Impact of oxygenates on petroleum refining

Journal Article · Mon May 01 04:00:00 EDT 1995 · Fuel Reformulation

OSTI ID:81143

Unzelman, G H ^[1]

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1. HyOx Inc., Fallbrook, CA (United States)

The concept of an oxygenate, primarily ethanol, as motor fuel or as a blending agent with gasoline has been around for a long time. The idea started with the development of the internal combustion engine. Experiments in Germany almost 100 years ago. The inventor of the four-stroke-cycle combustion engine, Nikolaus Otto, originally recommended ethyl alcohol as fuel. So did Henry Ford early in his career as an automobile manufacturer. However, gasoline was readily available from crude oil at a time when the kerosene market was fading. Since it was the lowest-cost approach to satisfy a growing market, the idea of alcohol as a primary fuel was set aside. Early gasoline was simply distilled from the {open_quotes}top of the barrel.{close_quotes} While it was satisfactory for the {open_quotes}horseless carriage,{close_quotes} quality was insufficient for innovations such as higher-compression engines. Knock became a serious problem, which prompted research and the discovery of tetraethyllead as an octane improver. Had this event not taken place, the alcohols probably would have been alternatives to solve the antiknock dilemma. Instead, it took another 60 years for the octane value of alcohols and ethers to resurface and exert a commercial impact on gasoline.

• OSTI ID: 81143
• Journal Information: Fuel Reformulation, Journal Name: Fuel Reformulation Journal Issue: 3 Vol. 5; ISSN FUREEQ; ISSN 1062-3744
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

02 PETROLEUM
ALCOHOLS
ANTIKNOCK RATINGS
PETROLEUM
PRODUCTION
REFINING
REVIEWS
UNLEADED GASOLINE