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

Abstract

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 weremore » 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.« less

Authors:

McCormick, Robert L. ^[1]; Fioroni, Gina ^[1]; Fouts, Lisa ^[1]; Christensen, Earl ^[1]; Yanowitz, Janet ^[2]; Polikarpov, Evgueni ^[3]; Albrecht, Karl ^[3]; Gaspar, Daniel J. ^[3]; Gladden, John ^[4]; George, Anthe ^[4]

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+ Show Author Affiliations

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)

Publication Date:

Tue Mar 28 00:00:00 EDT 2017

Research Org.:

National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)

Sponsoring Org.:

USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), Sustainable Transportation Office. Bioenergy Technologies Office; USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), Vehicle Technologies Office (EE-3V)

OSTI Identifier:

1378889

Report Number(s):

NREL/JA-5400-67366
Journal ID: ISSN 1946-3960

Grant/Contract Number:  

AC36-08GO28308

Resource Type:

Accepted Manuscript

Journal Name:

SAE International Journal of Fuels and Lubricants (Online)

Additional Journal Information:

Journal Name: SAE International Journal of Fuels and Lubricants (Online); Journal Volume: 10; Journal Issue: 2; Journal ID: ISSN 1946-3960

Publisher:

SAE International

Country of Publication:

United States

Language:

English

Subject:

09 BIOMASS FUELS; biofuel; gasoline; spark-ignition; fuel properties