Biodiesel Ethers: Fatty Acid-Derived Alkyl Ether Fuels as Improved Bioblendstocks for Mixing-Controlled Compression Ignition Engines

Carlson, Joseph S.; Monroe, Eric A.; Dhaoui, Rakia; Zhu, Junqing; McEnally, Charles S.; Shinde, Somnath; Pfefferle, Lisa D.; George, Anthe; Davis, Ryan W.

doi:10.1021/acs.energyfuels.0c01898

Biodiesel Ethers: Fatty Acid-Derived Alkyl Ether Fuels as Improved Bioblendstocks for Mixing-Controlled Compression Ignition Engines

Journal Article · Wed Sep 02 00:00:00 EDT 2020 · Energy and Fuels

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.energyfuels.0c01898· OSTI ID:1721596

^[1]; Monroe, Eric A. ^[1]; Dhaoui, Rakia ^[1]; Zhu, Junqing ^[2]; McEnally, Charles S. ^[2]; Shinde, Somnath ^[1]; Pfefferle, Lisa D. ^[2]; George, Anthe ^[1]; ^[1]

Sandia National Lab. (SNL-CA), Livermore, CA (United States)
Yale Univ., New Haven, CT (United States)

In the last 20 years, biodiesel consumption in the United States has swiftly increased to ~2 billion gallons per year as a renewable supplement to fossil fuel. However, further expansion of biodiesel use is currently limited in part by poor cold weather performance, which prevents year-round blending and necessitates blend walls ≤5% v/v. In order to provide a diesel fuel blendstock with improved cold weather performance (cloud point, pour point, and cold filter plug point), while at the same time maintaining other required fuel performance specifications, several biodiesel redox analogues were synthesized and tested. The best performing candidate fuels from this class showed improvement in the derived cetane number (29.3% shorter ignition delay), lower heating value (+4.7 MJ/kg), relative sooting tendency (–7.4 YSI/MJ), and cloud point (15 °C lower) when compared to a B100 biodiesel composed of an identical fatty acid profile. It was observed as a general trend that the reduced form of biodiesel, fatty alkyl ethers (FAEs), shows performance improvements in all fuel property metrics. The suite of improved properties provided by FAEs gives biodiesel producers the opportunity to diversify their portfolio of products derived from lipid and alcohol feedstocks to include long-chain alkyl ethers, a biodiesel alternative with particular applicability for winter weather conditions across the US.

View Accepted Manuscript (DOE)

Research Organization:: Sandia National Laboratories (SNL-CA), Livermore, CA (United States); Sandia National Laboratories (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States)

Sponsoring Organization:: USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA); USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), Transportation Office. Bioenergy Technologies Office; USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), Transportation Office. Vehicle Technologies Office

Grant/Contract Number:: AC04-94AL85000; NA0003525

OSTI ID:: 1721596

Report Number(s):: SAND--2020-12120J; 691757

Journal Information:: Energy and Fuels, Journal Name: Energy and Fuels Journal Issue: 10 Vol. 34; ISSN 0887-0624

Publisher:: American Chemical Society (ACS)Copyright Statement

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

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