Alcohol fuel

About: Alcohol fuel is a research topic. Over the lifetime, 2030 publications have been published within this topic receiving 42757 citations.

Fuel reforming system for IC engines - hydrocarbon based fuels are reformed by compression or partial oxidisation

Abstract: A conventional internal combustion engine is provided with a fuel reformer unit to transform a hydro carbon based fuel into a reformed gas with a high H2 and CO content. The engine (10) is fed with a mixture of air (60), reformed gas (50) and an additional fuel supply (80) for full load. The air fuel ratio is 1 ; 0.6 so that the fuel is only partly oxidised in the reformer. A final air fuel ratio of approximately 4 ; 1 is fed to the engine. Alternative fuel reformers use the engine exhaust heat in a heat exchanger system in order to accelerate the reforming process. A third alternative uses a number of the engines cylinders as compressors for the reforming process as well as the exhaust gas heat exchange.

Fuel for engines

Abstract: Nitroparaffins are added to gasoline together with synthetic lubricants of the ester type (e.g. synthetic jet turbine oil) and are used as fuel in glow engines, jet engines and internal combustion engines in general to improve combustion efficiency, especially by lowering fuel consumption while increasing the output and providing cleaner burning.

Rheological Characterization of Bio-Oils from Pilot Scale Microwave Assisted Pyrolysis

Abstract: Renewable energy is gaining importance in satisfying environmental concerns and addressing economical concerns over fossil fuel usage. Lignocellulosic materials are the most abundant renewable resources on earth (Lynd et al., 2005). Energy can be obtained from biomass either biochemically or thermochemically. In the biochemical process, pretreatment of biomass is a necessary and the first step in opening up structure of the biomass cell wall to permit the access of enzymes to cellulose and hemicellulose. Pyrolysis, gasification, and combustion are the three main thermochemical processes to get energy from biomass. Combustion has a maximum efficiency of more than 30% (Yu et al., 2007). Because gasification offers higher efficiency compared to combustion, it has attracted a high level of interest (Bridgwater, 2004). According to Wornat et al (1994), the burning of bio-oils produced through the pyrolysis of biomass is more efficient. Bio-oil also offers advantages in storage and transport and in its versatility as an energy carrier and as a source of chemicals (Bridgwater, 2004). The thermochemical process can convert a low-carbohydrate or non-fermentable biomass to alcohol fuels, thus adding technological robustness to efforts to achieve the 30 x 30 goal. Pyrolysis is an endothermic reaction wherein thermal decomposition occurs in the absence of oxygen. It is always the first step in gasification and combustion, wherein partial or total oxidation of the substrate occurs. Gas is the main product (85%) in gasification, whereas biooil (70-80%) is the main product in most types of pyrolysis. The yield of pyrolysis products such as syngas/ producer gas (mixture of CO and H2), bio-oil, and bio-char (charcoal) would vary depending upon the pyrolysis methods (conventional, fast, vacuum, flash, and ultra), biomass characteristics (feedstock type, moisture content, particle size), and reaction parameters (rate of heating, temperature, and residence time). Bridgwater (2003) listed four essential features to get bio-oil from fast pyrolysis: very high heating rates (1000°C/s), high heat transfer rates (600-1000 W/cm2), short vapor residence times (typically <2 s), and rapid cooling of pyrolysis vapors and aerosols. Because the heart of a fast pyrolysis process is the reactor, during the last two decades several different reactor designs to meet the rapid heattransfer requirements have been explored. Achieving very high heating and heat transfer rates during pyrolysis usually require a finely ground biomass feed. Pyrolysis using microwave irradiation is one of the many ways of converting biomass into high value products and chemicals. Not only does microwave assisted pyrolysis (MAP) not require a high degree of grinding (e.g., large chunk of wood logs can be used) as required in

Vehicle evaluation of neat methanol—compromises among exhaust emissions, fuel economy and driveability

Abstract: Methanol was evaluated as an alternative fuel in vehicles with spark-ignited, internal-combustion engines. Acceptable driveability was achieved with a methanol-fuelled car equipped with electronic fuel injection (EFI) which was modified to provide proper air-fuel ratios for methanol. the target level for driveability was not achieved with a methanol-fuelled carburetted car modified to provide proper air-fuel ratios for and increased vaporization of methanol. With the EFI car, using the average equivalence ratio (Φa = 0·96) and spark timing designed for the production gasoline car, exhaust emissions and fuel economy with methanol fuelling were compared to those with gasoline. With methanol, compared with gasoline, 60 per cent lower NOx, 3·5 times higher unburned fuel emissions (UBF), and similar CO engine emissions were measured. the air pollution significance of the higher UBF emissions from methanol combustion is unknown because the UBF species (mainly methanol) are different from those from gasoline combustion. A catalytic converter decreased emissions of UBF and CO similarly for both fuels. Fuel economy with methanol—about half that of gasoline on a volume basis—was 7–10 per cent better on an energy basis than that with gasoline. With methanol fuelling, spark timing and Φa were varied from production values to obtain a more acceptable compromise among driveability, exhaust emissions and fuel economy. While fuelling with methanol at Φa = 0·96, using best power rather than production spark timing increased fuel economy 3 to 6 per cent without significantly affecting emissions and driveability. As Φa was leaned to 0·62 while maintaining best-power spark timing engine and tailpipe (after converter) CO emissions decreased, engine UBF emissions increased, NOx and tailpipe UBF emissions were not greatly affected, and driveability deteriorated. With best-power spark timing and the Φa for maximum economy (0·83), driveability was acceptable, and CO and NOx emissions met the 1977 standards. At Φa = 0·83, NOx emissions were reduced below the statutory standard (0·4 g/mile) by retarding spark timing; however, driveability and fuel economy deteriorated. Although the feasibility and benefits of operating vehicles with neat methanol have been demonstrated, not all problems of methanol fuelling (for example, cold start) were addressed. In addition, other alternatives such as obtaining hydrocarbon liquids from coal or using methanol as fuel for stationary powerplants must also be considered to obtain the most efficient utilization of energy resources.