Cetane number (Cetane rating)

The CN is an important factor in determining the quality of diesel fuel. It’s a measure of
the quality of a diesel fuel expressed as the percentage in volume of cetane in
a mixture of cetane and α-methylnapthalene of the same quality as the given fuel

Additives
“Alkyl nitrates” and “di-tert-butyl peroxide (DTBP)” are used as additives to raise the
cetane number.

Measuring of Cetane Number

Ignition Quality Tester (IQT)

Fuel is injected into a constant volume combustion chamber at approximately 575 °C

and 20.68bar. The time between the start of injection and the recovery of the
combustion chamber pressure to 20.68bar is defined as the ignition delay.

Fuel ignition tester

Fuel is injected into a constant volume combustion chamber in which the ambient
temperature is approximately 575 °C. The fuel combusts and the high rate of pressure
change within the chamber define the start of combustion. The ignition delay of the fuel
can then be calculated as the time difference between the start of fuel injection and the
start of combustion.

Cetane index
Another method that fuel-users control quality is by using the cetane index (CI), which
is a calculated number based on the density and distillation range of the fuel.