Alcohol fuel

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

Ethanol Fuels: E10 or E85 – Life Cycle Perspectives (5 pp)

Abstract: The environmental performance of two ethanol fuel applications (E10 and E85) is compared (E10 fuel: a mixture of 10% ethanol and 90% gasoline by volume, and E85 fuel: a mixture of 85% ethanol and 15% gasoline by volume). Two types of functional units are considered here: An ethanol production-oriented perspective and a traveling distance-oriented perspective. The ethanol production-oriented functional unit perspective reflects the fact that the ethanol fuel supply (arable land or quantity of biomass used in ethanol fuel) is constrained, while the traveling distance-oriented functional unit implies that the ethanol fuel supply is unlimited. In the ethanol production-oriented functional unit perspective, the E10 fuel application offers better environmental performance than the E85 fuel application in terms of natural resources used, nonrenewable energy and global warming. However, in the calculations based on the traveling distance perspective, the E85 fuel application provides less environmental impacts in crude oil consumption, nonrenewable energy and global warming than the E10 fuel application. The choice of functional units significantly affects the final results. Thus the functional unit in a descriptive LCA should reflect as nearly as possible the actual situation associated with a product system. Considering the current situation of constrained ethanol fuel supply, the E10 fuel application offers better environmental performance in natural resources used, nonrenewable energy and global warming unless the fuel economy of an E85 fueled vehicle is close to that of an E10 fueled vehicle.

Operation control system for internal combustion engine

Abstract: An operation control system for an engine using alcohol fuel or mixed fuel of alcohol and hydrocarbon, or for an engine supplying cooling liquid such as alcohol, water or the like as fuel. Vapor concentration in exhaust gas and an air excess ratio of air-fuel mixture are detected, and a supply rate of alcohol, a water absorption ratio of alcohol or an amount of the cooling liquid is computed on the basis of the vapor concentration and the air excess ratio. Ignition timing, temperature of the coolant, a compression ratio and an air excess ratio are controlled on the basis of the supply rate of alcohol or the water absorption ratio of alcohol. Further, the cooling liquid is supplied which has its amount computed at a heavy load. Thus, operational performance of the engine is improved.