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Title: Selection Criteria and Screening of Potential Biomass-Derived Streams as Fuel Blendstocks for Advanced Spark-Ignition Engines

Journal Article · · SAE International Journal of Fuels and Lubricants (Online)
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  1. National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)
  2. Ecoengineering Inc., Sharonville, OH (United States)
  3. Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States)
  4. Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States)
+ Show Author Affiliations

Here, we describe a study to identify potential biofuels that enable advanced spark ignition (SI) engine efficiency strategies to be pursued more aggressively. A list of potential biomass-derived blendstocks was developed. An online database of properties and characteristics of these bioblendstocks was created and populated. Fuel properties were determined by measurement, model prediction, or literature review. Screening criteria were developed to determine if a bioblendstock met the requirements for advanced SI engines. Criteria included melting point (or cloud point) < -10 degrees C and boiling point (or T90) <165 degrees C. Compounds insoluble or poorly soluble in hydrocarbon were eliminated from consideration, as were those known to cause corrosion (carboxylic acids or high acid number mixtures) and those with hazard classification as known or suspected carcinogens or reproductive toxins. Compounds predicted to be less anaerobically biodegradable than methyl-tert-butyl ether with water solubility greater than 10,000 mg/L were also eliminated. A minimum Research octane number (RON) of 98 was applied. These criteria produced a list of 40 bioblendstocks with promising properties. Additional property data, including Motor octane number (MON), heat of vaporization, and lower heating value, were acquired for these bioblendstocks. A subset of the bioblendstocks representing all functional groups were blended into gasoline or a gasoline surrogate to measure their effect on vapor pressure, distillation curve, oxidation stability, RON, and MON. For blending into a conventional or reformulated blendstock for E10 blending, ethanol, 2-butanol, isobutanol, and diisobutylene have the most desirable properties for blending of a high-octane advanced SI engine fuel.

Research Organization:
National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), Bioenergy Technologies Office (EE-3B); USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), Vehicle Technologies Office (EE-3V)
Grant/Contract Number:
AC36-08GO28308
OSTI ID:
1378889
Report Number(s):
NREL/JA--5400-67366
Journal Information:
SAE International Journal of Fuels and Lubricants (Online), Journal Name: SAE International Journal of Fuels and Lubricants (Online) Journal Issue: 2 Vol. 10; ISSN 1946-3960
Publisher:
SAE InternationalCopyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

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Cited By (5)

Assessment of the use of ethanol instead of MTBE as an oxygenated compound in Mexican regular gasoline: combustion behavior and emissions journal November 2018
Short-chain ketone production by engineered polyketide synthases in Streptomyces albus journal November 2018
Tailoring diesel bioblendstock from integrated catalytic upgrading of carboxylic acids: a “fuel property first” approach journal January 2019
The use of partial fuel stratification to enable stable ultra-lean deflagration-based Spark-Ignition engine operation with controlled end-gas autoignition of gasoline and E85 journal December 2019
Short-chain ketone production by engineered polyketide synthases in Streptomyces albus journal November 2018

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