Operating of Gasoline Engine Using Naphtha and Octane Boosters from Waste as Fuel Additives

Fuel quality is an important indicator for the suitability of alternative fuel for the utilization in internal combustion (IC) engines. In this paper, light naphtha and fusel oil have been introduced as fuel additives for local low octane gasoline to operate a spark ignition (SI) engine. Investigated fuel samples have been prepared based on volume and denoted as GN10 (90% local gasoline and 10% naphtha), GF10 (90% local gasoline and 10% fusel oil), and GN5F5 (90% local gasoline, 5% naphtha and 5% fusel oil) in addition to G100 (Pure local gasoline). Engine tests have been conducted to evaluate engine performance and exhaust emissions at increasing speed and constant wide throttle opening (WTO). The study results reveal varying engine performance obtained with GN10 and GF10 with increasing engine speed compared to local gasoline fuel (G). Moreover, GN5F5 shows higher brake power, lower brake specific fuel consumption, and higher brake thermal efficiency compared to other investigated fuel samples over the whole engine speed. The higher CO and CO2 emissions were obtained with GN10 and GF10, respectively, over the entire engine speed and the minimum CO emissions observed with GN5F5. Moreover, the higher NOx emission was observed with pure local gasoline while the lowest was observed with GF10. On the other hand, GN5F5 shows slightly higher NOx emissions than GF10, which is lower than GN10 and gasoline. Accordingly, GN5F5 shows better engine performance and exhaust emissions, which can enhance the local low gasoline fuel quality using the locally available fuel additives.

Implementation of Fusel Oil as an Octane Enhancer with Commercial Gasoline to Operate Gasoline Engine

The rise of energy demand and ecological contaminations encourage the utilization of alcohol bases on substitutes fuels in spark ignition (SI) engine. The fusel oil is a byproduct acquired from fermentation process with higher alcohol content. It has high-octane and less exhaust emissions; therefore, it takes significant place between the substitutes fuels. During this study, the impact of utilizing mixtures of pure gasoline & fusel oil on engine exhaust emissions & performance has been evaluated after water extraction from fusel oil. A single-cylinder, four-stroke SI engine has been utilized in these tests. The examinations execute at different speeds. The experiment fuels mixed with fusel oil at proportions of 5%, 10%, 20%, and 30%. At each speed, the engine’s performance & emissions measurement have been conducted. During the experimentations, it has been noticed that the torque (T) and specified fuel consumption (SFC) rises as the quantity of fusel oil risen in the mixture. Carbon monoxide (CO) and carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions are decreased as the quantity of fusel oil is raised in mixtures.

Denitrification Process Enhancement and Diversity of the Denitrifying Community in the Full Scale Activated Sludge System after Adaptation to Fusel Oil

Implementation of anaerobic digestion of primary sludge in modern wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) limits the availability of organic carbon for denitrification in conventional nitrification-denitrification (N/DN) systems. In order to ensure efficient denitrification, dosage of the external carbon source is commonly undertaken. However, application of commercial products, such us ethanol or acetate, greatly increases operational costs. As such, inexpensive and efficient alternative carbon sources are strongly desirable. In this study, the use of the fusel oil, a by-product from the distillery industry, was validated in terms of the denitrification process enhancement and impact on the activated sludge bacterial community structure. The experiment was conducted at a full scale biological nutrient removal facility (210,000 PE), in the set of the two technological lines: the experimental line (where fusel oil was introduced at 45 cm3/m3 dose) and the reference line (without an external carbon source addition). During the experimental period of 98 days, conventional nitrate utilization rate (NUR) measurements were carried out on a regular basis in order to assess the biomass adaptation to the fusel oil addition and denitrification process enhancement. While the NURs remained at a stable level in the reference line (1.4 ± 0.1 mg NO3-N/g VSS·h) throughout the entire duration of the experiment, the addition of fusel oil gradually enhanced the denitrification process rate up to 2.7 mg NO3-N/g VSS·h. Moreover, fusel oil contributed to the mitigation of the variability of NO3-N concentrations in the effluent from the anoxic zone. The bacterial community structure, characterized by 16S rRNA PCR—DGGE and the clone libraries of the genes involved in the denitrification process (nirS and nirK), was comparable between the reference and the experimental line during the entire experimental period. In both analyzed lines, the most frequent occurrence of denitrifiers belonging to the genera Acidovorax, Alcaligenes, Azoarcus, Paracoccus and Thauera was noticed. Our results proved that fusel oil would a valuable substrate for denitrification. The addition of fusel oil enhances the process rate and does not reflect a severe selection pressure on the bacterial community at applicable doses. Practical application of fusel oil generates opportunities for the WWTPs to meet effluent standards and reduce operational costs, as well as optimizing waste management for the distillery industry.