Development of Bi-fuel Engine Electronic Control Unit
To Meet Tailpipe Emission and Drivability Requirements
KRIANGKRAI CHIRAKAWIKUL, PAKASIT MONNUM, NIROD AKARAPANJAVIT, TANES SRETAININD,TIANCHAI
TARATIWAT, SOMCHAI SIANGSANORH, THUMMARAT THUMMADETSAK, PONGWISUTE NISSAICHAREON
ABSTRACT
In order to meet Thailand Emission
Standard (Equivalent to Euro 3 Standard) for
Bi-fuel Vehicles, Engine Electronic Control Unit
(ECU) for bi-fuel vehicle has been developed.
The vehicle evaluation results on
selected vehicles shown that the bi-fuel ECU
vehicle which is controlled by PTT ECU have
met Thailand emission standard, gave
equivalent, or better, performance, fuel
economy and drivability compare to existing
commercials ECU.
INTRODUCTION
Over the last several years, the number
of bi-fuel CNG /gasoline vehicle in Thailand has
increased as an alternative fuel in the
transportation sector. Almost of in used cars in
Thailand are EFI, this challenges PTT to
introduce NGV as an alternative fuel for
transport by meeting both emission standard
and fuel economy.
PTT Research & Technology Institute
(PTT RTI) conducted research to achieve the
reduction of noxious composition of bi-fuel
CNG/gasoline engine exhaust, an effort was put
into the design of ECU to control emission to
meet regulatory requirements.
This paper outlines the development of
PTT bi-fuel ECU and evaluation results of Bi-
fuel Vehicles which controlled by PTT ECU.
Firstly, the vehicles tailpipe emission was
evaluated over the legislative drive cycle. After
that the engine performance was evaluated
and then vehicle drivability was compared
against three commercials bi-fuel ECU.
THE BI-FUEL ECU DEVELOPMENT
PTT bi-fuel ECU was developed for 4 to
6 cylinders retrofit system. PTT Bi-fuel ECU
control the amount of NG injected to the
engine.
The quantity of injected NG into engine
was calculated by PTT ECU. The NG injection
quantity calculation was depend on ECU
1
E-mail: kriangkrai.c@pttplc.com
PTT Public Company Limited. Thailand.
injection control strategy and current engine
parameter, i.e. engine speed (rpm), throttle
position, oxygen sensors signal and software
calibration data of each engine.
Figure1. The PTT Bi-fuel ECU
TEST PROCEDURES
VEHICLE EVALUATIONS – For all vehicles,
the reported emissions are the average of
multiple tests.
Vehicle A - Toyota Altis 2005MY 1.6l vehicle
originally certified for EURO III, was converted
to Bi-fuel system and controlled by PTT ECU.
The vehicle was fuelled with gasoline and NG
This vehicle was used for engine
performance test, emissions and drivability
evaluation
Vehicle B - Toyota Altis 2005MY 1.6l vehicle
originally certified for EURO III, was converted
to Bi-fuel system and controlled by Three
Commercials Bi-fuel ECU. The vehicle was
fuelled with gasoline and NG
This vehicle was used for emissions
evaluation and drivability evaluation
VEHICLE POWER, ENGINE PERFORMANCE
AND EMISSION EVALUATION
Full-load power evaluation, engine
performance and vehicle exhaust emission
testing were conducted at Chassis
Dynamometer of Light Duty Exhaust Emission
Test Laboratory in PTT RTI, Wangnoi,
Ayuthaya.
The site is equipped with Engine Table 1. Summary of emission results and EURO III
Dynamometer system, MEIDENSHA, Japan. emission standards.
Motor Exhaust Gas Analyzer system, Best
Sokki Japan. Chassis Dynamometer (AC), Engine Control System Emission (g/km) Fuel Consumption
& Emission Standard THC NOx CO Littre of Gasoline/100km
Model BCD-48 Mitsubishi Electric Japan. PTT NG 0.16 0.06 1.32 9.59
Commercial 1 NG 0.19 0.06 1.24 9.71
Commercial 2 NG 0.29 0.05 3.59 9.76
Regulated exhaust emissions, including Commercial 3 NG 0.2 0.07 1.52 9.71
nitrogen oxides (NOx), carbon monoxide (CO) Original Gasoline Mode 0.13 0.06 1.32 8.78
EURO III Limits 0.2 0.15 2.3 N/A
and total hydrocarbons (THC) were measured
using Best sokki C.BEX-012CX Constant
volume sampler emission systems. ENGINE POWER - Figure 2. show the
comparison between the power of original
The vehicles were tested primarily over gasoline engine and bi-fuel CNG engine, which
ECE/EC drive cycle using a 48” roll electric is control with PTT ECU.
dynamometer (AC). Average weighted Note that for PTT NG injection control strategy,
emission were reported on a grams/km basis the system is automatically switched to
following ECE/EC procedures. Gasoline mode when the engine throttle was
above 85 % of full throttle and return to NG
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION mode when engine throttle is below 85 %.
During this CNG testing mode, the engine
VEHICLES EMISSION – Table1. and Figure manifold throttle was set to 85% (NG Mode)
1. shows a comparison of the four different and 100% (Gasoline Mode), the overall engine
control systems regarding the amounts of power decreased from original mode gasoline
THC, NOx and CO emissions and fuel by 17%
consumption. The emission of original gasoline
control system was included. The emission 160.0

results from bi-fuel CNG with PTT ECU and 140.0

120.0
original gasoline vehicle was compared. The
Torque (N-m)

100.0
THC, NOx and CO does not show significant GASOLINE (100%Throttle)
80.0
different among each fuel. In CNG mode, it’s 60.0 NG MODE (85%Throttle)
clearly shown that the vehicle emissions are 40.0

not over the EURO III limits. 20.0

0.0
00

00

00

00

00

00

00

00

00

00

00

00

00

00
2.3 g/km 3.59 g/km
12

16

20

24

28

32

36

40

44

48

52

56

60
1.6 64
Engine Speed (rpm)
1.4
EURO III limits
Mass Emission (g/km)

1.2 Gasoline 95
PTT ECU
1 Commercial 1
Figure2. ECE R85 Engine Full Load Power
0.8
Commercial 2 Test
Commercial 3
0.6
This 85% throttle control strategy mode is
0.4
designed to prevent thermal aging of the
0.2
catalytic converter [1] from open-loop
0
THC NOx CO
unburned natural gas and for on-demand
pushup acceleration drive.

Figure1. Accumulated emission results during VEHICLES DRIVABILITY - The drivability is a

the EU driving cycles as an average of three complex process and depends on the driver’s
tests. expectation of the vehicle and the particular
driving situation. Therefore a number of
As for fuel consumption, The test results (on drivability categories were defined which relate
gasoline equivalents) indicate that vehicle to real and distinctive driving situations,
controlled with PTT ECU give better fuel present here are only results out of the
economy than the other three commercials following four categories.
ECU.

2
Engine Starting : The test in this category
involved hot and cold starting.
Engine Stall : in this category, the main
acquired data was engine speed of difference
aspect, e.g. with air condition load, with power
steering load and with electric load.
Passing Acceleration : The test drivers had to
perform a number of acceleration speed step
test, e.g. 20-50km/h,40-70km/h and 80-
110km/h. The pedal position is always
depressed to its maximum position.
Table 2. compares the drivability results of test
vehicles. They are controlled by three
commercials ECU and PTT ECU. In all case
the data displayed represent the mean of three
test drives. For engine starting category, all
ECU were good starting with gasoline.
It can be observed that, in passing
acceleration category, all the commercials
ECU were drop about 30-40%. However, PTT
ECU was switched to gasoline mode
automatically. Although for all ECU, the vehicle
has good response for engine response
category.

Engine Response : in this category, the drivers

expect the car to provide maximum response,
e.g. Idle roughness, Surge, Hesitation, Sag
and Stumble

Table 2. Summary of drivability results

Vehicle Drivability PTT ECU Commercial 1 Commercial 2 Commercial 3

1 Engine Starting Good (Gasoline) Good (Gasoline) Good (Gasoline) Good (Gasoline)
2 Engine Stall Good (NG) Fair (NG) Good (NG) Fair (NG)
3 Passing Acceleration N/A (Gasoline) 30% Drop (NG) 42% Drop (NG) 39% Drop (NG)
4 Engine Response Good (NG) Good (NG) Good (NG) Good (NG)

CONCLUSION
Engine emission evaluation of bi-fuel
CNG/gasoline, with the PTT ECU show that
PTT ECU gave an equivalent or better
performance, fuel economy and drivability than
commercials CNG ECU and the tailpipe
emission was capable of meeting EUROIII
emission registration.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The present PTT NG ECU system
development has been achieved jointly within
the PTT-RTI. The authors would like to thanks
all colleagues and coworkers of the
Engineering Research and Engine Test
Departments at PTT RTI, PTT Public Company
Limited who contributed to this work in form of
valuable discussions and high quality
experimental work.

REFERENCES
1 . “BOSCH Automotive Handbook 5th
Edition”; Robert Bosch GmbH,2000.