Engine wear with methanol fuel in a nitrogen-free environment. Interim report May-December 1983

Technical Report · Tue May 01 04:00:00 EDT 1984

OSTI ID:5995895

Naegeli, D W; Yost, D M; Owens, Jr, E C

Several test programs have shown that the combustion of methanol in spark ignition engines can cause unusually high corrosive wear of the upper cylinder bore and ring areas. In this study, a 2.3-liter engine fueled with methanol was operated in a nitrogen-free atmosphere to determine the importance of nitric acid in the corrosion mechanism. A 20-hour steady-state test was carried out using neat methanol as the fuel and a mixture of oxygen, argon, and carbon dioxide in place of air. The intake and exhaust gases were frequently analyzed to be sure their compositions were constant and free of nitrogen. Emission measurements showed only trace amounts (1 ppm) of NOx in the exhaust. Analysis of the condensates from the exhaust and blow also showed that the wear indicated by iron buildup in the lubricant was essentially the same in the nitrogen-free test as that detected in baseline engine tests combusting methanol-air mixtures. It was concluded that nitric acid does not play a role in the corrosion of the upper cylinder bore and ring areas of methanol-fuelded engines.

• Research Organization: Southwest Research Inst., San Antonio, TX (USA). Army Fuels and Lubricants Research Lab.
• OSTI ID: 5995895
• Report Number(s): AD-A-143530/4; AFLRL-175
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

33 ADVANCED PROPULSION SYSTEMS
330800* -- Emission Control-- Alternative Fuels
ALCOHOL FUELS
CARBON COMPOUNDS
CARBON DIOXIDE
CARBON OXIDES
CHALCOGENIDES
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
COMBUSTION
CORROSION
ELEMENTS
ENGINES
EXHAUST GASES
FLUIDS
FUELS
GASEOUS WASTES
GASES
HEAT ENGINES
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
INORGANIC ACIDS
INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES
IRON
LUBRICANTS
METALS
METHANOL FUELS
NITRIC ACID
NITROGEN
NONMETALS
OXIDATION
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
SPARK IGNITION ENGINES
SYNTHETIC FUELS
THERMOCHEMICAL PROCESSES
TRANSITION ELEMENTS
WASTES
WEAR