Reagents & Standards

The cetane number property is very important in the operation of diesel engines. Diesel engine performance is a function of compression ratio, injection timing, the manner in which fuel and air are mixed, and the resulting ignition delay or time from the start of injection to the beginning of combustion. For a diesel engine, a higher fuel cetane number causes a shorter ignition delay period and a smaller amount of fuel in the combustion chamber when the fuel ignites. Consequently, high cetane number fuels generally cause lower rates of pressure rise and lower peak pressures. Both tend to lessen combustion nois and permit improved control of combustion, resulting in increased engine efficiency and power output.