Stability of Diesel–bioethanol Blends for Use in Diesel Engines

Bioethanol is an attractive fuel due to its renewable origin and oxygen content, but it is unable to be used directly in diesel engines. Although biodiesel can be produced with bioethanol through ethanolisis, direct blending of ethanol and diesel fuel, called e-diesel, has at least the same potential to reduce particulate emissions, despite their much lower production cost. The main drawback is that ethanol is immiscible with diesel fuel over a wide range of temperatures, leading to phase separation. Consequently, in many cases the presence of a surfactant and cosolvent additive in the e-diesel blend becomes necessary. In this paper, the conditions in which the e-diesel blends are stable are studied. The stability of samples is affected mainly by 3 factors: temperature, water content, and initial ethanol content. Results show that the presence of water in the blends, low temperatures, and high ethanol contents favor the phase separation whereas the presence of the additive leads to the opposite effect. These effects have been quantified through level curve maps for stability and for separation time.

• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/issn/00162361
• Supplemental Notes:
  • Abstract reprinted with permission from Elsevier
• Authors:
  • Lapuerta, Magin
  • Armas, Octavio
  • Garcia-Contreras, Reyes
• Publication Date: 2007-7

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Print
• Features: References;
• Pagination: pp 1351-1357
• Serial:
  • Fuel
  • Volume: 86
  • Issue Number: 10
  • Publisher: Elsevier
  • ISSN: 0016-2361
  • Serial URL: https://www.sciencedirect.com/journal/fuel

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Alternate fuels; Biodiesel fuels; Diesel engines; Diesel fuels; Fuel mixtures; Particulates; Pollutants; Renewable energy sources
• Uncontrolled Terms: Bioethanol
• Subject Areas: Energy; Environment; Highways; I15: Environment;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01079609
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Oct 22 2007 10:15AM