PM and NOX emissions amelioration from the combustion of diesel/ethanol-methanol blends applying exhaust gas recirculation (EGR)

The fuel injection timings, equivalence ratio (Ø) and exhaust gas recirculation are considered the most important parameters can effect on combustion process and lower exhaust emissions concentrations. The influence of 15% EGR technology and operating parameters (Ø and injection timing) on NOX emissions and particulate matter (PM) using oxygenated fuel (ethanol and methanol) blends were investigated in this experimental study. The results showed that the NOX emissions concentrations with increasing the equivalence ratio (Ø) and applied EGR for all fuels studied. Besides, the E10 and M10 decreased the PM concentrations compared to the diesel fuel under various equivalence ratios (Ø). The applied EGR increased the PM concentrations, but when combination of oxygenated fuels and EGR leading to the decrease in the PM formation. The NOX emissions concentrations decreased from the combined effect of EGR and oxygenated fuels by 16.8%, 22.91% and 29.5% from the combustion of diesel, M10 and E10, respectively, under various injection timings. It is indicated that NOX emissions decreased with retarded injection timings, while the PM decreased under advanced injection timings.

An approach to the assessment of dimethyl carbonate and ethanol effect as gasoline oxygenating agents under engine conditions via a Computational Fluid Dynamics model

An ASTM-CFR engine was modeled through Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) coupled with chemical kinetics to evaluate the effect on combustion characteristics and engine emissions of dimethyl carbonate (DMC) and ethanol as gasoline components, the latter as reference oxygenating agent. Validation against experimental in-cylinder pressure data indicated adequate reproduction of these fuels combustion, all blends showing higher and earlier pressure peaks than neat gasoline (ca. 0.2 MPa and 2 CAD). Simulated temperatures were close for all fuels, though slightly advanced for the oxygenated blends (ca. 2 CAD). Similar behavior of the oxygenates was predicted regarding HC, CO and soot emissions: ca. 90% reduction in HC, CO, and soot emissions were observed, but ethanol displayed up to 3.5% CO2 reduction and 17% NOx increase, while DMC showed up to 7% decrease in CO2 and 6% increase in NOx. Considering the advantage of using chemical kinetics for combustion calculations in the CFD model, i.e., quantification of any species present in the reaction mechanism, including those difficult to observe/measure experimentally, concentrations of non-regulated emissions (e.g., formaldehyde) were studied. In particular, a minor increase in formaldehyde emissions was found with both oxygenated fuels. Albeit a first approach to assessing oxygenating compounds effects on gasoline combustion and emissions under engine conditions through a CFD + detailed chemistry model, the results underline the potential of DMC as gasoline oxygenating agent, and are a starting point for studying non-measured/non-regulated species and parametric engine analysis in future models.

Numerical Investigation on the Effect of the Oxymethylene Ether-3 (OME3) Blending Ratio in Premixed Sooting Ethylene Flames

Synthetic fuels, especially oxygenated fuels, which can be used as blending components, make it possible to modify the emission properties of conventional fossil fuels. Among oxygenated fuels, one promising candidate is oxymethylene ether-3 (OME3). In this work, the sooting propensity of ethylene (C2H4) blended with OME3 is numerically investigated on a series of laminar burner-stabilized premixed flames with increasing amounts of OME3, from pure ethylene to pure OME3. The numerical analysis is performed using the Conditional Quadrature Method of Moments combined with a detailed physico-chemical soot model. Two different equivalence ratios corresponding to a lightly and a highly sooting flame condition have been investigated. The study examines how different blending ratios of the two fuels affect soot particle formation and a correlation between OME3 blending ratio and corresponding soot reduction is established. The soot precursor species in the gas-phase are analyzed along with the soot volume fraction of small nanoparticles and large aggregates. Furthermore, the influence of the OME3 blending on the particle size distribution is studied applying the entropy maximization concept. The effect of increasing amounts of OME3 is found to be different for soot nanoparticles and larger aggregates. While OME3 blending significantly reduces the amount of larger aggregates, only large amounts of OME3, close to pure OME3, lead to a considerable suppression of nanoparticles formed throughout the flame. A linear correlation is identified between the OME3 content in the fuel and the reduction in the soot volume fraction of larger aggregates, while smaller blending ratios may lead to an increased number of nanoparticles for some positions in the flame for the richer flame condition.