Reducing the sulfur and aromatic content of diesel fuel: Costs, benefits, and effectiveness for emissions control
Diesel engines in light and heavy-duty vehicles emit significant amounts of oxides of nitrogen (NO/subx/), particulate matter, sulfur oxides, and unburned hydrocarbons. Emissions of these pollutants are strongly affected by the quality and composition of the diesel fuel used. This report reviews the published literature concerning fuel effects on diesel emissions, and examines the feasibility, costs, and cost-effectiveness of reducing diesel emissions by means of changes in diesel fuel composition. Two specific changes are considered: a drastic reduction in diesel fuel sulfur content; and the same sulfur reduction along with a moderate reduction in the aromatic hydrocarbon content. The effects of each change on engine durability, fuel economy, and refining costs are considered together with the emissions effects. The results indicate that the cost of producing low-sulfur diesel fuel would be more than offset by savings in reduced maintenance and greater engine life. Re-optimizing the refining process to produce low-sulfur fuel would also reduce the aromatic hydrocarbon content, improving ignition quality and reducing particulate emissions. A further reduction in aromatic content would be feasible, and would have superior cost-effectiveness to some other particulate control measures such as particulate traps.
- Research Organization:
- Radian Corp.
- OSTI ID:
- 5731084
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-860263-
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: Society of Automotive Engineers international congress and exposition, Detroit, MI, USA, 24 Feb 1986
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
02 PETROLEUM
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
DIESEL ENGINES
FUEL ECONOMY
MAINTENANCE
SERVICE LIFE
DIESEL FUELS
CHEMICAL COMPOSITION
IGNITION QUALITY
SULFUR CONTENT
HYDROCARBONS
AIR POLLUTION ABATEMENT
NITROGEN OXIDES
PARTICULATES
SULFUR DIOXIDE
AROMATICS
COST
COST BENEFIT ANALYSIS
EXHAUST GASES
FEASIBILITY STUDIES
LEADING ABSTRACT
MEETINGS
OPTIMIZATION
ABSTRACTS
CHALCOGENIDES
DOCUMENT TYPES
ENGINES
FLUIDS
GASEOUS WASTES
GASES
HEAT ENGINES
INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES
NITROGEN COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PARTICLES
PETROLEUM PRODUCTS
POLLUTION ABATEMENT
SULFUR COMPOUNDS
SULFUR OXIDES
WASTES
330102* - Internal Combustion Engines- Diesel
025000 - Petroleum- Combustion
023000 - Petroleum- Properties & Composition
500200 - Environment
Atmospheric- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport- (-1989)