Determination of alternative fuels combustion products: Phase 3 report

Technical Report · Mon Dec 01 04:00:00 EST 1997

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/563231· OSTI ID:563231

Whitney, K A ^[1]

---

1. Southwest Research Inst., San Antonio, TX (United States)

This report describes the laboratory efforts to characterize particulate and gaseous exhaust emissions from a passenger vehicle operating on alternative fuels. Tests were conducted at room temperature (nominally 72 F) and 20 F utilizing the chassis dynamometer portion of the FTP for light-duty vehicles. Fuels evaluated include Federal RFG, LPG meeting HD-5 specifications, a national average blend of CNG, E85, and M85. Exhaust particulate generated at room temperature was further characterized to determine polynuclear aromatic content, trace element content, and trace organic constituents. For all fuels except M85, the room temperature particulate emission rate from this vehicle was about 2 to 3 mg/mile. On M85, the particulate emission rate was more than 6 mg/mile. In addition, elemental analysis of particulate revealed an order of magnitude more sulfur and calcium from M85 than any other fuel. The sulfur and calcium indicate that these higher emissions might be due to engine lubricating oil in the exhaust. For RFG, particulate emissions at 20 F were more than six times higher than at room temperature. For alcohol fuels, particulate emissions at 20 F were two to three times higher than at room temperature. For CNG and LPG, particulate emissions were virtually the same at 72 F and 20 F. However, PAH emissions from CNG and LPG were higher than expected. Both gaseous fuels had larger amounts of pyrene, 1-nitropyrene, and benzo(g,h,i)perylene in their emissions than the other fuels.

• Research Organization: National Renewable Energy Lab., Golden, CO (United States); Southwest Research Inst., San Antonio, TX (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE Assistant Secretary for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Washington, DC (United States)
• DOE Contract Number: AC36-83CH10093
• OSTI ID: 563231
• Report Number(s): NREL/SR--540-23594; ON: DE98001888; CNN: Subcontract YAW-3-13253-01
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

02 PETROLEUM
03 NATURAL GAS
33 ADVANCED PROPULSION SYSTEMS
AIR POLLUTION
AUTOMOBILES
CHEMICAL REACTION YIELD
COMBUSTION PRODUCTS
COMPRESSED GASES
ETHANOL FUELS
EXHAUST GASES
EXPERIMENTAL DATA
FUEL SUBSTITUTION
GASOHOL
LIQUEFIED PETROLEUM GASES
METHANOL FUELS
NATURAL GAS
PARTICULATES
UNLEADED GASOLINE