Physical Properties, Chemical Composition, and Cloud Forming Potential of Particulate Emissions from a Marine Diesel Engine at Various Load Conditions

Abstract

Particulate matter (PM) emissions from one serial 4-stroke medium-speed marine diesel engine were measured for load conditions from 10% to 110% in test rig studies using heavy fuel oil (HFO). Testing the engine across its entire load range permitted the scaling of exhaust PM properties with load. Emission factors for particle number, particle mass, and chemical compounds were determined. The potential of particles to form cloud droplets (cloud condensation nuclei, CCN) was calculated from chemical composition and particle size. Number emission factors are (3.43 ± 1.26) × 10¹⁶ (kg fuel)⁻¹ at 85−110% load and (1.06 ± 0.10) × 10¹⁶ (kg fuel)⁻¹ at 10% load. CCN emission factors of 1−6 × 10¹⁴ (kg fuel)⁻¹ are at the lower bound of data reported in the literature. From combined thermal and optical methods, black carbon (BC) emission factors of 40−60 mg/(kg fuel) were determined for 85−100% load and 370 mg/(kg fuel) for 10% load. The engine load dependence of the conversion efficiency for fuel sulfur into sulfate of (1.08 ± 0.15)% at engine idle to (3.85 ± 0.41)% at cruise may serve as input to global emission calculations for various load conditions.