Project for Reliability Fleet Testing of alcohol/gasoline blends

Technical Report · Sun Dec 01 04:00:00 EST 1985

OSTI ID:6325190

Tosh, J D; Stulsas, A F; Buckingham, J P; Russell, J A; Cuellar, Jr, J P

This report summarizes the results of the US Department of Energy Project for Reliability Fleet Testing of Alcohol/Gasoline Blends. During the 5 1/2 year program, fleet tests were conducted in various geographic locations using four different alcohol/gasoline blends: gasohol; a volatility controlled ethanol (10 vol % ethanol, 90 vol % unleaded gasoline) blend; Oxinol 50; and a methanol blend using ethanol and tertiary butyl alcohol as cosolvents. Five US Army installations operating on gasohol and two California Energy Commission fleets operating on neat ethanol and neat methanol were also included in the study. The study showed that although there can be losses in fuel economy using alcohol/gasoline blends, the difference is generally not statistically significant. Also, for the neat alcohols, it was observed that methanol increased the equivalent fuel economy over both ethanol and unleaded gasoline, but again, these differences were not statistically significant. Driveability problems were more prevalent with alsohol/gasoline blends than with unleaded gasoline. Methanol/gasoline blends experienced fewer driveability problems than did the ethanol/gasoline blends. When comparing the gasohol fleet test results, geographic location has an effect on fuel economy.

• Research Organization: Southwest Research Inst., San Antonio, TX (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: AC03-79CS50004
• OSTI ID: 6325190
• Report Number(s): DOE/CS/50004-1; ON: DE86004278
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

090200 -- Alcohol Fuels-- (-1989)
10 SYNTHETIC FUELS
33 ADVANCED PROPULSION SYSTEMS
330800* -- Emission Control-- Alternative Fuels
ALCOHOL FUELS
ENERGY CONSUMPTION
ETHANOL FUELS
FUEL CONSUMPTION
FUEL ECONOMY
FUEL SUBSTITUTION
FUELS
GASOHOL
LIQUID FUELS
METHANOL FUELS
PERFORMANCE TESTING
RELIABILITY
SYNTHETIC FUELS
TESTING
VEHICLES