1. Octane Engine Testing Procedure
Area
Unit
Operating Procedure #
Certified by
Revision #
Date
Page 3
Lab
OPS-LB-NM-025
6/28/11
1 of 2
Job Hazards
Yes
Access and Egress
Moving Parts
Activities of Others
Noise
Adverse Weather
Rail Movement
Chemical Exposure
Sharp Edges
Electricity
Slips, Trips, and Falls
Fatigue
Static Electricity
Fire and Explosion
Trip Injuries
Ground Contamination
Trapped Pressure
Manual Handling
Working at Height
Other:
References / Documents
N/A
PPE
Use
Standard (SSP-0011) Y
Full Face Shield / Goggles
Hood
Clothing—Chemical Protection
Gloves—Chemical
Personal Fall Protection
Respirator / Filter Mask
Supplied Air
Special Instructions
Any problems, notify Shift Supervisor or Duane Chaisson.
Environmental
N/A
W A R N I N G
Quality Assurance
N/A
C A U T I O N
Octane Engine Testing Procedure 1
Pre-analysis System Check
Check engine oil to ensure oil is at correct level.
Check coolant reservoir for proper level.
Check engine head setting to make sure gap is set at 500mm.
Add couple drops of oil to intake and exhaust valve points and crank.
Check to be sure engine is situated at Top dead center. When at Top dead center, there will be a white line in the center of the gauge and there will be more resistance when pistons are situated at the top.
Add warm up fuel to the #3 Carburetor and prepare for engine start up. 2
Engine Start-up Procedure:
Turn start switch on and hold until the engine starts.
Once engine is running, turn on ignition and oil heater switches.
Open water valve to engine.
Switch Carburetor selector valve to #3.
Allow engine 15 – 20 minutes to warm up before sample analysis.
NOTE: If running a Toluene standard, do not turn on cooler for the #3 Carburetor. Chill should be used for all samples however. 3
Toluene Standardization
Select a toluene standard that best fits your application and is closest to the expected unknown sample.
Mix two reference fuels which bracket the toluene standards for Both the RON and MON methods using either 1 or 2 octane brackets.
Set cylinder head height for the lowest reference fuel using reference table and lock head settings for the duration of the testing.
Pour reference fuels into Carburetor #1 and Carburetor #2.
Drain Alky startup fuel from the #3 Carburetor and add toluene standard.
Knock fuel in the #1 Carburetor and obtain the maximum knock rating using spread and meter guidelines stated.
NOTE: A 1 octane spread should be between 10-15, while a 2 octane spread should be between this is critical according to standard.
g. Proceed to knock the #2 and #3 Carburetors, then recheck each Carburetor to ensure consistency. Afterwards, make any spread and meter adjustments needed.
q Procedure Completed
Date:
Prepared By:
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2. Octane Engine Testing Procedure (continued)
Area
Unit
Operating Procedure #
Certified by
Revision #
Date
Page 3
Lab
OPS-LB-NM-025
6/28/11
2 of 2
Octane Engine Testing Procedure (continued) 4
Analyzing Unknowns using Bracketing Method
Before knocking unknowns, set cylinder head height for the lower octane rated material.
Put unknown fuel in the #3 Carburetor with the chiller on. There may be no knock from this sample initially, this is okay.
Begin cranking cylinder head using falling Carburetor or crank-down method and listen closely for knocking to begin. Once knocking begins, start adjusting the air:fuel ratio to obtain a harder know.
Once maximum knock is established, set the head for an octane rating lower than the point the meter would indicate.
Example: If the maximum knock occurs at 500mm on MON engine, look for reference fuels and pick larger head height setting and put lower octane reference in the #1 Carburetor. 5
Calculations of Octane number
Calculations for octane ratings are as follows:
One Octane Bracket:
#1 knock - #3 knock = addition value
#1 knock - #2 knock
Two Octane Bracket:
(#1 knock - #3 knock)*2 = addition value
The addition value should be added to the lower reference fuel octane value to establish the octane rating of the unknown. 6
Shut Down Procedure
Turn the Carburetor valve off from fuel source and then turn start switch off.
Turn oil heater switch off.
Turn water and chiller off.
Once engine stops, turn off ignition switch to ensure no fuel left in head and avoid backfires.
Crank head to top dead center.
Adjust cylinder head to 500mm.
q Procedure Completed
Date:
Prepared By:
Approved By: