Alcohol fuel

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

Comparative analysis of the long-term performance of a diesel engine on vegetable oil based alternate fuels

Abstract: A 25-75 blend (v/v) of alkali-refined sunflower oil and diesel fuel, a 25-75 blend (v/v) of high oleic safflower oil and diesel fuel, a non-ionic sunflower oil-aqueous ethanol microemulsion, and a methyl ester of sunflower oil were evaluated as fuels in a direct injected, turbo-charged, intercooled, 4-cylinder Allis-Chalmers diesel engine during 200-hour EMA cycle laboratory screening endurance tests. Engine performance on Phillips 2-D reference fuel served as baseline for the experimental fuels. The experiment was conducted to develop prediction equations to determine the effects of alternate fuels on long-term engine performance. Least squares regression procedures were used to analyze long-term effects the test fuels had on engine performance and to simultaneously compare the test fuels. Several variables were used to measure engine performance. These response variables were volumetric fuel flow, energy input, power output, brake specific energy consumption, exhaust temperature and exhaust smoke. The predictor variables were time of the EMA cycle and fuel type. Two multivariate tests were performed in this analysis. The first tested the significance of time on the response variable. The second tested the fuel effect. Both tests were significant. The results of the univariate regressions indicated that time had a significant effect only on exhaustmore » temperature. In all other cases, time was not a factor. However, significant difference in the intercepts of the prediction equations were found between tested fuels.« less

Vision of the U.S. Biofuel Future: A Case for Hydrogen-Enriched Biomass Gasification

Abstract: Researchers at the Forest Product Laboratory (FPL) and the University of Wisconsin−Madison (UW) envision a future for biofuels based on biomass gasification with hydrogen enrichment. Synergisms between hydrogen production and biomass gasification technologies will be necessary to avoid being marginalized in the biofuel marketplace. Five feasible engineering solutions have been suggested for this synergism. We are researching one solution to investigate cleaner and more-efficient wood gasification via high-temperature liquid metal as a carrier fluid and making use of hydrogen, power, and waste heat from future nuclear reactors. The enrichment of syngas with nuclear, windmill, or solar hydrogen permits full conversion of all carbon from biomass to produce competitive synthetic gasoline, diesel, or other liquid hydrocarbon or alcohol fuels.

Control system for engine operation using two fuels of different volumetric energy content

Abstract: A method for controlling the amount of fuel mixture, including a first and a second fuel of different volumetric energy content, to be supplied to an internal combustion engine determines a desired air fuel ratio for the fuel mixture. The percentage of the first fuel in the fuel mixture is sensed and the desired air fuel ratios for the first and second fuels are determined. The desired air fuel ratio for the fuel mixture is determined as a function of the desired air fuel ratios for the first and second fuels.

Exhaust PM Emissions Analysis of Alcohol Fueled Heavy-Duty Engine Utilizing PPC

Abstract: The focus has recently been directed towards the engine out soot from Diesel engines. Running an engine in PPC (Partially Premixed Combustion) mode has a proven tendency of reducing these emissions significantly. In addition to combustion strategy, several studies have suggested that using alcohol fuels aid in reducing soot emissions to ultra-low levels. This study analyzes and compares the characteristics of PM emissions from naphtha gasoline PPC, ethanol PPC, methanol PPC and methanol diffusion combustion in terms of soot mass concentration, number concentration and particle size distribution in a single cylinder Scania D13 engine, while varying the intake O2. Intake temperature and injection pressure sweeps were also conducted. The fuels emitting the highest mass concentration of particles (Micro Soot Sensor) were gasoline and methanol followed by ethanol. The two alcohols tested emitted nucleation mode particles only, whereas gasoline emitted accumulation mode particles as well. Regarding soot mass concentration measurements; methanol never exceeded 1.6 mg/m3 while when operating on gasoline this value never descended below 1.6 mg/m3. From this result it can be concluded that the main contributor to PM mass emissions is mainly increasing CMD (Count Mean Diameter) in the accumulation mode size range, but can in diffusion combustion also be caused by a high amount of nucleation mode particles. A probable cause of higher particle number emissions, when running the engine on methanol compared to ethanol, is the corrosiveness of the fuel itself. Except for the ultra-low PM mass emitted from alcohol combustion, it is also possible to alter the EGR concentration with a higher level of freedom without having to consider the NOX - soot tradeoff.

Process for producing a renewable fuel in the gasoline or jet fuel range

Abstract: Processes for producing hydrocarbons in the gasoline and jet fuel range. The processes involve the thermal decarboxylation of fatty acids, which can be derived from the hydrolysis of triglycerides, which triglycerides can be vegetable oils, animal fats, or combinations thereof. The resulting hydrocarbons can be hydrocracked, and, optionally, isomerized and/or hydrotreated, to yield hydrocarbons in the jet fuel or gasoline range. Where the resulting hydrocarbons include olefinic double bonds, they can alternatively be combined with low molecular weight olefins, and subjected to olefin metathesis to yield hydrocarbons in the jet fuel or gasoline range.