Toward co-optimization of renewable fuel blend production and combustion in ultra-high efficiency SI engines. (January 2023)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Burkardt, Patrick; Ottenwälder, Tamara; König, Andrea; Viell, Jörn; Mitsos, Alexander; Wouters, Christian; Marquardt, Wolfgang; Pischinger, Stefan; Dahmen, Manuel
• Is Part Of: International journal of engine research. Volume 24:Number 1(2023)
• Page Start: 29
• Page End: 41
• Publication Date: 2023-01
• Subjects: Renewable fuels -- model-based fuel design -- blend design -- early-stage process screening -- spark-ignition engines; Engines -- Periodicals; 629.25
• DOI: 10.1177/14680874211040995
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1468-0874

Abstract

The shift from fossil to renewable fuels presents an opportunity to tailor a fuel's molecular structure and composition to the needs of advanced internal combustion engine concepts, while simultaneously aiming for economic and sustainable fuel production. We have recently proposed a method for computer-aided design of tailor-made fuels that integrates aspects of both product and production pathway design. The present paper sets out to sequentially combine that method with experimental investigation on a single cylinder research engine and model-based early-stage process evaluation to create, validate, and benchmark a rationally designed multi-component biofuel for highly boosted spark-ignition engines. To this end, the computer-aided design approach is applied to a network of possible fuel components and their production pathways. The resulting optimal four-component fuel EBCC (50 mol% ethanol, 21 mol% 2-butanone, 15 mol% cyclopentane, and 14 mol% cyclopentanone) is analyzed with regard to combustion performance and estimated fuel production cost. Variations of both the indicated mean effective pressure and the relative air/fuel ratio were performed on an engine equipped with a compression ratio of 14.7. EBCC achieves indicated efficiencies that are significantly higher than those of RON 102 gasoline fuel and comparable to those of pure 2-butanone, an extremely knock-resistant fuel identified in a previous round of model-based fuel design. Furthermore, a strong reduction in engine-out soot emissions is observed compared to RON 102 gasoline. Early-stage process evaluation shows EBCC to have lower estimated fuel production costs than 2-butanone. Production costs of pure ethanol, however, are estimated to be even lower, mainly due to lower plant investment costs and a synthesis pathway that does not require hydrogen. The paper concludes with a brief perspective on further integration of the proposed sequential approach with the goal of co-optimizing the production and combustion of renewable fuel blends.