Continued Development of a Coal/Water Slurry-Fired Slow-Speed Diesel Engine: A Review of Recent Test Results

The results of tests performed on a slow-speed, two-stroke single-cylinder diesel engine show that thermal efficiency is approximately the same when fired with coal/water slurry fuels and diesel oil and that exhaust pollutant emissions, most notably NO_x, are lower with the coal/water slurry fuels. Engine wear, particularly at the piston ring/cylinder liner interface, is considerably greater than that which occurs with liquid fuels. However, it is concluded that by means of technological advances regarding piston ring/cylinder liner materials, new designs, and new concepts in lubrication, a reliable and economical coal/water slurry-fired slow-speed engine can be developed.