine running on standard JP-8 fuel
and fuel doped with 2870 ppm of sulfur. Gas was
sampled from the EGR cooler and analyzed using a
condensate collection device developed according to a
modified ASTM 3226-73T standard. Engine-out
emissions were analyzed in parallel. Analysis of results
indicates significantly increased levels of sulfur-dioxide
and particulate mass with high-sulfur fuel, but negligible
amounts of condensed sulfuric acid under normal
operating temperatures.