Modelling the end-use performance of alternative fuel properties in flex-fuel vehicles. (1st October 2022)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Kroyan, Yuri; Wojcieszyk, Michał; Kaario, Ossi; Larmi, Martti
• Is Part Of: Energy conversion and management. Volume 269(2022)
• Publication Date: 2022-10-01
• Subjects: Flex-Fuel Vehicles -- Renewable Fuels -- Fuel Consumption -- GHG emissions -- Mathematical Modelling; ABS Absolute Value -- ANN Artificial Neural Network -- BMLR Best Multiple Linear Regression -- BSFC Brake Specific Fuel Consumption -- C Carbon -- C2G Cradle-to-Grave -- CO Carbon monoxide -- CO2 Carbon dioxide -- CR Compression ratio -- DC Driving Cycle -- DI Direct Injection -- E Ethanol -- E10 EN228 compliant gasoline with up to 10% ethanol vol. content -- E85 Fuel consisted of max. 85% ethanol and 15% gasoline -- EC Energy Consumption -- EGR Exhaust Gas Recirculation -- EMS Engine Management System -- EN228 European gasoline standard -- EPA United States Environmental Protection Agency -- ETBE Ethyl tert-Butyl Ether -- EU European Union -- EV Electric Vehicle -- FC Fuel Consumption -- FFE Flex-Fuel Engine -- FFV Flex-fuel vehicle -- FTP Federal Test Procedure -- G Gasoline -- GHG Greenhouse Gases -- H Hydrogen -- HC Unburned hydrocarbon emission -- HDV Heavy Duty Vehicle -- HHV Hydraulic Hybrid Vehicles -- HP Horsepower -- HVO Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil -- iBu Isobutanol -- ICE Internal Combustion Engine -- ICEV Internal Combustion Engine Vehicle -- IV Independent Variable -- LDV Light-duty vehicle -- LHV Lower heating value -- LHVmass Lower heating value mass-based -- LHVvol Lower heating value volume-based -- M Methanol -- MLP Multilayer Perceptron -- MLR Multi-Linear Regression -- MON Motor octane number -- nBu N-butanol -- NEDC New European Driving Cycle -- NOx Nitrogen Oxides -- O Oxygen -- PDF Probability Density Function -- PFI Port fuel injection -- R Renewable component -- RON Research octane number -- S Octane Sensitivity -- SI Spark ignition -- SS Steady-State -- SSO Steady-State Operation -- THC Total Hydrocarbon -- TRL Technology Readiness Levels -- TTW Tank-To-Wheel -- TWC Three-way catalyst -- UDC Urban Driving Cycle -- VP Vapor Pressure -- VVT Variable Valve Timing -- WLTP Worldwide Harmonised Light Vehicles Test Procedure -- WTW Well-to-wheel; Direct energy conversion -- Periodicals; Energy storage -- Periodicals; Energy transfer -- Periodicals; Énergie -- Conversion directe -- Périodiques; Direct energy conversion; Periodicals; 621.3105
• DOI: 10.1016/j.enconman.2022.116080
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0196-8904

Abstract

Highlights: Developed model shows the impact of fuel properties on flex-fuel engine performance. The model outcomes represent fuel consumption changes over driving cycles. The effect of the most significant fuel properties on fuel consumption revealed. Fuel economy of alternative fuels in flex-fuel engines compared to regular engines. The performance of renewable gasoline blendstocks simulated using the developed model. Abstract: Renewable fuels and fuel-optimized engines play a key role in the time- and cost-effective decarbonization of current mobility. The present work introduces a state-of-the-art mathematical model that allows for the first time an accurate estimation of fuel consumption in flex-fuel vehicle engines by considering the impact of the most significant fuel properties exclusively. These engines are optimized to a higher concentration of non-drop-in fuels such as E85. Based on the literature data, a matrix was built with fuel properties as multiple independent variables and fuel consumption as a response variable. A multilinear regression with quantitative analysis was applied to develop a fuel consumption model for FFVs. The most significant fuel properties turned out to be octane sensitivity, vapor pressure, lower heating value, and density. All properties in the final model have a unique and important impact on fuel consumption, secured by extremely low p-values (P ≪ 1 %). The model reached very high accuracy represented by R-Square of 0.994, which turned into 1.41 % of the average absolute error in internal validation and only 1.9 % in external validation. The present study shows that in all alternative fuel cases, flex-fuel vehicles performed with better fuel economy than standard spark-ignition light-duty vehicles. Moreover, high concentration alcohol blends reduce energy consumption as well as tank-to-wheel CO 2 emissions despite their higher fuel consumption. The developed model can be applied to fuel consumption estimations in FFVs from single chemical compounds to commercial fuel products including new fuel blends.