Driving cycle comparisons of energy economies and emissions from an alcohol and gasoline fueled vehicle

Conference · Mon Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1979

OSTI ID:6107755

Bechtold, R; Pullman, B

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 hydrocarbon 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: Department of Energy, Bartlesville, OK (USA). Bartlesville Energy Technology Center; Santa Clara Univ., CA (USA)
• OSTI ID: 6107755
• Report Number(s): CONF-790520-7
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

33 ADVANCED PROPULSION SYSTEMS
330800* -- Emission Control-- Alternative Fuels
AIR POLLUTION ABATEMENT
ALCOHOL FUELS
CATALYTIC CONVERTERS
CHALCOGENIDES
COMPARATIVE EVALUATIONS
ECONOMICS
EQUIPMENT
ETHANOL FUELS
EXHAUST GASES
FUELS
GASEOUS WASTES
GASOLINE
HYDROCARBONS
METHANOL FUELS
NITROGEN COMPOUNDS
NITROGEN OXIDES
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PERFORMANCE TESTING
PETROLEUM PRODUCTS
POLLUTION ABATEMENT
POLLUTION CONTROL EQUIPMENT
SYNTHETIC FUELS
TESTING
WASTES