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At least 91 records · Page 5

3D pore analysis of gasoline particulate filters using X-ray tomography: impact of coating and ash loading

Since particulate emissions control technologies are dependent on filtration technologies, development of porous materials with optimized pore structures is crucial to improve filtration efficiency and pressure drop across filters. Despite increasing attention to 3D measurements of porous materials, there are few reports of pore structure investigations of diesel/gasoline particulate filters (D/GPFs) using 3D visualization techniques. Here, GPF 3D pore structures were examined using X-ray tomography (XRT) to identify the impacts of catalyst coating or ash loading. Voxel resolution of 2.93 mu m made it impossible to distinguish coating or ash materials from the cordierite substrate or to recognize smaller pores than the voxel resolution. However, pores up to 200 mu m, which are responsible for the most pore volume, were successfully analyzed. Coating and ash loading resulted in lowering average pore diameter, total porosity, and open porosity, as the peak density of pore diameter at 60 mu m decreased, while pores below 20 mu m increased. Also, the visualized closed pores, which were homogeneously distributed throughout the bare filter, tended to get larger from inlet to outlet sides and more likely to be on the surface inlet due to coating and ash loading, indicating gas pathways originally existing in open pores were blocked due to coating and ash loading, leading to increased pressure drop. The ash impact was found to be more noticeable on mid and back positions than on front position. In addition, the investigation of areal porosity along the direction of gas flow suggested that while ash penetration could reach the outlet side as noted from increased closed pore population, most ash particles would be contained up to 150 mu m. Lastly, the 2D crosscut microscopic analysis that requires destructive procedures with the limited examination area could provide underestimation of ash penetration, whereas the 3D XRT analysis seems to provide more accurate information of pore structure changes due to ash loading at different locations.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Evaluation and beneficiation of high sulfur and high alkali fly ashes for use as supplementary cementitious materials in concrete

Coal-fuel power plants with semi-dry or dry flue gas desulfurization (FGD) systems produce high sulfur and/or high alkali fly ashes due to comingling of fly ash with FGD products. Such fly ashes do not meet the SO 3 content limit (5.0% max.) of ASTM C618 or are unable to mitigate the alkali-silica reaction. The mineralogy of the sulfur present in these ashes can vary significantly (e.g., CaSO 4 , CaSO 3 , Na2SO 4 ) based on the FGD technology used and this affects the performance of these fly ashes in concrete. Thus, the single SO 3 % limit of ASTM C618 is unable to capture the complexity and performance of fly ash, and this results in elimination of potentially viable pozzolans for concrete. Here this study performs a systematic investigation of the effect of SO 3 type and content in fly ash on various performance parameters of cement-fly ash pastes and mortars, including workability (flow and flow retention), pore fluid pH, setting time, strength development, and potential for deleterious expansion. To better quantify and understand these effects, the study considers both real and doped fly ashes (i.e., a blend of specification-compliant fly ash with target sulfur compounds). The poor performance observed in the case of setting time and pore fluid pH was successfully mitigated using chemical admixtures.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Strategies for Developing High-Volume Fly Ash Concrete with High Early-Age Strength for Precast Applications

Partial replacement of portland cement with supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs), such as fly ash, is an effective strategy for improving durability and reducing the CO 2 footprint of concrete. However, using high-volume fly ash (HVFA) binders in precast and prestressed concrete is currently limited; largely due to reduced early-age strength development that impedes rapid production and prestressing of precast concrete. To investigate and address this challenge, HVFA mortars with a minimum of 40% fly ash by mass of cementitious materials were developed and tested in this study. Two fresh fly ashes (an ASTM C618 Class F and a Class C) and a landfilled fly ash (Class F) were included. Various strategies for improving the early strength were evaluated, including gypsum optimization, chemical accelerators, steam curing, use of CSA cements, and adding other reactive SCMs like silica fume, calcined clay, and slag cement. Steam curing and the use of CSA cement at high dosages (40% of total binder) were found to be the most successful strategies across all three fly ashes. Additionally, significant improvements were observed with gypsum optimization (for Class C fly ash) and the use of accelerators (for Class F fly ashes), and these strategies are likely to be more feasible considering later-age strength and economic viability. Interestingly, HVFA mixtures made with the landfilled fly ash used in this study were able to achieve high early strengths with water-to-cementitious materials ratio adjustment alone. As a result, these HVFA mixtures were also found to be less responsive to accelerators when compared to the fresh Class F fly ash, highlighting an important distinction between the materials despite the similarity in chemical composition.

42 ENGINEERING↗

Modeling ash deposition and shedding during oxy-combustion of coal/rice husk blends at 70% inlet O2

Abstract Co-firing rice husk (RH) and coal with carbon capture using oxy-combustion presents a net carbon negative energy production opportunity. In addition, the high fusion temperature of the non-sticky, silica rich, RH can mitigate ash deposition as well as promote shedding of deposits. To identify the optimum operating conditions, fuel particle sizes, and blend ratios that minimize ash deposition, a Computational Fluid Dynamic methodology with add-on ash deposition and shedding models were employed to predict outer ash deposition and shedding rates during co-combustion of coal/RH in AIR and O 2 /CO 2 (70/30 vol%, OXY70) oxidizer compositions. After ensuring that the fly-ash particle size distributions and particle Stokes numbers near the deposition surface were accurately represented (to model impaction), appropriate models for coal ash and RH ash viscosities that were accurate in the temperature region (1200–1300 K) of interest in this study were identified. A particle viscosity and kinetic energy (PKE) based capture criterion was enforced to model the ash capture. An erosion/shedding criterion that takes the deposit melt fraction and the energy consumed during particle impact into account was also implemented. Deposition rate predictions as well as the deposition rate enhancement (OXY70/AIR) were in good agreement with measured values. While the OXY70 scenario was associated with a significant reduction (60%–70%) in flue gas velocities, it also resulted in larger fly-ash particles. As a result, the PKE distributions of the erosive RH ash were similar in both scenarios and resulted in similar shedding rates.

Energy & Fuels↗

Sintering and collapse of synthetic coal ash and slag cones as observed through constant heating rate optical dilatometry

Ash agglomeration and slagging are responsible for costly maintenance problems in coal-fired boilers. Boiler design and operation rely on critical ash fusion temperatures defined by geometric criteria that explicitly ignore shrinkage or warping. Reproducibility of ash fusion test (AFT) results is known to be a major problem, given the subjective nature of some criteria used in critical temperature reporting. Decades of faulty predictions based on AFT data underscore the need for an objective measure of the likelihood for agglomeration and slagging as a function of coal ash composition and temperature. Heating microscopes and ash fusibility determinators are AFT instruments that are widely available and readily adapted for optical dilatometry of ash cones through digital image analysis. Optical dilatometry enables the continuous measurement of cone height and face area, and the calculation of changes in cone volume and density as a function of temperature during constant heating. A strong correlation was found between the sintering onset temperatures of two synthetic ash compositions measured through optical dilatometry and their corresponding solidus temperatures predicted through thermophysical modeling. The sintering onset temperatures of synthetic slag cones appears consistent with glass transition temperatures estimated using the Kauzmann-Beaman rule. Cone collapse is highly correlated with softening, hemispherical, and fluid temperatures for ash cones. Rapid changes in solid, liquid, and gas volume fractions near the collapse temperature suggest that a transition from capillary to slurry state may play an important role in triggering collapse. Slag cone collapse is better explained by a decrease in viscosity as a function of temperature in the glass working range. Furthermore, the sintering onset temperature and cone collapse temperature are readily understood through thermophysical modeling based on ash composition and provide two additional critical temperatures in the modeling of coal ash agglomeration and slagging.

01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT↗

Predictive Assessment of the Chemical Composition of Coal Ash in Reserve at U.S. Disposal Sites

In the United States, more than 2 Gt of coal combustion residuals (i.e., coal ash) are stored in hundreds of disposal units. Recent federal regulations mandate the closure or retrofitting of most coal ash impoundments, presenting significant challenges for waste management. These regulatory pressures also present opportunities to reuse coal ash. However, the quality and quantity of discarded coal ash across the U.S. are not well known, even though this information is crucial for spurring its reuse for conventional and new material applications. This study describes a predictive model for the major element composition of coal ash in reserve at disposal sites of major U.S. coal-fired power plants. This model was constructed from coal purchase records of 705 power stations from 1973 to 2022 and was trained on coal ash composition data, showing that coal ash elemental composition is strongly associated with the source of feedstock coal. The model showed regional shifts in the major element contents of ash produced by power plants in the last 50 years, particularly for calcium and iron (expressed as %CaO and %Fe2O3), as power stations changed their source of coal over this time frame. Our approach enables an estimation of chemical composition for ash stored in waste impoundments at individual power stations. Such information can help to delineate the regional market resource potential of supplementary cements for concrete and other material innovations that would utilize coal ash harvested from disposal sites across the U.S.

01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT↗

Fly ash carbon passivation

A thermal method to passivate the carbon and/or other components in fly ash significantly decreases adsorption. The passivated carbon remains in the fly ash. Heating the fly ash to about 500 and 800 degrees C. under inert gas conditions sharply decreases the amount of surfactant adsorbed by the fly ash recovered after thermal treatment despite the fact that the carbon content remains in the fly ash. Using oxygen and inert gas mixtures, the present invention shows that a thermal treatment to about 500 degrees C. also sharply decreases the surfactant adsorption of the recovered fly ash even though most of the carbon remains intact. Also, thermal treatment to about 800 degrees C. under these same oxidative conditions shows a sharp decrease in surfactant adsorption of the recovered fly ash due to the fact that the carbon has been removed. This experiment simulates the various "carbon burnout" methods and is not a claim in this method. The present invention provides a thermal method of deactivating high carbon fly ash toward adsorption of AEAs while retaining the fly ash carbon. The fly ash can be used, for example, as a partial Portland cement replacement in air-entrained concrete, in conductive and other concretes, and for other applications.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

The origin, transport, and evolution of ash in engine particulate filters

Engine particulate filters have been widely applied across the world to control engine exhaust particulate matter (or particulate number) emissions. With increasing vehicle mileage, ash accumulation deteriorates vehicle fuel economy and complicates on-board control. Extending filter service life with ash loading has significant economic and environmental impacts. Many studies have been conducted in characterizing ash accumulation and evaluating its impacts on filter performance. However, comprehensive reviews covering all the key issues in the field are rather rare. This paper reviews the extensive prior research on filter ash, and not only summarizes the experimental observations but also elucidates the fundamental mechanisms. The review covers the areas of ash origin, accumulation, transport, evolution, and artificial acceleration methods. The previously reported data of ash properties is compiled and analyzed. Furthermore, the advantages and disadvantages of ash acceleration approaches are also discussed in detail. Based on the cumulative understanding, a few potential ways to improve ash management are discussed in this paper. In summary, the present work systematically reviews the previous observations and understanding of ash aging in particulate filters and identifies areas that need further research, which can be useful guidance for future studies.

42 ENGINEERING↗

Experimental and numerical analysis of metal leaching from fly ash-amended highway bases

Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer This study is the evaluation of leaching potential of fly ash-lime mixed soils. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer This objective is met with experimental and numerical analysis. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Zn leaching decreases with increase in fly ash content while Ba, B, Cu increases. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Decrease in lime content promoted leaching of Ba, B and Cu while Zn increases. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Numerical analysis predicted lower field metal concentrations. - Abstract: A study was conducted to evaluate the leaching potential of unpaved road materials (URM) mixed with lime activated high carbon fly ashes and to evaluate groundwater impacts of barium, boron, copper, and zinc leaching. This objective was met by a combination of batch water leach tests, column leach tests, and computer modeling. The laboratory tests were conducted on soil alone, fly ash alone, and URM-fly ash-lime kiln dust mixtures. The results indicated that an increase in fly ash and lime content has significant effects on leaching behavior of heavy metals from URM-fly ash mixture. An increase in fly ash content and a decrease in lime content promoted leaching of Ba, B and Cu whereas Zn leaching was primarily affected by the fly ash content. Numerically predicted field metal concentrations were significantly lower than the peak metal concentrations obtained in laboratory column leach tests, and field concentrations decreased with time and distance due to dispersion in soil vadose zone.

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗

Rare earth element potential in coal and coal ash in the U.S. Gulf Coast

United States heavy reliance on imports of critical minerals (CMs), including rare earth elements (REEs), underscores the importance of development of domestic sources. The study objective was to quantify CM and REE concentrations in coal and coal ash in the US Gulf Coast region. CM and REE concentrations were measured for 118 samples from outcrops and 14 mines in the Gulf Coast. Results show that total REE + Yttrium (REY) concentrations (dry coal basis) are comparable to those of the upper continental crust (UCC) with localized hot spots, such as the Texas Gibbons Creek mine (REY ≤ ~ 2860 ppm). When normalized to UCC REY concentration (169 ppm, dry coal basis), REY to UCC ratios for Gulf Coast coal samples range from 0.1 to 17 (median ratio 0.6). REE extractability from lignites is high (median: 63%–93%) using environmentally benign weak acid. In addition to raw coal, coal ash from power plants could also serve as an REE source with a median ratio of REY in ash relative to coal of 4; however, extractability from coal ash is generally much lower (≤ 5% using the same weak acid as in coal). The median basket price for extracted REY as oxides from coal, assuming 70% extractability, is $\$3.2$ per tonne of coal and $\$186$ billion based on 58 billion metric tonnes of dry coal in the Gulf Coast. REEs important for magnets (Pr + Nd + Tb + Dy) account for ~ 80% of the total value. The corresponding median basket price for extracted REY as oxides from coal ash, assuming ~ 30% extractability, is ~$\$4.4$ per tonne of ash and $\$1.2$ billion based on 258 million tonnes of ash. REE production from coal would likely require co-products, such as activated carbon or humic acids, to attain economic viability. Production of REEs from coal ash could offset remediation costs related to potential water contamination. This reconnaissance study shows the potential for REE production from coal and coal ash in the Gulf Coast; however, carbon coproducts and/or societal benefits would likely be required for socioeconomic viability.

01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT↗

Hydrocyclone pre-processing of wastewater algae: A strategy for inorganic ash separation

Microalgae cultivation on wastewater can provide remediation and generate valuable feedstocks for biofuel production. Wastewater algae typically have a high percentage of inorganic ash, which can reduce yield and quality of biocrude produced during hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL). Here, in this work, we evaluated the ability of hydrocyclone pre-processing to remove inorganic ash from wastewater algae. The pH of the algae slurry was adjusted to 9.5 to encourage the formation of precipitates and create a density differential between ash particles and algal cells. Hydrocyclone processing successfully concentrated ash particles in the underflow fraction and reduced the total ash percentage in the overflow fraction. Overall, hydrocyclone processing reduced the total ash by 21%, while only 8% of organics were lost. Elemental and mineral analysis showed that Mg and P were concentrated in the underflow in the form of baricite (an isomorph of vivianite). Future research should focus on improving vivianite and/or baricite formation, and therefore ash removal, by providing a reducing environment. The addition of multiple hydrocyclones in series could also improve the removal of ash. We concluded that hydrocyclone treatment of wastewater algae is a feasible method to remove inorganic ash, but further process optimization is required.

09 - BIOMASS FUELS↗

Signatures of rare earth element distributions in fly ash derived from the combustion of Central Appalachian, Illinois, and Powder River basin coals

We report the distribution of Rare Earth elements (REE) in coal-derived fly ashes can have distinctive patterns when fly ashes are produced from different coals within or between basins, such as the Pennsylvanian Class F fly ashes from the Illinois and Central Appalachian basins. Both the Fire Clay coal and a blend of a number of eastern Kentucky coals show strong Gd peaks and an H-type distribution in the Upper Continental Crust-corrected plots. The Fire Clay coal-derived ash has a higher heavy REE concentration than the blended coal-derived ash. The Illinois Basin-derived fly as has an overall lower REE concentration than the latter ashes. Class C fly ash derived from Powder River Basin coals has, with the exception of an Eu peak, a flatter distribution of REE and an overall L-type or indistinct H- versus L-type distribution. The signatures of the REE in fly ashes may be useful in predicting their behavior in the extraction of the REE; simple extrapolations from the basic concentrations and the predicted extraction percentages for ashes from different basins are not necessarily indicative of the actual distribution of the extracted REE.

01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT↗

Investigation on the fly ash thermal treatment on the performance of Lithium Ferriphosphate (LiFePO{sub 4}) battery

Addition of the fly ash can be used to improve the capacity of LiFePO{sub 4} battery. Fly ash was added in Acethylene Black (AB) as 2% of the total weight of Acetylene Black (AB). The effects of temperature variation and fly ash characteristics were analyzed. Fly ash was prepared by heating at 50, 100, 150, and 250°C in muffle furnace for 5 hours and passed in 200 mesh screen prior to mixing it with other compounds. Lithium Ferriphospat (LiFePO{sub 4}), fly ash, Acethylene Black (AB), Polyvinylidene Fluoride (PVDF) as a binder and N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP) as a solvent were mixed to be slurry. The slurry were coated, dried and hot pressed to make a cathode film. The performance of battery lithium was examined by eight channel battery analyzer. The composition of the fly ash was examined by X-ray fluorescence spectrometry (XRF) and Fourier Tansform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR). The excellent performance was shown in the fly ash addition which were treated by heating at 150°C. The capacity of fly ash added LiFePO{sub 4} battery is 94.373 mAh/g, which is higher than that of without fly ash addition, i.e. 67.998 mAh/g.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Final Technical Report: Plasma Arc Gasification Based Rare Earth Element Recovery from Coal Fly Ash

Southern Research, as the primary awardee, with sub-awardees ArcSec Technologies, LLC (ArcSec) and Reaction Engineering International (REI) have investigated a plasma arc based thermal process intended to concentrate rare earth elements (REE) from coal fly ash. Successful demonstration of the technology would contribute to the effort for realizing a competitive, domestic REE value chain thereby reducing U.S. dependence on foreign supply, maintaining national security interests, and creating opportunities for economic growth. The originally proposed concept included two technology options – 1) a smelting process and 2) a smelting plus vaporization and condensation process. For both options, coal fly ash would be smelted in a plasma arc heated furnace under reducing conditions to separate ash into molten slag and reduced metal (primarily iron) phases. During smelting, it was expected that the REE would also be reduced to metals and partition mostly to the iron phase. During the first year of work, sample coal ash feedstocks were acquired and characterized, feasibility of the smelting process was evaluated in bench-scale experiments, and the vaporization/condensation process was investigated through equilibrium and CFD modeling studies. From the feedstock characterization, REE content for the coal ash samples obtained was measured to be in the range of 302 – 1219 ppm with average at 537 ppm. Though it was successfully demonstrated that ash could be separated into slag and metal phases, the bench-scale experiments were only marginally successful at collecting REE in the metal phase. Producing REE concentrates near the DOE goal of 2%, however, has not been achieved. From the modeling studies, the vaporization/condensation process was predicted to be effective for separating individual REE and producing enriched metal fractions with total REE content higher than 2%, provided the smelting process performed as intended. Supplemental smelting experiments and thermodynamic modeling studies, conducted during the second year of work, indicated a number of technical modifications that could lead to producing higher REE concentrates from coal ash. The strategy shifted to reducing as much of the ash oxides to metals as possible, leaving the REE more concentrated in the remaining slag. Results from later experiments based on the modified approach showed improvements in REE recovery and concentration levels in smelted products. SEM-EDS analyses on product specimens showed agglomerations of reduced metal REE crystals at much larger length-scales as compared to REE content in raw ash.

01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT↗

On the Flow of a Cement Suspension: The Effects of Nano-Silica and Fly Ash Particles

Additives such as nano-silica and fly ash are widely used in cement and concrete materials to improve the rheology of fresh cement and concrete and the performance of hardened materials and increase the sustainability of the cement and concrete industry by reducing the usage of Portland cement. Therefore, it is important to study the effect of these additives on the rheological behavior of fresh cement. In this paper, we study the pulsating Poiseuille flow of fresh cement in a horizontal pipe by considering two different additives and when they are combined (nano-silica, fly ash, combined nano-silica, and fly ash). To model the fresh cement suspension, we used a modified form of the power-law model to demonstrate the dependency of the cement viscosity on the shear rate and volume fraction of cement and the additive particles. The convection–diffusion equation was used to solve for the volume fraction. After solving the equations in the dimensionless forms, we conducted a parametric study to analyze the effects of nano-silica, fly ash, and combined nano-silica and fly ash additives on the velocity and volume fraction profiles of the cement suspension. According to the parametric study presented here, larger nano-silica content results in lower centerline velocity of the cement suspension and larger non-uniformity of the volume fraction. Compared to nano-silica, fly ash exhibits an opposite effect on the velocity. Larger fly ash content results in higher centerline velocity, while the effect of the fly ash on the volume fraction is not obvious. For cement suspension containing combined nano-silica and fly ash additives, nano-silica plays a dominant role in the flow behavior of the suspension. The findings of the study can help the design and operation of the pulsating flow of fresh cement mortars and concrete in the 3D printing industry.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Impact of Collection Equipment on Ash Variability of Baled Corn Stover Biomass for Bioenergy

Cost-effective conversion of agricultural residues for renewable energy hinges not only on the material’s quality but also the biorefinery’s ability to reliably measure quality specifications. The ash content of biomass is one such specification, influencing pretreatment and disposal costs for the conversion facility and the overall value of a delivered lot of biomass. The biomass harvest process represents a primary pathway for accumulation of soil-derived ash within baled material. In this work, the influence of five collection techniques on the total ash content and variability of ash content within baled corn stover in southwest Kansas is discussed. The equipment tested included a mower for cutting the corn stover stubble, a basket rake, wheel rake, or shred flail to gather the stover, and a mixed or uniform in-feed baler for final collection. The results showed mean ash content to range from 11.5 to 28.2 % depending on operational choice. Resulting impacts on feedstock costs for a biochemical conversion process range from $5.38 to $22.30 Mg-1 based on the loss of convertible dry matter and ash disposal costs. Collection techniques that minimized soil contact (shred flail or nonmowed stubble) were shown to prevent excessive ash contamination, whereas more aggressive techniques (mowing and use of a wheel rake) caused greater soil disturbance and entrainment within the final baled material. Material sampling and testing were shown to become more difficult as within-bale ash variability increased, creating uncertainty around feedstock quality and the associated costs of ash mitigation.

09 BIOMASS FUELS↗

Reducing Pb and Cl Mobility in Waste-to-Energy Fly Ashes via Chlorellestadite Formation

Sustainably sourced development minerals are vital to meeting the demand for low-carbon construction materials. A potential waste material that can be a low-carbon construction material for cementitious systems is waste-to-energy fly ash (WTE ash), a by-product of waste incineration. WTE ash contains chloride-bearing species and heavy metals, which can promote steel reinforcement corrosion and present long-term leaching risks. Here, we present a new multi-step ash treatment protocol involving dissolution and heating to transform the non-readily removable chlorides in WTE ash to Chlorellestadite (Ca 10 (SiO 4 ) 3 (SO 4 ) 3 Cl 2 ). Our results suggest that this transformation significantly reduces chloride release from WTE ash in an alkaline cement-like environment by over two orders of magnitude, from 1500 mg/l to less than 10 mg/l. This transformation also significantly reduces Pb mobility after treatment (from > 5 mg/l to < 0.5 mg/l), likely caused by the crystallo-chemical incorporation of Pb in Chlorellestadite. In contrast to the existing ash treatment methods, the proposed ash treatment protocol minimizes heavy metals volatilization while simultaneously reducing Pb mobility and chloride release through Chlorellestadite formation. Furthermore, these findings overcome limitations preventing the commercial use of WTE ash and thus opening up pathways towards a circular economy.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Diesel Particulate Filter Durability Performance Comparison Using Metals Doped B20 vs. Conventional Diesel Part I: Accelerated Ash Loading and DPF Performance Evaluation

The project objective was to generate experimental data to evaluate the impact of metals doped B20 on DPF ash loading and performance compared to that of conventional petrodiesel. Accelerated ash loading was conducted on two DPFs - one exposed to regular diesel fuel and the other to B20 containing metal dopants equivalent to 4 ppm B100 total metals (currently total metals are limited to 10 ppm in ASTM D6751, the standard for B100). Periodic performance evaluations were conducted on the DPFs at 10 g/L ash loading intervals. After the evaluations at 30 g/L, the DPF was cleaned with a commercial DPF cleaning machine and another round of DPF evaluations were conducted. A comparison of the effect of ash loading with the two fuels and DPF cleaning is presented. The metals doped B20 fuel resulted in ash that was similar to that deposited when exposed to ULSD (lube oil ash) and exhibited similar ash cleaning removal efficiency. Metals doped B20 resulted in faster ash accumulation within the DPF, as expected, but did not appear to have a negative effect on DPF pressure drop or regeneration rates (up to 30 g/L of ash) or exhibit deleterious physical effects on the DPF substrate.

ADVANCED PROPULSION SYSTEMS,BIOMASS FUELS↗