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Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.
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Assessment of Spark Corona and Plasma Ignition Systems for Gasoline Combustion.
Abstract not provided.
Development of a low-energy nanosecond pulsed ignition system enabling high-efficiency dilute gasoline combustion
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Piston and bowl for gasoline direct injection compression ignition (GDCI)
A piston for use in a GDCI engine cooperates with the wall of a cylinder defined in the engine and with a cylinder head to define a combustion chamber. The surface of the piston that faces the cylinder head defines a bowl that is configured to receive fuel that is dispensed from a fuel injector that is located in the cylinder head substantially along the central axis of the cylinder. The bowl is configured such that substantially all of the injected fuel associated with a combustion event reaches a localized equivalence ratio greater than 0.0 and less than or equal to 1.2 at a time immediately preceding initiation of the combustion event.
Hydrothermal Catalysis Flow Process to Convert Brown Grease into Green Gasoline, Green Jet, and Green Diesel Fuels
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Direct Conversion of CO2-Rich Syngas to High-Octane Gasoline in a Single Reactor
Cu/BEA was synthesized via incipient wetness impregnation with Cu(NO)3-2.5H2O to achieve 5 wt.% Cu loading. Bronsted acid sites were quantified with isopropylamine temperature programmed desorption.
Experiments and Simulations of Droplet Burning of Isobutanol Mixed with a Tier II Gasoline Certification Fuel and its Surrogate, Paper Number: SHTC2023-115267
This study presents an experimental and numerical results of combustion dynamics of a Tier II certification fuel/iso-butanol mixtures and its surrogate(S5)/iso-butanol mixtures. The experiments were carried out where gas transport was determined entirely by fuel evaporation to promote spherical symmetry during the burning process. The droplet initial diameters were in the range 0.55 mm to 0.62 mm. The combustion characteristics such as droplet diameters, flame standoff ratios and soot shell standoff ratios of indolene/iso-butanol mixtures are compared with S5/iso-butanol mixtures and the implications of iso-butanol addition to indolene and S5 on combustion are discussed. The presence of iso-butanol is experimentally found to reduce the formation of soot as the iso-butanol concentration was increased and the iso-butanol addition insignificantly influence the burning rate. Simulations were carried out with the detailed kinetic chemistry (324 species and 17608 reactions) from POLIMI. The detailed numerical model included unsteady gas and liquid transport, soot chemistry and radiative transport. The impact of iso-butanol on the burning rate, flame structure and soot formation are presented. Droplet burn rates were well predicted while flame diameters showed more variability depending on how the flame was defined in the numerical simulation (peak gas temperature and OH concentration). Simulations also show the influence of iso-butanol concentration on flame temperature, greenhouse gas emissions and soot formations.
Final Technical Report: Novel Thermal Barrier Coatings for Gasoline Spark Ignition Engines
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Potential of Artificial Neural Network for Gasoline Spray Predictions.
Abstract not provided.
Detailed evaporation modelling for gasoline direct injection: iso-octane vs. E30.
Abstract not provided.
A Novel Process for Carbon Dioxide Conversion to Fuel
In this project, TDA developed a new mixed metal oxide-based sorbent that converts CO2 (captured from coal fired power plants) to CO, which can then be combined with renewable H2 generated by water electrolysis or H2 from steam methane reforming to produce different liquid fuels. TDA’s absorbent-based CO2 conversion process uses a redox process, which splits the catalytic reforming of methane with CO2 reaction into two stages: CO2 reduction to CO and CH4 reforming into H2 and CO which eliminates the equilibrium limitations. The CO produced in the two-stage reactor system can then be further reacted with renewable H2 to produce methanol, naphtha, diesel, or gasoline. We worked with the Advanced Power & Energy Program (APEP) of University of California, Irvine (UCI) to design and develop the liquid fuel synthesis process that is built around this new material. We demonstrated the techno-economic viability of the new sorbent based redox process to convert CO2 into synthesis gas by demonstrating continuous carbon dioxide reduction in a prototype test system for over 585 hours while converting up to 10 kg CO2/day. With the successful completion of the R&D effort, the technology is now ready for a larger pilot-scale demonstration and the technology readiness has been raised from TRL 3 to TRL 5. In collaboration with UCI, we completed a high-fidelity process design and economic analysis. The required sale price (RSP) for gasoline (Case 1 NG-MTG) is $4.91/gal and naphtha and diesel (Case 2 NG-FT) are $4.23/gal and $6.07/gal, respectively, on a 2011 dollar basis. To put these costs in perspective, the California prices in current dollars (with its strict specifications) for regular grade gasoline from last year to current year have varied from a low of $3.10/gal in January 2021 to a high of $5.76/gal in March 2022, while prices for diesel from last year to current year have varied from a low of $3.40/gal in January 2021 to a high of $6.41/gal in May 2022 according to the U.S. Energy Information Agency data. It should be noted that the gasoline and diesel produced by these designs of Case 1 and Case 2 would be of very high quality and both nitrogen and sulfur free. These RSPs are based on a cost of imported electricity of $64/MWh based on the low-end current wind generated electricity cost (Genevieve 2011). This cost is by far the largest component of the variable costs used in computing the RSPs. A sensitivity analysis of these RSPs to the cost of imported electricity shows that the cost of the imported electricity has a significant effect on the RSPs. The life cycle analysis (LCA) shows that the total cradle-to-gate CO2 emissions for both liquid fuels (diesel and gasoline) were negative, indicating that overall more CO2 is consumed than released during production of the fuel from CO2 feed stack for both cases (-296 kgCO2 per MT gasoline for Case 1 and -705 kgCO2 per MT diesel for Case 2). On a cradle-to-grave comparison, the use of diesel produced using TDA’s process (2,457 kgCO2 per MT diesel) would release 37.6% less CO2 compared to petroleum based diesel (3,937 kgCO2 per MT diesel) while the use of gasoline produced using TDA’s process (2,792 kgCO2 per MT gasoline) would release 29.3% less CO2 compared to petroleum based gasoline (3,946 kgCO2 per MT gasoline). With the successful completion of the R&D effort, the technology is now ready for a bench-scale demonstration and the technology readiness has been raised from TRL 3 (Analytical and experimental critical function and/or characteristic proof of concept) to TRL 5 (Laboratory scale similar system validation in relevant environment).
Production, fuel properties and combustion testing of an iso-olefins blendstock for modern vehicles
With the increasing pressure to decarbonize the transportation sector, exploring strategies that can reduce emissions from light-duty vehicles (LDV) has become critical. Bioblendstocks that allow for higher engine efficiency and fuel economy could complement vehicle electrification and help reach carbon neutrality by 2050. In this context, the potential of a mixture of iso-olefins as a bioblendstock was investigated for multimode boosted spark-ignition (SI)/advanced compression ignition (ACI) engine operation designed to achieve higher overall vehicle fuel economy. By establishing the relationship between the molecular structure of iso-olefins and research octane number (RON), octane sensitivity (S) (i.e., the difference between RON and motor octane number [MON]), and phi-sensitivity a dimethyl-hexenes rich olefins mixture (DMHROM) was identified as a preferred blendstock for SI/ACI combustion engines. Here, a pathway for DMHROM production from biomass-derived ethanol was developed and scaled up. More than 1 gallon of DMHROM blendstock was produced for fuel properties assessment including engine testing. Measurements in a Cooperative Fuel Research Engine showed that the DMHROM blendstock possesses a RON of 94 and S of 13.5, and blends synergistically. Rapid compression machine tests coupled with single-cylinder gasoline direct injection engine measurements demonstrated the 20 vol.% DMHROM blend has higher phi-sensitivity than an olefin-free gasoline base fuel and a typical California Reformulated Gasoline Blendstock for Oxygenate Blending (CARBOB) gasoline fuel. These results demonstrate the potential of DMHROM for improving gasoline fuel performance and quality for operation under ACI conditions. The effectiveness of the aftertreatment system in mitigating emissions was verified and showed that the pure DMHROM blendstock and 20 vol.% blend would not increase non-methane organic gases, NO x , and carbon monoxide (CO) emissions. The DMHROM blendstock was found to slightly decrease sooting tendency when added to a gasoline-base fuel (i.e., ~6% reduction at 20 vol.% blending level). Oxidation stability and lubricant compatibility were both confirmed for the 20 vol.% blend. Overall, these results demonstrate that dimethyl-hexenes have potential for improving engine efficiency and fuel economy while meeting emissions regulations and ASTM specifications for gasoline fuel.
Cradle-to-Grave Lifecycle Analysis of Greenhouse Gas Emissions of Light-Duty Passenger Vehicles in China: Towards a Carbon-Neutral Future
Vehicle electrification is considered a pathway for on-road transportation decarbonization in China. Different from the conventional gasoline vehicles whose emissions are mainly released from vehicle tailpipes, emissions of battery electric vehicles (BEVs) are from the upstream processes of electricity generation and vehicle manufacturing, thus a comprehensive lifecycle analysis and comparison of BEVs with gasoline vehicles is required to quantify the emission mitigation benefit of vehicle electrification and determine the path to a carbon-neutral future. In the study, we compare the cradle-to-grave (C2G) lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions of gasoline and electric vehicles in China and analyze the greenhouse gas emission reduction of vehicle electrification in different provinces. Results show that under the current technologies, the national average C2G GHG emissions for battery electric vehicles (BEVs) of 100 miles (i.e., 160 km) and 300 miles (i.e., 480 km) all-electric range (AER) are 231 and 279 g CO2eq/km, respectively, 22% and 5% lower than those for gasoline internal combustion engine vehicles (ICEVs). Improving vehicle fuel efficiency by hybridizing gasoline ICEVs can effectively reduce C2G emissions to 212 g CO2eq/km. At the provincial level, C2G GHG emissions of BEVs vary according to the provincial electricity mix. In eight provinces, C2G GHG emissions of BEVs with 300 miles AER (BEV300s) are higher than those of gasoline ICEVs due to the GHG-intensive coal-based electricity mix. In the future scenario, with low carbon fuels (such as high-level bioethanol blending gasoline) and electricity decarbonization, the national average C2G emissions of hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) and BEV300s can be reduced to 55 and 73 g CO2eq/km, respectively. Further decrease of C2G GHG emissions relies on reducing vehicle-cycle emissions from material processing and vehicle component manufacturing.
Assessing the Additional Carbon Savings with Biofuel
A recent study claims that corn used for ethanol should not be considered to be inherently biogenically carbon-neutral because not all that corn was grown additional to the level otherwise. By assessing the extent of carbon neutrality of corn for ethanol using the reference point baseline approach and historical data that study concluded that the carbon intensity of US corn ethanol is 27% higher than that of gasoline. We develop a framework to determine the carbon neutrality of corn for ethanol by assessing the additional carbon uptake by crops using an anticipated baseline approach. We also apply this framework to determine the additional corn produced for ethanol and include the direct life cycle carbon emissions of only that portion of corn in the direct life cycle carbon intensity of corn ethanol. We implement this framework by integrating an economic model of the agricultural sector in the USA with a biogenic carbon model and life cycle analysis to quantify biogenic carbon uptake and direct life cycle emissions with and without corn ethanol expansion over the 2007–2027 period. We find that the combined biogenic carbon emissions and direct life cycle carbon emission intensity of corn ethanol (not including indirect land use related emissions) is 21% lower than gasoline. In conclusion, the lower value of this carbon intensity of corn ethanol compared with gasoline is robust to a wide range of parametric assumptions.
Impact of low reactivity fuel type on low load combustion, emissions, and cyclic variations of diesel-ignited dual fuel combustion
In this study, cyclic variations in dual fuel combustion with diesel ignition of three different low reactivity fuels (methane, propane, and gasoline) are examined under identical operating conditions. Experiments were performed on a single cylinder research engine (SCRE) at a low load of 3.3 bar brake mean effective pressure (BMEP). The start of injection (SOI) of diesel was varied from 280 to 330 absolute crank angle degrees (CAD). Engine speed, rail pressure, and boost pressure were held constant at 1500 rpm, 500 bar, and 1.5 bar, respectively. The energy substituted by the low reactivity fuel was fixed at 80% of the total energy input. It was found that diesel-methane (DM) and diesel-propane (DP) combustion were affected by diesel mixing to a greater extent than diesel-gasoline (DG) combustion due to the higher reactivity of gasoline. The magnitude of low temperature heat release was greatest for DG combustion followed by DM and DP combustion for all SOIs. The ignition delay for DG combustion was the shortest, followed by DM and DP combustion. DM and DP combustion exhibited more cyclic variations than DG combustion. Cyclic variations decreased for DM and DP combustion when SOI was advanced; however, DG combustion cyclic variations remained essentially constant for all SOIs. Earlier SOIs (280, 290, 300, and 310 CAD) for DM and (280, 290, and 300 CAD) for DP combustion indicated some prior-cycle effects on the combustion and IMEP (i.e. some level of determinism).
Regional Emissions Analysis of Light-Duty Battery Electric Vehicles
Light-duty battery electric vehicles (BEVs) can reduce both greenhouse gas (GHG) and criteria air pollutant (CAPs) emissions, when compared to gasoline vehicles. However, research has found that while today’s BEVs typically reduce GHGs, they can increase certain CAPs, though with significant regional variability based on the electric grid mix. In addition, the environmental performance of electric and gasoline vehicles is not static, as key factors driving emissions have undergone significant changes recently and are expected to continue to evolve. In this study, we perform a cradle-to-grave life cycle analysis using state-level generation mix and vehicle operation emission data. We generated state-level emission factors using a projection from 2020 to 2050 for three light-duty vehicle types. We found that BEVs currently provide GHG benefits in nearly every state, with the median state’s benefit being between approximately 50% to 60% lower than gasoline counterparts. However, gasoline vehicles currently have lower total NOx, urban NOx, total PM 2.5 , and urban PM 2.5 in 33%; 15%; 70%; and 10% of states, respectively. BEV emissions will decrease in 2050 due to a cleaner grid, but the relative benefits when compared to gasoline vehicles do not change significantly, as gasoline vehicles are also improving over this time.
Multifunctional landscapes for dedicated bioenergy crops lead to low-carbon market-competitive biofuels
Switchgrass is a promising feedstock for cellulosic biorefineries, due to its ability to maintain comparatively high biomass yields across a wide range of soil and climatic conditions. However, there is an incomplete understanding of the economic and environmental tradeoffs associated with cultivating switchgrass on low-productivity land for conversion to biofuels. This study surveys prior literature and demonstrates a new integrated assessment framework, including agroecosystem, ecosystem services valuation, technoeconomic, and life-cycle assessment models, to quantify and contextualize the economic and environmental impacts of switchgrass cultivation on marginal land with downstream conversion to biofuels. Monetizing and incorporating the value of ecosystem services, such as improved water quality benefits from nitrate and sediment reductions, climate change mitigation benefits from CO 2 emission reduction, and recreational and pollination benefits from increased biodiversity, the modeled multifunctional landscape reduces the ethanol production cost by 33.3–58.9 cents/$\scriptsize{L}$-gasoline-equivalent ($\$$1.3–2.2/gge). Planting switchgrass in low productivity land improves soil health, resulting in the carbon footprint reduction credit of 12.8–20.2 gCO 2e /MJ. For an improved switchgrass-to-ethanol conversion pathway with the maximum benefits from ecosystem services, the minimum ethanol selling price and carbon footprint of ethanol, respectively, could reach to 31 cents/$\scriptsize{L}$-gasoline-equivalent (47% reduction relative to average gasoline price) and 3 gCO 2e /MJ (97% reduction relative to gasoline). In conclusion, this low carbon renewable ethanol leads to substantial State and/or Federal policy incentives (~$\$$1/$\scriptsize{L}$-gasoline-equivalent) providing a large benefit to biorefinery operators, farmers, and the public as a whole.
Experimental Investigation of Gaseous Mixtures of Ethane, Methane, and Carbon Dioxide as an Alternative to Conventional Fuel in Spark Ignition Engines
This study investigates the viability and performance of certain synthetic fuels in spark ignition internal combustion engine based stationary power generation wherein the fuel comprises a mixture of methane and ethane in high dilutions of carbon dioxide (CO 2 ). The fuel of concern is a byproduct of a novel method for producing ethylene from ethane. The byproduct gas mixture has a concentration of approximately 41% CO 2 , 40% ethane, and 5% methane by weight along with other minor compounds. Varying mixtures of ethane and methane combined with between 42% and 46% by weight CO 2 were used to evaluate the viability and efficiency of this fuel to operate in existing internal combustion engines as a means of reducing emissions and increasing industrial process efficiency. A 13 hp gasoline generator was repurposed as a test stand by incorporating a modified fuel induction system and instrumentation for data collection. A gas metering and mixing system was installed to precisely control the mass flow of gases induced into the engine. Various instrumentations were installed to monitor in-cylinder pressure, temperature at various locations, emissions, and fuel and airflow rates. Varying fuel mixtures and loads were tested and compared to gasoline. It was found that under a high load, the mixed gas was able to generate comparable thermal efficiency and power to gasoline. But under no load or a part load condition the indicated thermal efficiency was found to be about 21% lower than that of gasoline. Further, the mixed gas also resulted in up to 50% reduction in CO and NOx emissions when compared to gasoline.