DIESEL FUEL DENSITY AND VISCOSITY EVALUATION

Abstract

The article deals with the quality research on density and viscosity of diesel fuel (DF) samples present on the Ukrainian market. The main diesel fuel operational requirements, the fulfillment of which satisfies the reliable and economical operation of engines, are analyzed. Attention is paid to the DF quality, evaluated by a number of physical and chemical parameters, the main ones being density and viscosity. It is also noted that these parameters depend on the fractional and hydrocarbon composition of the fuel. The influence of density and viscosity on the processes of fuel evaporation and mixture formation, as well as on the operation of the engine fuel system in general is analyzed in this article. The paper substantiates the importance of monitoring the compliance of physical and chemical parameters in the context of operational requirements with DSTU 7688:2015 “Euro Diesel Fuel. Specifications”. In particular, the DF density is determined for the calculation of dosing devices for power systems, as well as fuel log systems. The negative consequences for the operation of the engine caused by the kinematic viscosity deviation from the standard value are analyzed. This research paper describes the methods used to measure the density and determine the kinematic viscosity of the studied samples. Density measurement was carried out directly using a hydrometer. The value was brought to a normalized temperature of 15 °C. The determination of kinematic viscosity was carried out using a special device, the main structural elements of which were a capillary viscometer and a liquid thermostat, which ensures the stability of combustible fuel +40 °C (standard value). The experiments data, density calculations and kinematic viscosity are presented, the obtained values are compared with the standard requirements under DSTU 7688:2015 “Euro Diesel Fuel. Specifications”. And, it is concluded about the performance properties and suitability for use of the studied samples of diesel fuels.