Browse Topic: Ethanol

Items (82)
Find
Experimental Investigation of n-C7H16/Ethanol Blended Fuels on Auto-ignition and Flame Propagation in High Temperature/Pressure Constant-Volume Combustion Vessel2024-32-005004/18/2025
This study aims to investigate the effect of ethanol blends on flame propagation and auto-ignition under high pressure and high temperature conditions. Experimental investigations are conducted using n-C7H16 / ethanol blends at various blending ratios (0, 5, 10, 20, 40, 70, and 100 vol%). The blends are premixed with air at stoichiometric ratios and ignited centrally in a cylindrical constant-volume combustion chamber (20-mm inner diameter, 80-mm long) under elevated temperature (500 K) and pressure (1.0 MPa) conditions. The results show that auto-ignition occurs at an ethanol blend ratio of 10% or less and ceases above 20%. Increasing the ethanol blend to 70% results in a slight change in flame propagation speed, with a noticeable delay at 100%. The pressure measurements show a peak of about 5.6 MPa at a blend ratio of 5%, which gradually decreases with increasing ratios. High-pass filtering reveals the maximum pressure fluctuation amplitude at the 5% blend ratio, indicating increased
Tateishi, Tokua, Yamaguchi, Riki, Shimokuri, Daisuke, Terashima, Hiroshi, Hara, Takaya, Honda, Yuya, Kawano, Michiharu
Technical Paper
Dynamic Spark Advance Technology for Gasoline Fuel Blends2024-26-007401/16/2024
Fuel efficiency is one of the most important customer requirement in Indian market as well as very crucial to meet the upcoming regulation like CAFÉ for Indian Automotive manufacturers. Most of the technology changes to meet this challenge, always come with a cost penalty with hardware addition. To counter the above challenge, we identified a strategy in the EMS software, without any hardware change, that will dynamically adapt the spark timing based on fuel quality. This strategy has resulted in fuel efficiency improvement on MIDC as well as on-road as per customer driving pattern. Going forward the availability of Ethanol Blended Fuels are going to increase multifold, to take advantage of this, the dynamic spark advance strategy has been proposed in this paper. This paper elaborates on the work done to develop and validate the EMS Strategy as well as the test results with different Ethanol Fuel Blends.
Tyagarajan, Sethuramalingam, Kavekar, Pratap, Suna, Bhagyashree, Agarwal, Nishant, Shaikh, Wasim
Technical Paper
A comparative study of ethanol and methanol blends on performance and emissions on BSIV and BSVI class of vehicles2024-26-007301/16/2024
The quest for alternate fuels has led many researchers to evaluate various alcohols as an immediate substitute for gasoline. Among the alcohols, ethanol has received a lot of popularity as it can be produced from biomass feeds such as sugarcane and corn. Several countries have made it mandatory to blend at least 10% of ethanol in gasoline. However, the source of feedstock for ethanol production is posing a threat to food security. In order to restrain this problem, a few countries are promoting the use of methanol as an alternative fuel. Methanol can be obtained by processing naturally available biomass resources, much of which is waste material. Methanol-gasoline blends have been found to have a high octane number, good performance and lower carbon emissions, making it an excellent alternative fuel for engines. In the present study, a comparative analysis was carried out to evaluate the performance and emissions from unmodified vehicles using lower concentrations (up to 20%) of
Teja, Ravi, Khandai, Chinmayananda, Muralidharan, M
Technical Paper
Combustion Stability Investigation of Ethanol Blends (E5, E10) in a Twin-cylinder CI Engine 2022-01-061203/29/2022
Ethanol can be easily derived from waste agricultural resources such as plant biomass and forest residue, ease of production increases its possibility of usage locally in agricultural engine and transport vehicles. To explore the combustion stability, combustion behavior and emissions parameters of ethanol in existing CI engine, a laboratory experiment was carried out, using CRDI Diesel engine at three different loading condition (no-load, 20 Nm and 40 Nm) with three different test fuel (D100, E05 and E10). The maximum in-cylinder pressure and HRR were increased with ethanol addition into diesel. Ethanol’s higher heat of vaporization promotes cooling effects that prolong ignition time. Inherent oxygen and lower viscosity of ethanol improve the combustion phenomena, which results in the lower cycle to cycle variation and lower Coefficient of variation (COV) for in-cylinder pressure. Combustion stability was increased with the addition of ethanol. E05 is showing the lowest COV value (1-3
Sahu, Tomesh, Kshatri, Ravindra, Kumar, Atul, Shukla, Pravesh Chandra
Technical Paper
Evaluation of Pre-chamber Orifice Orientation in an Ethanol-Fueled Spark-Ignition Engine for Passenger Car Applications03-15-04-002410/25/2021
The combination of an alternative alcohol-based fuel and a pre-chamber (PC) combustion process in a spark-ignition (SI) engine allows for both an extension of the lean limit and an increase of the indicated efficiency, while simultaneously achieving low engine-out emissions. The orientation of the PC orifices is crucial for the flow field inside the PC. Orifices with different swirl angles have already been investigated. However, the influence of the orifice offset from the PC center with a fixed swirl angle has not been part of previous research. This study presents investigations of ethanol-fueled combustion systems on a thermodynamic SI single-cylinder engine (SCE) for passenger car applications with a compression ratio (CR) of 16.4. Three active PC layouts with different orifice offsets were investigated. Their combustion behaviors were compared to that of a conventional SI combustion concept. In particular, variations of the relative air/fuel ratio (λ) were performed at both part
Burkardt, Patrick, Wouters, Christian, Pischinger, Stefan
Journal Article
Evaluation of ethanol-containing fuel supply control efficiency in spark ignition engine2021-01-123209/21/2021
The article investigates the fuel supply control efficiency in a spark ignition engine equipped with a catalytic converter when using ethanol-containing fuels with different ethanol content. The study involves determining the efficiency of fuel supply controlling algorithm for the engine, which is powered by conventional petrol and unadapted to use fuels with high ethanol content. In the study the following fuels were used: petrol, ethanol and mixed fuels with an ethanol content of 15 to 90%. The fuel supply control efficiency is evaluated in terms of ensuring the specified air-fuel mixture composition, fuel consumption and emissions in transient engine operation modes under the vehicle motion in the driving cycle. The data obtained during the engine bench tests when it is powered by petrol and ethanol-containing fuel is used for evaluation. The data of the engine operation parameters measurements for transient vehicle motion modes under real road conditions is also used. Methods and
Tsiuman, Mykola P., Yakovlieva PhD, Anna, Tsiuman, Yevheniia, Dobrovolskyi, Oleksandr, Sosida, Serhii, Savostin-Kosiak, Danylo
Technical Paper
Validation of Kinetic Mechanisms against Various Ignition Delay Data and the Development of Ignition Delay Correlations for Ethanol, Natural Gas, and Primary Reference Fuel Blends under Homogeneous Charge Compression Ignition Conditions03-15-03-001709/21/2021
Homogeneous Charge Compression Ignition (HCCI) is a promising advanced combustion concept with high efficiencies and low emissions. Chemical kinetic mechanisms and ignition delay correlations (IDCs) are often applied to simulate HCCI combustion. However, a large number of mechanisms and correlations are not developed specifically for HCCI conditions, i.e., lean mixtures and usually with significant residual gas fractions (RGF). To address this issue, a two-part study is conducted. First, experimental ignition delay time (IDT) data from literature under typical HCCI conditions is collected. Then, thirteen widely applied mechanisms for ethanol, natural gas, and primary reference fuel (PRF) blends of isooctane and n-heptane are validated by running constant-volume simulations. Their performance and accuracy are evaluated. Second, the mechanism with the highest accuracy for each fuel is used to generate IDCs for HCCI conditions. For each fuel, simulations were performed to cover a wide
Zhou, Yingcong, Lawler, Benjamin
Journal Article
Autoignition characterization of wet isopropanol-n-butanol-ethanol blends for ACI2021-24-004409/05/2021
In this work, two blends of isopropanol, n-butanol, and ethanol (IBE) that can be produced by metabolically engineered clostridium acetobutylicum are studied experimentally in advanced compression ignition (ACI). This is done to determine whether these fuel blends have the right fuel properties to enable thermally stratified compression ignition, a stratified ACI strategy that using the cooling potential of single stage ignition fuels to control the heat release process. The first microorganism, ATCC824, produces a blend of 34.5% isopropanol, 60.1% n-butanol, and 5.4% ethanol, by mass. The second microorganism, BKM19, produces a blend of 12.3% isopropanol, 54.0% n-butanol, and 33.7% ethanol, by mass. The sensitivity of both IBE blends to intake pressure, intake temperature, and cylinder energy content (fueling rate) is characterized and compared to that of its neat constituents. Both IBE blends behaved similarly with a reactivity level between that of ethanol and n-butanol. The ethanol
Gainey, Brian, Moser, Sean, Lawler, Benjamin
Technical Paper
Sub-23 nm Particle Measurement and Assessment of Their Volatile Fraction at Exhaust of a Four Cylinder GDI Engine Fueled with E10 and E85 Under Transient Conditions2021-24-008709/05/2021
In view of the new emission regulations seeking to lower the particle cut-off size down to the current 23 nm, an extensive comprehension on the nature of sub-23 nm particles is crucial. In this regard, a new challenge lies ahead considering an even more massive use of biofuels. The objective of this research study was to characterize the sub-23 nm particles and to evaluate their volatile organic fraction (VOF) from a high performance, 1.8 L gasoline direct injection (GDI) engine under the Worldwide harmonized Light vehicles Test Cycle (WLTC). Particle emissions were measured through an Engine Exhaust Particle Sizer (EEPS) capable of particle sizing and counting in the range 5.6 - 560 nm. The sampling and conditioning were performed by both a single diluter and the Dekati Engine Exhaust Diluter (DEED) a Particle Measurement Programme (PMP) compliant sample conditioning system. The temperature of the dilution air at the first dilution stage and of the evaporation chamber in the DEED were
Catapano, Francesco, Di Iorio, Silvana, Magno, Agnese, Vaglieco, Bianca Maria
Technical Paper
Knock and Pre-Ignition Limits on Utilization of Ethanol in Octane-on-Demand Concept2019-24-010809/09/2019
Octane-on-Demand (OoD) is a promising technology for reducing greenhouse emissions from automobiles. The concept utilizes a low-octane fuel for low and mid load operating conditions, and a high-octane additive is added at high load operating conditions. Researchers have focused on the minimum ethanol content required for operating at high load conditions when the low-octane fuel becomes knock limited. However, it is also widely known that ethanol has a high tendency to pre-ignite, which has been linked with its high laminar flame speed and surface ignition tendency. Moreover, ethanol has a lower stoichiometric air-fuel ratio, requiring a larger injected fuel mass per cycle. A larger fuel mass increases the potential for oil dilution by the liquid fuel, creating precursors for pre-ignition. Hence, the limits on ethanol addition owing to pre-ignition also need consideration before the technology can be implemented. In this regard, experiments were performed using light naphtha (RON 68
Singh, Eshan, Morganti, Kai, Dibble, Robert
Technical Paper
A Parametric Study of the Flammability of Dieseline Blends with and without Ethanol2019-01-002001/15/2019
Abstract Low Temperature Combustion using compression ignition may provide high efficiency combined with low emissions of oxides of nitrogen and soot. This process is facilitated by fuels with lower cetane number than standard diesel fuel. Mixtures of gasoline and diesel (“dieseline”) may be one way of achieving this; however, a gasoline/diesel mixture in a fuel tank can result in a flammable headspace, particularly at very cold ambient temperatures. A mathematical model to predict the flammability of dieseline blends, including those containing ethanol, was previously validated. In this paper, that model is used to study the flammability of dieseline blends parametrically. Gasolines used in the simulations had Dry Vapour Pressure Equivalent (DVPE) values of 45, 60, 75, 90 and 110 kPa. Simulations were carried out for dieseline blends containing ethanol with two types of specifications - a fixed ethanol volume percent in the dieseline blend (0-50% ethanol), or blends containing
FAY, THOS. J.
Technical Paper
Evaluation of aluminum containers suitability for storage of fuel samples2018-36-032209/03/2018
In order to guarantee the effectiveness of enforcement action, Brazilian National Petroleum Agency (ANP) has published Resolution n°9/2007, which establishes the sampling of two liters of fuel, one being a test sample and another as a control sample. In this way, it is essential that the container used for this purpose maintains the physical-chemical parameters of the sample. In an attempt to evaluate possible alternatives to the current container used by ANP, this work deals with the application of aluminum bottle containers for the storage of the ethanol fuel, E27 gasohol and B10 and B15 diesel fuel blends. Approximately 15 liters of each fuel, except diesel fuel blends, were sampled on retail stations. B10 and B15 diesel fuel blends were formulated from diesel and biodiesel obtained on distribution base, being thoroughly homogenized and portioned on one-liter aluminum containers. Three samples of each fuel were used to characterize the fuel in the beginning of the work. For each
Temistocles, Jacqueline Cristine Tolentino, Garcia, Fillipe Augusto da Costa, Figueiredo, Igor Freitas, de Oliveira, Nayara Leocádio, Karashima, Thiago Machado, de Paiva, Victor Santos, Skrobot, Vinícius Leandro
Technical Paper
Study of Alcohol-Gasoline Separation Technology to Suppress Knock and Enable Higher Efficiency Engines2018-01-088204/03/2018
HONDA has investigated On Board Separation (OBS) of high octane alcohol and aromatics from current commercial fuels such as E10, a blend of 10 volume % ethanol and 90 volume % gasoline. The high-octane components concentrated from commercial fuel can be injected when needed to suppress knock. The availability of high octane fuel enables the engine to be designed with a compression ratio and boost which gives the Octane Boost Engine (OBE) higher efficiency. 3M has developed pervaporation separation modules made with flexible organic membranes that selectively remove and concentrate ethanol and methanol from gasoline blends. The separation module profile can be circular or rectangular to best fit the available space. Organic membrane performance has been studied for up to 15% ethanol and up to 15% methanol blended with 5% ethanol added for humid condition stability. Aromatic separation capability has also been evaluated. Performance stability has been evaluated for hundreds of separation
Mizuno, Kazuhiko, Chishima, Hiroshi, Zhou, Jinsheng, Carpenter, Barry, Wickert, Peter, Welling, Shane, Seitz, D. Scott
Technical Paper
Influence of Considering Non-Ideal Thermodynamics on Droplet Evaporation and Spray Formation (for Gasoline Direct Injection Engine Conditions) Using VSB2 Spray Model2018-01-018104/03/2018
This work utilizes previously developed VSB2 (VSB2 Stochastic Blob and Bubble) multicomponent fuel spray model to study significance of using non-ideal thermodynamics for droplet evaporation under direct injection engine like operating conditions. Non-ideal thermodynamics is used to account for vapor-liquid equilibrium arising from evaporation of multicomponent fuel droplets. In specific, the evaporation of ethanol/iso-octane blend is studied in this work. Two compositions of the blend are tested, E-10 and E-85 respectively (the number denotes percentage of ethanol in blend). The VSB2 spray model is implemented into OpenFoam CFD code which is used to study evaporation of the blend in constant volume combustion vessel. Liquid and vapor penetration lengths for the E-10 case are calculated and compared with the experiment. The simulation results show reasonable agreement with the experiment. Simulation is performed with two methods- ideal and non-ideal thermodynamics respectively. For
Pandian Muthuramalingam, Vignesh, Karlsson, Anders
Technical Paper
Experimental Investigation of Fuel Film Characteristics of Ethanol Impinging Spray at Ultra-Low Temperature2017-01-085103/28/2017
Increasing the injection pressure in DISI engine is an efficient way to obtain finer droplets but it will also potentially cause spray impingement on the cylinder wall and piston. Consequently, the fuel film sticking on the wall can dramatically increase the soot emission of the engine especially in a cold start condition. On the other hand, ethanol is widely used as an alternative fuel in DI engine due to its sustainable nature and high octane number. In this study, the fuel film characteristics of single-plume ethanol impinging spray was investigated. The experiments were performed under ultra-low fuel/plate temperature to simulate the cold start condition in cold areas. A low temperature thermostatic bath combined with specially designed heat exchangers were used to achieve ultra-low temperature for both the impinging plate and the fuel. Laser induced fluorescence (LIF) technique was employed to measure the thickness of fuel film deposited on the impinging plate. Rhodamine 6G was
Pan, Hujie, Xu, Min, Hung, David, Lv, Huijia, Dong, Xue, Kuo, Tang-Wei, Grover, Ronald O., Parrish, Scott E.
Technical Paper
Evaluation of Hydrous Ethanol Fuel Lubricity by HFRR2016-01-226010/17/2016
Improvement of thermal efficiency is an important problem for internal combustion engines. Fuel reforming with dehydrogenation reaction by exhaust heat is one of the measures to increase thermal efficiency using hydrogen mixed SI combustion. For this kind engine system, hydrous ethanol has a good potential. Furthermore, when the hydrous ethanol inject to combustion chamber directory, high compression combustion can be achieved by its large amount of latent heat. Therefore, fuel lubricity is an important check point for the hydrous ethanol reforming engine systems. In this study, effect of water concentrations within ethanol on the hydrous ethanol fuel lubricity has been evaluated using HFRR (High-Frequency Reciprocating Rig) test method. Wear scar diameter on 100 % of ethanol was around 700 μm which was a little better than gasoline lubricity. When the water concentration within ethanol was increased, the wear scar diameters were decreasing around 330 μm. Considering this phenomenon by
Oguma, Mitsuharu, Matsuno, Mayumi, Kaitsuka, Masayoshi, Higurashi, Kazuaki
Technical Paper
Knock Prediction Using a Simple Model for Ignition Delay2016-01-070204/05/2016
An earlier paper has shown the ability to predict the phasing of knock onset in a gasoline PFI engine using a simple ignition delay equation for an appropriate surrogate fuel made up of toluene and PRF (TPRF). The applicability of this approach is confirmed in this paper in a different engine using five different fuels of differing RON, sensitivity, and composition - including ethanol blends. An Arrhenius type equation with a pressure correction for ignition delay can be found from interpolation of previously published data for any gasoline if its RON and sensitivity are known. Then, if the pressure and temperature in the unburned gas can be estimated or measured, the Livengood-Wu integral can be estimated as a function of crank angle to predict the occurrence of knock. Experiments in a single cylinder DISI engine over a wide operating range confirm that this simple approach can predict knock very accurately. The data presented should enable engineers to study knock or other auto
Kalghatgi, Gautam, Morganti, Kai, Algunaibet, Ibrahim, Sarathy, Mani, Dibble, Robert
Technical Paper
Experimental Characterization of Ethanol Sprays from a Single Hole Direct Injection Injector2015-36-037309/22/2015
This study concerns the sprays produced by a single hole direct injection injector through a systematic image treatment methodology. The images were obtained by high speed recording associated with shadowgraph technique. The recording frequency was 6504 Hz. Grayscale images were obtained after a process of histogram adjusting and image subtraction. The spray volume and penetration was evaluated through a process of edge detection in the hollow cone of the spray injection. A criterion based on pixel values was taken to localize the spray edges as angles and x and y position data. The high pixel values were associated with liquid phase while the low pixel values were associated to its absence. Computational codes written in Matlab environment were used to analyze the numerical matrices associated to the images. The high frequency image recording allowed studying the sprays in all its development. The tests were conducted with injection pressure variation. The injection pressures in this
Guzzo, Marcio Expedito, Gomes, Carlos Alberto, Costa, Sérgio Augusto Passos, da Costa, Roberto Berlini Rodrigues, Barros, José Eduardo Mautone
Technical Paper
Reduced Chemical Mechanism for the Calculation of Ethanol / Air Flame Speeds2015-24-249209/06/2015
Ethanol currently remains the leading biofuel in the transportation sector, with special focus on spark ignition engines, as a pure as well as a blend component. In order to provide reliable numerical simulations of gasoline combustion processes under the influence of ethanol for modern engine research, it is mandatory to develop well validated detailed kinetic combustion models. One key parameter for the numerical simulation is the laminar burning velocity. Under the aspect of minimizing the general simulation effort for burning velocities, well-validated models have to be reduced. As a base kinetic mechanism for the reduction and optimisation process with respect to burning velocity calculations, a detailed model presented by Zhao et al. (Int. J. Chem. Kin. 40 (1) (2007) 1-18) is chosen. The model has been extensively validated against shock tube, rapid compression machine and burning velocity data. The detailed model consists of 55 species and 290 reactions. A stochastic model
Beeckmann, Joachim, Cai, Liming, Schaback, David, Hesse, Raik, Pitsch, Heinz
Technical Paper
Study of Ethanol-Gasoline Onboard Separation System for Knocking Suppression2015-01-195409/01/2015
Bio-ethanol is used worldwide in fuel mixtures such as E10 gasoline. In this study, an onboard fuel system employing a pervaporation membrane was investigated to separate E10 into high-octane-number fuel (high-concentration ethanol fuel) and low-octane-number fuel (low-concentration ethanol fuel). The optimal operation conditions and size of the membrane unit for the separation system were determined in consideration of the separation rate and vehicle installation. This system can supply separated ethanol with sufficient speed and quantity to improve engine performance under practical driving conditions. In addition, the study was conducted to confirm that separated fuels have properties sufficient for use in automobiles. This separation rate enabled 5-cycle-mode driving without temporary shortage of permeated fuel.
Chishima, Hiroshi, Kuzuoka, Kohei, Kurotani, Tadashi, Kudo, Hirotsugu
Technical Paper
Effects of Gasoline and Ethanol Fuel Corrosion Inhibitors and Fuel Detergents on Powertrain Intake Valve Deposits2014-01-138304/01/2014
Corrosion inhibitors (CIs) have been used for years to protect the supply and distribution systems used for transportation of fuel from refineries. They are also used to buffer the potential organic acids present in an ethanol blended fuel to enhance storage stability. The impact of the types of inhibitors on spark-ignition engine fuel systems, specifically intake valve deposits, is known and presented in open literature. However, the relationship of the corrosion inhibitors to the powertrain intake valve deposit performance is not understood. This paper has two purposes: to present and discuss a survey of corrosion inhibitors and how they vary in concentration in the final blended fuel, specifically E85 (Ethanol Fuel Blends); and to show how variation in concentration of components of CIs and detergents impact intake valve deposit formation. Commercially available corrosion inhibitor packages and detergent packages for both gasoline and ethanol blended fuels, specifically E85 fuels
Chapman, Elana, Cummings, Jill, Winston-Galant, Mark
Technical Paper
Enabling Microliquid Chromatography by Microbead Packing of MicrochannelsTBMG-1889601/01/2014
The microbead packing is the critical element required in the success of onchip microfabrication of critical microfluidic components for in-situ analysis and detection of chiral amino acids. In order for microliquid chromatography to occur, there must be a stationary phase medium within the microchannel that interacts with the analytes present within flowing fluid. The stationary phase media are the microbeads packed by the process discussed in this work. The purpose of the microliquid chromatography is to provide a lightweight, low-volume, and low-power element to separate amino acids and their chiral partners efficiently to understand better the origin of life.
Magazine Article
Study of Compatibility of Metals used in Fuel System of Gasoline Engine with E10 and E202013-01-288011/27/2013
Impact of higher gasoline-ethanol blends E10 and E20, on the fuel system components of gasoline vehicles must be known to ascertain the intended performance of these components throughout its service life. Study of compatibility of particular selected grades of metals, like Aluminium alloy, Brass & Stainless steel, with ethanol-gasoline blends (E10 and E20) in comparison with Commercial gasoline was conducted as per the guidelines given in SAE J1747. Three specimen of each metal were exposed (Fully immersed, half immersed & Vapour) to above fuels at 45 °C for 2016 hours. Mass loss/ gain data was recorded periodically at the end of 1st, 3rd, 6th, and 12th week and based on this data corrosion rate was calculated. Substantial tarnishing was observed in case of brass & slight colour change in case of aluminium & steel alloys. All the three distinct metals grades tested were found compatible with E10 & E20 with no significant corrosion rate at the end of the test period. The study has
Vyas, Dharmdev, Bawase, Moqtik A, Saraf, M R
Technical Paper
Enabling Microliquid Chromatography by Microbead Packing of MicrochannelsTBMG-1747610/01/2013
The microbead packing is the critical element required in the success of onchip microfabrication of critical microfluidic components for in-situ analysis and detection of chiral amino acids. In order for microliquid chromatography to occur, there must be a stationary phase medium within the microchannel that interacts with the analytes present within flowing fluid. The stationary phase media are the microbeads packed by the process discussed in this work. The purpose of the microliquid chromatography is to provide a lightweight, low-volume, and lowpower element to separate amino acids and their chiral partners efficiently to understand better the origin of life.
Magazine Article
Using a Specific Environmental Tool to Assess the Impacts of Biofuels Transport Policies2013-01-216709/17/2013
Over the past few years the aviation industry has worked hard on how to replace fossil fuels by biofuels that would meet specific aviation criteria. But before implementing expensive biojet fuel manufacturing it seems legitimate to study global environmental impacts of a significant share of biofuels in transports by 2020. For that purpose, a method has been developed to study biofuels policies based on the life cycle methodology and adapted to the macro level to study indirect large scale effects on economic sectors. In this study, an economic general equilibrium model, has been coupled with an environmental Input/Output table in order to provide the amount of substances emitted in the environment by each economic sector in each region of the world when a biofuel policy is implemented. The economic model is also able to provide data for land use change that are then coupled with environmental factors, to obtain greenhouse gas emissions. Finally the GHG emissions from both the changes
Some, Audrey, Dandres, Thomas, Gaudreault, Caroline, Samson, Réjean
Technical Paper
Calculation of Heating Value for Diesel Fuels Containing Biodiesel2013-01-113904/08/2013
Biodiesel, a fuel comprised of mono-alkyl esters of long-chain fatty acids also known as Fatty Acid Methyl Esters(FAME), derived from vegetable oils or animal fats, has become an important commercial marketplace automotive fuel in the United States (US) and around the world over last few years. FAME biodiesels have many chemical and physical property differences compared to conventional petroleum based diesel fuels. Also, the properties of biodiesel vary based on the feedstock chosen for biodiesel production. One of the key differences between petroleum diesel fuels and biodiesel is the energy content. The energy content, or heating value, is an important property of motor fuel, since it directly affects the vehicle fuel economy. While the energy content can be measured by combustion of the fuel in a bomb calorimeter, this analytical laboratory testing is time consuming and expensive. It would be more convenient to estimate the energy content from other commonly measured fuel
Lopes, Shailesh Martin, Furey, Robert, Geng, Pat
Journal Article
Sustainable Technologies Category Winner (Winner of an HP Workstation)TBMG-1516111/01/2012
Bill Zebuhr, Scott Newquist, David Dussault, E. Andrew Condon, Steven Sahagian, Nicholas Wong, Michael Easton, William Burie, Charles Blanchard, and Nicole Sandoval, Aquaback Technologies, Tewksbury, MA
Magazine Article
Microchip Non-Aqueous Capillary Electrophoresis (μNACE) Method to Analyze Long-Chain Primary AminesTBMG-1510011/01/2012
A protocol was developed as a first step in analyzing the complex organic aerosols present on Saturn’s moon Titan, as well as the analogues of these aerosols (tholins) made on Earth. Labeling of primary amines using Pacific Blue™ succinimidyl ester is effected in ethanol with 25 mM triethylamine to maintain basic conditions. This reaction is allowed to equilibrate for at least one hour. Separation of the labeled primary amines is performed in ethanol with 1.05 M acetic acid, and 50 mM ammonium acetate in a commercial two-layer glass device with a standard crossmicrochannel measuring 50 microns wide by 20 microns deep. Injection potentials are optimized at 2 kV from the sample (negative) to the waste well (positive), with slight bias applied to the other two wells (–0.4 and –0.8 V) to pinch the injection plug for the 30-s injection. Separation is performed at a potential of 5 kV along the channel, which has an effective separation distance of 7 cm.
Magazine Article
Biofuel advances12AERD1024_0110/24/2012
The aerospace industry remains committed to getting off the ground with alternatives to jet fuel. As nations grapple with emissions, oil-security, and energy-price matters, aggressive investment, regulation, and corporate involvement have propelled the alternative-fuels industry to commercial relevance. Alternative fuels today have a total capacity capable of replacing 4.8% of current oil capacity. However, growth has slowed significantly. Since 2005, annual capacity growth has been roughly 22%; but growth through 2015 will be about 5% per year. As supply grows and logistical hurdles associated with feedstock and fuels increase, a new crop of technologies is emerging to add to the growing alternative-fuels space.
Magazine Article
California - Motor Vehicle Pollution Control Devices/LEV IIIRS-BNA-AUG_12_0108/17/2012
Final rule of the Air Resources Board amends regulations under 13 CCR 1900 through 2317 (nonconsecutive) and adopts regulations under 13 CCR 1961.2 and 1961.3 regarding the third phase of the low-emission vehicle program (LEV III). The rule reduces the fleet average emissions for new passenger vehicles, light-duty trucks, and medium-duty passenger vehicles to super-ultra-low-emission vehicle (SULEV) levels by 2025. The rule also establishes a combined standard for nonmethane organic gas and nitrogen oxides, adds more stringent standards for particulate matter, and a zero fuel evaporative emission standard for passenger cars and light-duty trucks. In addition, the rule increases the full useful life durability requirements to 150,000 miles; makes minor changes to the onboard diagnostics requirements; and revises ethanol fuel standards. The rule is effective Aug. 7, 2012. Contact: Trini Balcazar; ARB; (916-445-9564)
Regulation
Nano Sponges for Drug Delivery and Medicinal ApplicationsTBMG-1313503/01/2012
This invention is a means of delivering a drug, or payload, to cells using non-covalent associations of the payload with nanoengineered scaffolds; specifically, functionalized single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) and their derivatives where the payload is effectively sequestered by the nanotube’s addends and then delivered to the site (often interior of a cell) of interest.
Magazine Article
Nano Sponges for Drug Delivery and Medicinal ApplicationsTBMG-1304703/01/2012
This invention is a means of delivering a drug, or payload, to cells using non-covalent associations of the payload with nanoengineered scaffolds; specifically, functionalized single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) and their derivatives where the payload is effectively sequestered by the nanotube’s addends and then delivered to the site (often interior of a cell) of interest.
Magazine Article
Polymerization Initiated at the Sidewalls of Carbon NanotubesTBMG-1085009/01/2011
A process has been developed for growing polymer chains via anionic, cationic, or radical polymerization from the side walls of functionalized carbon nanotubes, which will facilitate greater dispersion in polymer matrices, and will greatly enhance reinforcement ability in polymeric material.
Magazine Article
Evaporation of Gasoline-Like and Ethanol-Based Fuels in Hollow-Cone Sprays Investigated by Planar Laser-Induced Fluorescence and Mie Scattering2011-01-188908/30/2011
The evaporation of different fuels and fuel components in hollow-cone sprays at conditions similar to those at stratified cold start has been investigated using a combination of planar laser-induced fluorescence (LIF) and Mie scattering. Ketones of different volatility were used as fluorescent tracers for different fuel components in gasoline-like model fuels and ethanol-based fuels. LIF and Mie images were compared to evaluate to what extent various fuel components had evaporated and obtained a spatial distribution different from that of the liquid drops, as a function of fuel temperature and time after start of injection. A selective and sequential evaporation of fuel components of different volatility was found.
Andersson, Mats, Warnberg, Jonas, Hemdal, Stina, Dahlander, Petter, Denbratt, Ingemar
Technical Paper
Polymerization Initiated at the Sidewalls of Carbon NanotubesTBMG-TB-01085008/23/2011
A process has been developed for growing polymer chains via anionic, cationic, or radical polymerization from the side walls of functionalized carbon nanotubes, which will facilitate greater dispersion in polymer matrices, and will greatly enhance reinforcement ability in polymeric material.
Magazine Article
Micro-Explosion Modeling of Biofuel-Diesel Blended Droplets2011-01-118904/12/2011
Recently, with the increasing interest on some potential alternative substitutes of petroleum fuels such as biodiesel and butanol, more and more researches are focused on the field of bio-fuels because they are renewable and friendly to the environment and can possibly reduce domestic demand on foreign petroleum. Bio-fuels are generally used in the commercial market by mixing with petroleum-based diesel or gasoline. Since the volatilities and boiling points of ethanol/butanol and diesel/biodiesel fuels are significantly different, micro-explosion can be expected in the blend mixture. In this study, a numerical model of micro-explosion including bubble generation, bubble expansion, and final breakup for multi-component bio-fuel droplets is proposed. From the simulated results of droplet characteristics at the onset of micro-explosion, it is concluded that micro-explosion is possible under engine operation condition for ethanol/butanol-diesel/biodiesel fuel blends. There exists an
Shen, Cai, Cheng, Way Lee, Lee, Chia-Fon
Journal Article
Experimental Investigation on Particle Number and Size Distribution of a Common Rail Diesel Engine Fueling with Alternative Blended Diesel Fuels2011-01-062004/12/2011
An EURO 3 certified common rail diesel engine was fueled with pure petroleum diesel (EURO 4 standard) and three different alternative blended diesel fuels, 10% biodiesel blended diesel (B10), 10% gas to liquid blended diesel (G10) and 10% water emulsified diesel (E10). Tests were performed at different engine speeds and load states. Particle number concentration and size distribution data were obtained from an engine exhaust particle sizer (EEPS). Over all the working conditions, total particle and nucleation mode particle number concentration among these fuels from high to low were in this order: B10, E10, pure diesel and G10. Proportions for nucleation mode particle over all the operating states in that order were 89%, 82%, 59% and 66%. Particle size distributions of B10 and E10 presented bimodal logarithmic distributions with outstanding nucleation mode peaks at all working conditions. G10 and pure diesel presented unimodal logarithmic distributions at full load conditions, and
Yao, Di, Lou, Diming, Hu, Zhiyuan, Tan, Piqiang
Technical Paper
Government boost key to biofuel future11AEID0405_0204/05/2011
Biofuel companies are determined to become viable on their own but want continued government assistance if oil companies receive assistance, too. Conventional liquid fuels have never been under siege as much as they are now and from more angles of attack than ever. Lithium, hydrogen, hydraulics, and biofuels-all seem destined to eat into oil's near monopoly as a vehicle fuel. Few people, however, are predicting that any or all of those alternative technologies will topple oil as the energy source of choice anytime soon. Views differ as to when (and in some cases, whether) alternatives' current niche positions will evolve into something more. Based on the idea that over-reliance on oil, especially Middle East sourced oil, is unwise, the U.S. government is providing support for all alternatives to one degree or another. With several pure- and partial-electric vehicle models recently introduced to the mass market, lithium-based energy-storage technology has finally arrived. Hydrogen and
Magazine Article
Chassis Dynamometer and Road Test Performances of Biodiesel-Diesel Fuel-Bioethanol Blend2010-01-213910/25/2010
The Department of Automotive and Agricultural Machinery of the Technical University of Cluj-Napoca has been looking for a long time for the possibilities of using alternative fuels. The target vehicle of our investigation, a flexible-fueled vehicle (FFV) has a single fuel tank, fuel system, and engine. Biodiesel and bioethanol are a renewable and environmentally friendly alternative fuels. Our previous researches have pointed out that biodiesel-diesel fuel-ethanol blends can be used in diesel engines with little or no modification. The fuel properties of the blend are very close to those of diesel fuels at low concentrations (up to 20%) of biofuels. For example, the viscosities of the blends are the same as the viscosity of the diesel fuel because the higher viscosity of the biodiesel compensates the lower viscosity of the bioethanol. There has been made the same observation in the case of the density and of the surface tension. The objective of this study was to investigate the
Barabas, Istvan, Todorut, Ioan-Adrian
Technical Paper
The Effect of Using Ethanol-blended Gasoline on the Performance and Durability of Fuel Delivery Systems in Classic Automobiles2010-01-213510/25/2010
Currently, a majority of the ‘gasoline’ sold at the pumps in the United States is a nominal blend of 90% gasoline and 10% ethanol. This mixture is commonly referred to as E10. This paper reports on a study conducted to determine the effects of E10 on the fuel system performance of vintage automobiles. The study focused on the potential degradation in performance of the carburetors and fuel pumps due to exposure to E10. Six fuel systems were selected for study including the 1948 Flathead Ford, 1958 Volkswagen Beetle, 1962 Ford Falcon, 1969 Chevrolet Bel Air and 1970 Chrysler New Yorker. The components tested were either rebuilt original equipment or new aftermarket replacement parts, depending on availability. Although the components tested were not all original equipment parts, they represent a reasonable sample of the types of parts likely to be found in vintage vehicles currently on the road. The fuel system components were tested under both dynamic and static conditions. The dynamic
Davis, Gregory, Hoff, Craig
Technical Paper
Heated Injector Cold Start System for Flex-Fuel Motorcycles2010-36-015610/06/2010
Nowadays more than a million and half motorcycles are produced every year. In the metropolitan areas, the amount of pollutant gases emitted by the small motorcycles, begin to be significant. For this reason, the Brazilian government established emissions laws for motorcycles to be effective since 2003. Historically, the cost of ethanol fuel is almost half of the gasoline and therefore is the fuel of choice of the majority of drivers. Moreover the use of ethanol is far better than gasoline in terms of emission of greenhouse effect gases. In 2009, flex-fuel motorcycles began to be sold to the public. As they lack a proper cold start system, when using only hydrous ethanol fuel (E100) and the ambient temperature is lower than 15 degrees Celsius, the motorcycle is difficult to start and does not have a good driveability. As mitigation action, the maker's advice is to fill the tank with at least 20% gasoline. This poses an inconvenience to the driver and avoids the optimal fuel cost. In
Colli, Gustavo Beira, Castejon, Danilo, Salvetti, Alvaro, Volpato, Orlando
Technical Paper
Fabrication and Modification of Nanoporous Silicon ParticlesTBMG-814607/01/2010
Silicon-based nanoporous particles as biodegradable drug carriers are advantageous in permeation, controlled release, and targeting. The use of biodegradable nanoporous silicon and silicon dioxide, with proper surface treatments, allows sustained drug release within the target site over a period of days, or even weeks, due to selective surface coating. A variety of surface treatment protocols are available for silicon-based particles to be stabilized, functionalized, or modified as required. Coated polyethylene glycol (PEG) chains showed the effective depression of both plasma protein adsorption and cell attachment to the modified surfaces, as well as the advantage of long circulating.
Magazine Article
Developing next-generation biofuels10OFHD0603_0106/03/2010
Spurred by concerns over national security, future supplies of petroleum, and greenhouse gas emissions, many are looking for fuel from biological, renewable sources. Solazyme announced that its biodiesel grown from cellulosic feedstock and algae meets ASTM D6751, ASTM D975, EN 14214, and U.S. Military specifications.
Morey, Bruce
Magazine Article
Deposit Formation of Flex Fuel Engines Operated on Ethanol and Gasoline Blends2010-01-146405/05/2010
A test procedure was developed to assess the deposit-forming tendencies of gasoline/ethanol fuel blends, ranging from 0 % to 100 % ethanol (E0 to E100). The test engine was a Ford 1.8l - 4 cylinder -16 valve -natural aspirated flex fuel engine, which is used in various vehicle models, such as the European Focus and C-MAX. The test cycle, a realistic engine speed/torque profile, based on an urban driving pattern, provided good differentiation between different gasoline/ethanol fuel blends as well as between additized and non-additized fuel blends. With unadditized E85 critical deposits were found in the intake system, on the intake valves, in the combustion chamber and on the injector tips. Well known deposit control additives (DCA) used in gasoline such as PIBA (polyisobutyleneamine) and PEA (polyetheramine) were examined in E85 for deposit control effectiveness of intake valves, injectors and combustion chambers. The hump effect, known to occur in gasoline fuels at very low additive
Schwahn, Harald, Lutz, Uwe, Kramer, Ulrich
Journal Article
Planetary Imaging Technology Aids Enzyme ScreeningTBMG-667201/01/2010
As part of an internship in NASA’s Space Biology Program, Mary M. Yang had the opportunity to work in NASA’s Mission Control Center and see the first close-up images of Saturn being piped back to Earth from the Pioneer 11 spacecraft in 1979.
Magazine Article
Extended Shelf Life for PMR Polyimide Resins and PrepregsTBMG-693701/01/2010
An improved class of formulations for PMR polyimide resins retards the imidization that undesirably occurs during handling and storage. While imidization is desired at the final (deliberate polymerization) stage of production of a polyimide, imidization results in premature aging when it occurs during earlier stages of synthesis, shipping, prepregging, and fabrication layup. By retarding imidization at storage and handling temperatures, the improved class of formulations increases both shelf life and the upper limit of allowable temperature for handling and storage prior to final polymerization.
Magazine Article
Ethanol Impacts on Fuel Supply Parts of Gasoline Engines in Thailand2009-32-011211/03/2009
In Thailand, gasoline mixtures with 85% ethanol by volume so called E85 recently available with guaranteed lower selling price are expected to replace the former types of gasoline. The looming change leads to certain concerns on material compatibility with E85 for automobiles deliberately not designed to run by the blends. Fluid immersion tests complying with SAE and ASTM standard were performed to the parts. The metallic and polymeric parts were submersed in test fluids inside an oven in which temperature had been maintained at 55 ± 2°C for at least 2000 hours. Weekly collected data, i.e. physical appearances and physical properties, were statistical evaluated for parts' compatibility to E85 by comparing the data to those collected derived from the other parts submersed in E10 test fluid. A significant level of differences indicates incompatibility of a part with an assumption that the part is already compatible with E10.
Charoenphonphanich, Chinda, Buanak, Kalong, Kansuwan, Panya
Technical Paper
Cost Effective Sustainable Fuels for Performance Vehicles2008-01-295412/02/2008
Ethanol, as a fuel, has many favourable attributes when considering it for use in general everyday motoring as well as high performance race applications. Its status as a sustainable fuel when sourced from waste or by-product biomass, combined with good combustion, thermal and anti-knock properties, along with a tendency to reduce overall CO2 emissions has prompted this investigation into the advantages of petrol-ethanol blends compared to conventional motorsport fuels for use in race vehicles. This investigation compares three petrol-ethanol blends with three other fuels common to motorsports. Back-to-back testing was carried out on a single engine sourced from the New Zealand V8s National Championship touring car series, fitted with both a carburettor and EFI fuelling systems. Fuel performance was evaluated on cost, consumption, performance, and emissions.
Dwyer, Kevin
Technical Paper
A Study on Combustion and Emission Characteristics of Small DI Diesel Engine Fuelled with Dimethyl Ether2008-32-002509/09/2008
An investigation has been carried out to evaluate the combustion and emission characteristics of dimethyl ether(DME) using a small direct-injection diesel engine. The fraction of the fuel leakage from the fuel pump plunger pinion to the supplied fuel is determined by the fuel injection experiment under engine motored conditions. The effects of engine configuration and operation parameters on engine performance, regulated and unregulated exhaust emissions are investigated. The unregulated pollutants of formaldehyde, methyl formate and formic acid from a DME fueled engine are measured by gas chromatography and FT-IR analyzers. The test results show that the performance and regulated exhaust emission characteristics of DME are superior when compared to the original diesel engine. The formaldehyde is the principal component of unregulated pollutants. The behaviors of formaldehyde, methyl formate and formic acid emissions to engine design parameters and operation conditions are clarified
Zhang, Yusheng, Yu, Jingzhou, Mo, Chunlan, Zhou, Shaoren
Technical Paper
Improved Silica Aerogel Composite MaterialsTBMG-312509/01/2008
A family of aerogel-matrix composite materials having thermal-stability and mechanical-integrity properties better than those of neat aerogels has been developed. Aerogels are known to be excellent thermal- and acoustic-insulation materials because of their molecular-scale porosity, but heretofore, the use of aerogels has been inhibited by two factors:
Magazine Article
Items per page:
1 – 50 of 82