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Exhaust characterization of neat alcohol fueled IC engines. Final report

Technical Report ·
OSTI ID:5873601

A late-model vehicle was converted to operate using methanol, gasoline, or ethanol as fuel and experimental work was done to obtain energy economy and exhaust emissions data for each of the three fuels. Results are compared at equal equivalence ratios both with and without an oxidation catalyst in the exhaust system. Using a catalyst for emissions control, unburned (hydro) carbon emissions were lowest during lean operating conditions and were nearly the same for all three fuels under those conditions. Oxides of nitrogen emissions typically were reduced by over 50% in changing from gasoline to methanol or ethanol. Detailed composition of the exhaust hydrocarbons was determined from analysis via gas chromatography. These data were used for calculating photochemical reactivities and comparisons were made among the fuels during cold start and FTP weighted tests. Gasoline exhaust was often calculated to have the lowest total reactivity during the FTP, however, methanol exhaust reactivity was lowest for the stoichiometric condition with catalyst. Aldehydes accounted for large fractions of the reactivity calculated for methanol and ethanol exhausts. Cold start emissions were of about equal reactivity for gasoline and methanol.

Research Organization:
Santa Clara Univ., CA (USA); Department of Energy, Bartlesville, OK (USA). Bartlesville Energy Research Center
OSTI ID:
5873601
Report Number(s):
BETC/P-B-8-1943-1
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English