Showing papers on "Alcohol fuel published in 2018"

Alcohol and ether as alternative fuels in spark ignition engine: A review

Abstract: Energy security and global warming concern are the two main driving forces for the global alcohol development that also have the effort to animate the agro-industry. Generally, alcohol and ether fuels are produced from several sources and can be produced locally. Almost all alcohol fuels have similar combustion and ignition characteristics to existing known mineral fuels. Mainly the ether fuels (MTBE and DME) are used as additives at low blending ratio to enhance the octane number and oxygen content of gasoline. The addition of alcohol and ether fuels to gasoline lead to a complete combustion due to the higher oxygen content, thereby leads to increased combustion efficiency and decreased engine emissions. The objectives of this paper are to systematically review the use of alcohols and ethers including butanol, methanol, ethanol, and fusel oil, MTBE, and DME as fuels in SI engine. Also, the current study has investigated the effects of performance (brake torque, brake power, BSFC, effective efficiency, and EGT), emissions (CO, CO2, NOx and HC) and combustion characteristics of SI engine with alcohol and ether. The increase in engine performance could be attained with an increased compression ratio along with the use of alcohol fuels which have a higher-octane value. Furthermore, alcohol and ether burn very cleanly than regular gasoline and produce lesser carbon monoxide (CO) and nitrogen oxide (NOx). On the other hand, the energy value of alcohol and ether fuels is approximately 30% lower than gasoline; thereby the specific fuel consumption (SFC) will increase simultaneously when using alcohol and ether as a fuel. Finally, this paper also discusses the impacts of alcohol on engine vibration, engine noise, and potential to be used as a gasoline octane enhancer. Alcohol can be used as a pure fuel in spark ignition engine, but it requires some modifications to the engine.

The Alcohol-to-Jet Conversion Pathway for Drop-In Biofuels: Techno-Economic Evaluation.

Abstract: The alcohol-to-jet (ATJ) process is a method for the conversion of alcohols to an alternative jet fuel blendstock based on catalytic steps historically utilized by the petroleum refining and petrochemical industry This pathway provides a means for producing a sustainable alternative jet fuel (SAJF) from a wide variety of resources and offers a near-term opportunity for alcohol producers to enter the SAJF market and for the aviation sector to meet growing SAJF demand Herein, the technical background is reviewed and selected variations of ATJ processes evaluated Simulation and modeling were employed to assess some ATJ conversion schemes, with a particular focus on comparisons between the use of an ethanol or isobutanol intermediate Although the utilization of isobutanol offers a 34 % lower conversion cost for the catalytic upgrading process, the cost of alcohol production is estimated to contribute more than 80 % of the total cost at the refinery The cost of feedstock and alcohol production has a dominant effect on the overall process economics

Overview of the oxygenated fuels in spark ignition engine: Environmental and performance

Abstract: Oxygenated fuels such as alcohols and ethers have the potential to provide reliable sources, and environmentally friendly fuel to world's increasing future energy demands. Oxygenated fuels have a promised future since are renewable and produced from several sources, also can be produced locally. The first objective of this paper is to systematically review of oxygenated fuels including alcohol and ether regarding the production, environmental impacts and potential using as octane booster of gasoline that used in spark ignition SI) engine. Another objective of this paper is to review the effects of oxygenated fuels on performances and emissions characteristics of spark ignition engine. Alcohol and ether burn very cleanly than regular gasoline and produce lesser carbon monoxide (CO) and nitrogen oxides (NOx). Mainly the ether fuels (methyl tertiary butyl ether MTBE and Dimethyl Ether DME) are used as additives at low blending ratio to enhance the octane number and oxygen content of gasoline. Furthermore, alcohols and ethers have significant impacts on the environment, greenhouse gas and human health. In addition to this, application of oxygenated fuel on SI engines can decrease environmental pollution, strengthen agricultural economy and decrease gasoline fuel requirements. The increase in engine performance could be attained with an increased compression ratio along with the use of alcohol fuels which have a higher-octane value. Overall, oxygenated fuels have been found to be a very promising alternative fuel for SI engines, capable of providing high thermal efficiency, and lower NOx levels.

Influence of gaseous fuel induction on the various engine characteristics of a dual fuel compression ignition engine: A review

Abstract: Currently, the unsustainable fossil fuels have been chiefly used for power generation in CI engines. From the standpoint of fossil fuels depletions and environmental concerns, it is imperative to hunt out alternative energy resources that could replace hydrocarbon fossil fuels in the existing engines. In this regards, enormous studies have focused on the utilization of renewable fuels along with conventional petroleum fuel in existing compression ignition (CI) engine. The induction of gaseous fuels under dual fuel mode have emanated as a potential energy carrier to address the environmental aspects related to CI engines. This review focussed to analyze the influence of gaseous fuels (like H2, biogas, syngas) addition to CI diesel engine under dual fuel mode with diesel/biodiesel as a pilot fuel. Various engine characteristics such as combustion, performance, and emission of the dual fuel CI engine using gaseous fuels as a secondary fuel were analyzed and compared with CI engine working under single fuel mode. Findings of some experimental studies have been presented in the form of graphs for selective important parameters as case studies. The overall impression from the review suggests that the performance of the dual fuel CI engine slightly deteriorates while enriching the gaseous fuel, but the improvement in environmental emissions have been reported. Furthermore, various approaches are discussed comprehensively in order to evaluate the performance of dual fuel CI engine along with a check on harmful emissions.

Alcohol fuels for spark-ignition engines: Performance, efficiency and emission effects at mid to high blend rates for binary mixtures and pure components:

Abstract: The paper evaluates the results of tests performed using mid- and high-level blends of the low-carbon alcohols, methanol and ethanol, in admixture with gasoline, conducted in a variety of test engi...

Biofuel Powering of Internal Combustion Engines: Production Routes, Effect on Performance and CFD Modeling of Combustion

Abstract: The use of liquid or gaseous biofuels in reciprocating internal combustion engines (ICEs) is today a relevant issue as these systems are largely diffused for both steady power generation and transportation due to their flexibility and easiness of use. The improvement and perfect control of the combustion process under non-conventional fuelling is mandatory to achieve high-energy efficiency without substantial changes to the architecture or the fuel supply system. In this perspective, the detailed characterization of multiphase reacting systems achievable though computational fluid dynamics (CFD) may give a decisive contribution. However, the assessed combustion models used for fossil fuels (diesel oil, gasoline, methane), tuned on the ground of a massive amount of experimental data, often results poor in predicting the actual behaviour of renewable fuels whose composition and properties may change also according to technology for their production. Present work aims at filling some existing gaps in biofuel combustion modeling by performing investigations on two representative engine cases, for their characterization and performance enhancement. Two approaches are followed, namely through reduced chemical kinetics coupled with turbulence within a coherent flame schematization, and through a turbulent species transport approach with detailed kinetics. Simulations are first carried out on a compression ignition (CI) ICE. The formulation of a 3D CFD model is described to reproduce the performance of this engine in a dual-fuel mode with premixed syngas from biomass gasification and a biodiesel pilot injection leading to self-ignition. Pollutants formation and energy efficiency are calculated as syngas amount and the biodiesel start of injection (SOI) are varied. Attention is then focused on the implementation of renewable alcohol fuels (ethanol and butanol), as these lasts are receiving large interest due to low production costs. A validated reduced kinetic mechanism for PRF-ethanol-butanol combustion performs well in multi-component oxidation conditions, as well as in neat fuel oxidation conditions, in terms of ignition delay time, laminar flame speed and HCCI combustion conditions. The paper shows that CFD, even at different level of approximation, may describe into detail the combustion process and provide important guidelines for the design of new generation ICEs fuelled by biofuels.

The impacts of compression ratio on the performance and emissions of ice powered by oxygenated fuels: A review

Abstract: Energy sources are becoming a governmental issue, with cost and stable supply as the main concern. Oxygenated fuels production is cheap, simple and eco-friendly, as a well as can be produced locally, cutting down on transportation fuel costs. Oxygenated fuels are used directly in an engine as a pure fuel, or they can be blended with fossil fuel. The most common fuels that are conceded under oxygenated fuels are ethanol, methanol, butanol Dimethyl Ether (DME), Ethyl tert-butyl ether (ETBE), Methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE) and biodiesel that have attracted the attention of researchers. Due to the higher heat of vaporization, high octane rating, high flammability temperature, and single boiling point, the oxygenated fuels have a positive impact on the engine performance, combustion, and emissions by allowing the increase of the compression ratio. Oxygenated fuels also have a considerable oxygen content that causes clean combustion. The aim of this paper was to systematically review the impact of compression ratio (CR) on the performance, combustion and emissions of internal combustion engines (ICE) that are operated with oxygenated fuels that could potentially replace petroleum-based fuels or to improve the fuel properties. The higher octane rating of oxygenated fuels can endure higher compression ratios before an engine starts knocking, thus giving an engine the ability to deliver more power efficiently and economically. One of the more significant findings to emerge from this review study was the slight increases or decreases in power when oxygenated fuel was used at the original CR in ICE engines. Also, CO, HC, and NOx emissions decreased while the fuel consumption (FC) increased. However, at higher CR, the engine performance increased and fuel consumption decreased for both SI and CI engines. It was seen the NOx, CO and CO2 emissions of oxygenated fuels decreased with the increasing CR in the SI engine, but the HC increased. Meanwhile, in CI engine, the HC, CO and NOx decreased as the CR increased with biodiesel fuel.

Dual fuel engines fueled with three gaseous and biodiesel fuel combinations

Abstract: Alternative fuels have numerous advantages over fossil fuels as they are renewable, biodegradable, provide energy security and foreign exchange savings, and help in addressing environmental concern...

Alternative Uses for Biodiesel Byproduct: Glycerol as Source of Energy and High Valuable Chemicals

Abstract: Glycerol was firstly faced as a residue, since it is massively produced from the transesterification of vegetable oils and animal fat, corresponding to roughly 10% of the total amount of biodiesel. The recent high availability of glycerol has decreased its price and increased the risks of environmentally inadequate disposal. Now, this small chain alcohol is faced as a powerful alternative for energy conversion and production of chemicals with commercial interest. Its three hydrated carbons make this organic a noticeable substrate to produce other carbonyl compounds and to be used to produce energy in electrochemical devices collectively known as direct alcohol fuel cells. The development in the electrocatalysis field opened up new strategies to convert glycerol into power and chemicals, by using fuel cells and electrolyzer reactors. In both systems, the efficiency of the process depends on several aspects, as the medium, applied potential, and mainly on the surface reaction taking place at the interface between solution and electrode. In this chapter, we discuss the use of glycerol in these electrochemical systems and illustrate some experimental results regarding fundamental and applied science. Namely, we describe some advances in the understanding of the glycerol electro-oxidation reaction interpreted by spectroscopy and chromatographic techniques. Novel nanomaterials currently applied to improve the catalysis of the reaction are also shown. Moreover, we comment some results regarding fuel cells, microfluidic fuel cells, and electrolyzers fed by glycerol and the perspectives and challenges of its use.

Other Polymer Electrolyte Fuel Cells

Abstract: The five major types of fuel cells (PEFC, PAFC, AFC, MCFC, and SOFC) are differentiated mainly on the basis of their electrolytes International research and commercialization efforts in the low-temperature region are focused on PEFC development This chapter provides a short introduction to additional low-temperature polymer electrolyte fuel cells (PEFCs) The motivations to develop these different types of fuel cells are manifold The requirement of higher operating temperatures for combined heat and power generation, as well as for efficient heat removal, leads to the development of high-temperature PEFCs, the possibility of replacing expensive noble metal catalysts to alkaline fuel cells, and the necessity of utilizing liquid fuels for direct fuel cells, such as direct alcohol fuel cells, direct borohydride fuel cells, or direct hydrazine fuel cells The complex reaction mechanisms of liquid fuels increases the overvoltage losses, and the produced inert diluent CO2 has to be removed from the electrode, and vented from the system

Vaporization and Combustion Processes of Alcohols and Acetone-Butanol-Ethanol (ABE) blended in n-Dodecane for High Pressure-High Temperature Conditions : Application to Compression Ignition Engine

Abstract: The growing concern in recent decades, linked to the depletion of oil resources and global warming by greenhouse gases has increased the interest of butanol as an alternative fuel in the transport sector. However, the low yield of production and separation processes still prevents its commercialization as a fuel. Therefore, the intermediate fermentation mixture of butanol production, Acetone-Butanol-Ethanol (ABE), is increasingly considered as a potential alternative fuel because of its similar properties to butanol and its advantages in terms of the energy and cost in the separation process.The context of this work aims to study the impact of fuel properties on the spray and combustion processes of ABE mixture and alcohol fuels, blended with the diesel surrogate fuel, n-dodecane, in different volume ratio from 20% to 50%. A new combustion chamber called "New One Shot Engine," was designed and developed to reach the high-pressure and high temperatureconditions of "Spray-A" (60 bar, 800-900 K and 22.8 kg/m³) defined by the Engine Combustion Network (ECN).The macroscopic spray and combustion parameters were characterized by using the several optical techniques (extinction,Schlieren, chemiluminescence of OH*) under non-reactive (pure Nitrogen) and reactive (15% of oxygen) conditions. These experimental results not only made it possible to study the molecular oxygen impact and provide a new accurate database,but also to affirm the possibility of using ABE up to 20% by volume in compression-ignition engines, as its spray and combustion characteristics similar to conventional diesel fuel.

Catalytic ability of novel Pt/MCM-41 for fuel cells

Abstract: Direct alcohol fuel cells are considered a promising future energy source for portable electronic devices. However, the major drawbacks of large-scale applications of platinum in fuel cells are high price, slow kinetics, low selectivity and CO-poisoning of catalyst surface. As direct alcohol fuel cells are regarded as a promising source of future energy generation, globally there is a constant hunt for better catalysts. This particular research is an investigation of the role of MCM-41 in enhancing the catalytic activity of platinum in electro-oxidation of methanol and ethanol without any carbon additive. MCM-41 has not been used in catalyzing electro-oxidation of alcohols till now although ZSM-5 has been investigated extensively. Electrochemical studies show that Pt/MCM-41/C is a better catalyst than Pt/C in terms of mass activity along with long-term stability and reduced CO-poisoning.

Methanol Diesel Dual Fuel Direct Injection in a HD-CI Engine

Abstract: Laws concerning emissions from heavy duty (HD) internal combustion engines are becoming increasingly stringent. New engine technologies are needed to satisfy these new requirements and to reduce fossil fuel dependency. One way to achieve both objectives can be to partially replace fossil fuels with alternatives that are sustainable with respect to emissions of greenhouse gases, particulates and nitrogen oxides (NOx). Suitable candidates are ethanol or methanol. The aim of the studies presented here was to investigate the possible advantages of combusting methanol in a heavy duty Diesel engine - in particular, the potential to greatly reduce particulate emissions and thereby bypass the soot-NOx tradeoff. To better understand the fuel-air mixing process in alcohol fuel sprays, ethanol sprays were studied in a high pressure/temperature spray chamber with optical access. The experiments were performed at a gas density of 27kg/m3 at 550 C and 60 bar, representing typical operating conditions for a HD engine at low loads. High speed video images of the developing sprays were recorded, enabling measurement of spray parameters such as the liquid cone angle, liquid penetration length and vapor penetration at injection pressures between 500 and 2200 bar. The results obtained provide insight into the fuel-air mixing process. Having characterized the behavior of alcohol sprays, a second study was conducted to investigate the combustion of alcohol fuels in a Diesel engine. Because of methanol’s poor auto-ignition properties, a pilot Diesel injection was used to initiate the combustion process. The two fuels were injected directly but separately, necessitating the use of two separate standard common rail Diesel injection systems together with a newly designed cylinder head and adapted injection nozzles. The studies serve as a proof-of-concept showing that methanol and ethanol can successfully be used in a high pressure Diesel injection system. The dual fuel system's combustion properties were compared to those of pure Diesel with the same dual injection strategy. Methanol offered comparable combustion efficiencies to conventional Diesel with lower emissions of NOx and significantly lower soot emissions. A design of experiments study was performed to characterize the methanol-diesel system’s behavior in detail at a single speed-load point, and a sweet spot analysis revealed that it may be possible to optimize the tested setup to improve its gross efficiency while maintaining very low soot emissions and low emissions of NOx.

From Ethanol to Biodiesel: A Survey of Green Fuels

Abstract: Biofuels come in a variety of forms: from wood, the classic biofuel, to liquid fuels like ethanol, higher alcohols, and the energy-dense biodiesel. Given the recent uncertainty of fuel prices and the certainty of global climate change, there has been much focus on fuels from renewable sources. Researchers and corporations are looking toward a fermentative route to produce fuels as well as chemicals that had been traditionally produced using petroleum feedstocks. The key challenge for effective biofuel production and distribution is controlling the cost of production. We as researchers can begin to address this by utilizing waste carbon as the feedstock for fermentative fuel production. Many different feedstocks, including lignocellulose and carbon dioxide, are being considered for production of alcohol fuels or lipids that would be used for production of biodiesel. This chapter is a survey of the most common liquid biofuels that are being produced by fermentative means using robust biocatalysts and renewable feedstocks.

Performance, Combustion, and Emissions Characteristics of Conventional Diesel Engine Using Butanol Blends

Abstract: Energy security concern and stringent emission legislations norms demand a clean and high fuel conversion efficiency engines. Diesel compression ignition (CI) engines are more preferred over the spark-ignition (SI) engines in commercial applications due to their higher fuel conversion efficiency. Present chapter focuses on the effect of butanol addition in the diesel fuel on the combustion and emissions characteristics of a diesel engine. Butanol has inimitable properties, which makes it more suitable candidate fuel for diesel engine in comparison to other alcohol fuels such as ethanol and methanol. Combustion characteristics of the engine are analyzed from heat release analysis of measured in-cylinder pressure data at different engine operating conditions. Combustion stability is also discussed with respect to diesel engine operation with butanol blends. Carbon monoxide (CO), unburned hydrocarbons (HC), and nitrogen oxides (NOx) emission characteristics of diesel engine using butanol blends are discussed in this chapter. Special emphasis is placed on the discussion of particulate emission (soot particle numbers) in diesel engine with butanol blends.

A high efficiency clean and next generation boiler by alternate staged combustion and the combustion method uisng thereof

Abstract: The present invention relates to a clean combustion boiler, and more specifically relates to a technique of mixing two types of fuel through two or more nozzles. The fuel of a first primary nozzle uses a variety of renewable fuels such as conventional fossil fuels such as diesel or refined oil. A secondary fuel of a second nozzle is alcohol fuel mixed with more than 50% of water. These two nozzles are equipped with two different fuels with different characteristics. By means of the alternated step combustion method, various pollutants and toxic substances contained in the primary fuel, which provides a large amount of heat, are discharged to the air below a reference value for air pollution without using additional specific air pollution control devices, while an efficiency of the boiler is substantially improved compared to a conventional combustion boiler.