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A laboratory wear test is used to evaluate the wear protection properties of new and used engine oils formulated for FFV service. Laboratory-blended mixtures of these oils with methanol and water have also been tested. The test consists of a steel ball rotating against three polished cast iron discs. Oil samples are obtained at periodic intervals from a fleet of 3.0L Taurus vehicles operating under controlled go-stop conditions. To account for the effects of fuel dilution, some oils are tested before and after a stripping procedure to eliminate gasoline, methanol and other volatile components. In addition to TAN and TBN measurements, a capillary electrophoresis technique is used to evaluate the formate content in the oils. The results suggest that wear properties of used FFV lubricants change significantly with their degree of usage.

The worldwide automotive industry is currently preparing for a market introduction of hydrogen-fueled powertrains. These powertrains in fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs) offer many advantages: high efficiency, zero tailpipe emissions, reduced greenhouse gas footprint, and use of domestic and renewable energy sources. To realize these benefits, hydrogen vehicles must be competitive with conventional vehicles with regards to fueling time and vehicle range. A key to maximizing the vehicle's driving range is to ensure that the fueling process achieves a complete fill to the rated Compressed Hydrogen Storage System (CHSS) capacity. An optimal process will safely transfer the maximum amount of hydrogen to the vehicle in the shortest amount of time, while staying within the prescribed pressure, temperature, and density limits. The SAE J2601 light duty vehicle fueling standard has been developed to meet these performance objectives under all practical conditions.

This paper describes two types of dielectric-effect sensors that may be used as alternatives to a dielectric-effect sensor using a single capacitor. In the first type, three capacitors are mounted in a compact module inserted into a vehicle fuel line. The three capacitors are connected together to form an electrical pi-filter network. This approach provides a large variation of output signal as the fuel changes from gasoline to methanol. The sensor can be designed to operate in the 1 to 20 MHz frequency range. The second type of sensor investigated uses a resonant-cavity structure. Ordinarily, sensors based on resonant cavities are useful only if the operating frequency is several hundred MHz or higher. The high relative dielectric constant of methanol allows useful sensors to be built using relatively short lengths of metal tubing for the cavities. For example, a sensor built using a fuel rail only 38.7 cm long operated in a frequency range from 31 to 52 MHz.

The objective of this study is to investigate the removal of methane (CH4), nitric oxide (NO), and carbon monoxide (CO) from simulated natural gas vehicle (NGV) exhaust over a palladium catalyst. The effects of changes in space velocity and natural gas sulfur (S) content were studied. The study suggests that the NGV has to be operated slightly rich of stoichiometry to achieve simultaneous removal of the three constituents. The CH4 conversion decreases with an increase in the space velocity. The CO and NO conversions remain unaffected over the space velocity range (10,000 hr-1 to 100,000 hr-1) investigated. The presence of sulfur dioxide in the exhaust lowers the CH4 conversion and increases the CO conversion in the rich region. The NO conversion remains unaffected. Studies were conducted over model catalysts to investigate the modes of CH4 removal from the simulated NGV exhaust.

The pulse flame combustor was adapted by researchers at Ford Motor Company in the early 1970s in order to produce exhaust gas simulating the combustion products of the internal combustion engine for the evaluation of automotive catalysts. Over the years, the pulse flame combustor has found application in a wide variety of research oriented tasks associated with automotive catalysts and emissions. More recent research and development efforts which have resulted due to elevated demands toward lower vehicle emission levels have prompted continuing refinements of the apparatus and effected innovative approaches to the study of emerging automotive catalyst and emission control issues with the pulse flame combustor. This report provides an overview of the operation and design evolution of the pulse flame combustor. In addition, recent applications of this laboratory device for studying automotive catalysts, alternative fuels, and other automotive emission control topics are reviewed.

In this study, the particle emission characteristics of 10% alternative diesel fuel blends (Rapeseed Methyl Ester and Gas-to-Liquid) were investigated through the tests carried out on a light duty common-rail Euro 4 diesel engine. Under steady engine conditions, the study focused on particle number concentration and size distribution, to comply with the particle metrics of the European Emission Regulations (Regulation NO 715/2007, amended by 692/2008 and 595/2009). The non-volatile particle characteristics during the engine warming up were also investigated. They indicated that without any modification to the engine, adding selected alternative fuels, even at a low percentage, can result in a noticeable reduction of the total particle numbers; however, the number of nucleation mode particles can increase in certain cases.

Speciation of sulfurous acid, sulfuric acid and ammonium sulfate collected from the aerosol phase on a Fluoropore filter has been readily accomplished using techniques of chemical ionization mass spectrometry combined with thermal separation. Thermal separation of ammonium hydrogen sulfate from ammonium sulfate was not possible. Spectral separation of these species by selective ionization is proposed. Analysis of sulfate aerosols collected from ambient air and catalyzed vehicle emissions is described. It was found that sulfuric acid aerosol was rapidly converted to ammonium sulfate or ammonium hydrogen sulfate in the presence of ambient concentrations of ammonia. Ambient samples collected in the Detroit metropolitan area have been found to contain only trace quantities of sulfuric aicd. Sulfate samples collected from a dilution tube into which catalyzed vehicle exhaust was injected were found to contain significant quantities of ammonium sulfate in addition to sulfuric acid.

New European emissions legislation (Euro5) specifies a limit for Particle Number (PN) emissions and therefore drives measurement of PN during vehicle development and homologation. Concurrently, the use of biofuel is increasing in the marketplace, and Euro5 specifies that reference fuel must contain a bio-derived portion. Work was carried out to test the effect of fuels containing different levels of Fatty Acid Methyl Ester (FAME) on particle number, size, mass and composition. Measurements were conducted with a Cambustion Differential Mobility Spectrometer (DMS) to time-resolve sub-micron particles (5-1000nm), and a Horiba Solid Particle Counting System (SPCS) providing PN data from a Euro5-compliant measurement system. To ensure the findings are relevant to the modern automotive business, testing was carried out on a Euro4 compliant passenger car fitted with a high-pressure common-rail diesel engine and using standard homologation procedures.

Operation of America's first factory built vehicles modified to operate on natural gas began in April, 1984, when Ford Motor Company delivered the first of 27 specially equipped 1984 Ranger pickup trucks to 25 major utility and natural gas related companies in the United States and Canada. In addition to the fuel system, modifications to these test vehicles include a 12.8:1 compression ratio engine and a unique distributor calibration to provide performance similar to the gasoline powered vehicle. The fuel tanks are significantly more expensive than gasoline tanks and remain one of the major cost issues with a natural gas powered vehicle. There are however, no unresolvable technological issues that would prevent motor vehicles from operating economically and efficiently on natural gas.

This book presents an analysis on the potential effects of globalization on the automotive industry and the environment. Energy challenges, market economy growth, and population dynamics are considered. The authors also present future scenarios for transportation technologies to meet the ever growing global demand for transportation of goods and services while minimizing energy and environmental impacts and maximizing cost, value and widespread acceptance.

A new type of dual fuel supply system has been developed. This system is able to economically convert conventional diesel engines into dual-fuel engines like LPG/Diesel engines and CNG/Diesel engines, which are capable of either using single diesel fuel or using dual-fuel including both diesel and CNG fuel or both diesel and LPG fuel. These diesel-LPG engines have been applied to the diesel buses in the public transportation of Guangzhou city, one of the biggest cities in China, owning to their low soot emissions, excellent operating performances and extremely low cost as well. Compared with the diesel baseline engine, it was found that there were a significant reduction in soot emission and an improvement of the fuel consumption with the diesel-LPG engine. Also the strategy on LPG content is discussed in order to meet the demands for soot emission, fuel economy, transient performance and output power at the same time.

Until now no results have been available regarding the composition of evaporative emissions in a SHED test. In particular, for alcohol containing fuels, it is important to assess the relative percentage of alcohols and hydrocarbons in view of their different environmental impacts. This paper presents the results of a study conducted to determine the composition of the emissions from a number of multilayer coextruded plastic fuel tanks soaked in IE10 and CM15 test fuels. These emissions were analyzed for composition using a gas chromatography analytical method which employs a vapor trap and desorb sampling technique. In the case of CM15, methanol was found to account for as much as 50% of the overall evaporative emissions. This speciation method also allows estimation of how leakage and permeation contribute separately to the overall emissions.

With the use of a simulated exhaust system, the sulfuric acid and sulfur dioxide emission from a monolith noble-metal oxidation catalyst (Engelhard IIB) is measured. It was found that the storage rate of sulfur onto an initially sulfur-free catalyst decreases to a few percent of the sulfur rejection rate within 3-4 h. The amount of sulfur on the catalyst when the catalyst is in equilibrium with 20 ppm sulfur in the gas phase varies between 0.3 weight percent of the catalyst at about 400°C to 0.1 weight percent at 600°C. The sulfur can readily desorb from the catalyst if the gas phase sulfur content is lowered or if the catalyst temperature is increased. It was found that the conversion of sulfur dioxide to sulfuric acid reaches thermodynamic equilibrium at temperatures of 400-500°C and space velocities of 30,000 h-1. These conditions correspond approximately to a small V8 engine at 20 mph cruise.

Rheological measurements were performed on a series of lubricants for flexible fuel vehicles, and blends of water or methanol in these oils. A series of measurements, including kinematic viscosity, viscosity at low and high shear rates, low shear viscosity under borderline pumping conditions, and density were performed on all oils and blends. The effects of mixing conditions, such as mixing speed and temperature on these properties were also studied. Viscosity increases when water emulsifies in oils. Methanol exhibits limited solubility in all oils, but more so in synthetic base oils. Viscosity tests at 248 K (-25°C) do not indicate the onset of critical pumping conditions, even at high concentrations of water or methanol. Tests at high shear rates at 323 K (50°C) suggest that water-oil emulsions are quite stable, while methanol-oil blends lose their methanol content either due to evaporation or shear-induced separation.

A simulated diesel exhaust is treated with a nonthermal plasma discharge under steady state conditions. The plasma effluent is then passed through a sodium zeolite-Y (NaY) catalyst followed by a platinum oxidation catalyst. Detailed FTIR measurements of gas composition are taken before, between, and after the treatment stages. The plasma discharge causes oxidation of NO primarily to NO2, with methyl nitrate and nitric acid byproducts. At the same time, HC is partially oxidized, creating species such as formaldehyde, acetaldehyde, CO and other partial oxidation products. When this mixture passes over the NaY catalyst, part of the NOx is reduced to N2, with the remainder primarily in the form of NO. Methyl nitrate decomposes to form methanol and NOx, and nitric acid is consumed. There is little HC conversion on this catalyst. Small quantities of HCN and N2O are formed. When the mixture then passes over the platinum catalyst, further NOx conversion occurs.

Two flexible fuel vehicles (FFVs) using dielectric alcohol sensors have been designed and developed for mass production. One FFV will operate on gasoline or methanol up to 85% (M85). The second FFV will operate on gasoline or ethanol up to 85% (E85). Significant modification of a conventional dedicated gasoline engine was necessary in order to avoid major problems in the areas of preignition, engine wear and material compatibility. Operation on alcohol fuels provides for improved torque and horsepower over gasoline. Feedgas emission levels with alcohol fuels are lower than those with gasoline. However, this advantage is diminished at the tailpipe due to the long catalytic converter light-off times that result from the lower combustion temperatures which characterize alcohol fuels. Meeting evaporative emission regulations provided a challenge due to the high levels of vapor generated by low alcohol percentage fuel blends.

Hydrogen fueled internal combustion engines have potential for high thermal efficiencies; however, high efficiency conditions can produce high nitrogen oxide emissions (NOx) that are challenging to treat using conventional 3-way catalysts. This work presents the results of an experimental study to reduce NOx emissions while retaining high thermal efficiencies in a single-cylinder research engine fueled with hydrogen. Specifically, the effects on engine performance of the injection of water into the intake air charge were explored. The hydrogen fuel was injected into the cylinder directly. Several parameters were varied during the study, including the amount of water injected into the intake charge, the amount of fuel injected, the phasing of the fuel injection, the number of fuel injection events, and the ignition timing. The results were compared with expectations for a conventionally operated hydrogen engine where load was controlled through changes in equivalence ratio.

It is generally recognized chat methanol is the best candidate for long-term replacement of petroleum-based fuels at soma time in the future. The transition from an established fuel to a new fuel, and vehicles that can use the new fuel, is difficult, however. This paper discusses two independent investigations of possible transition uses of methanol, which, when combined, may provide an option for introduction of methanol that takes advantage of the existing industrial base, and provides economic incentives to the consumer. The concept combines the intermediate blends of methanol and gasoline (50%-70% methanol) with the Flexible Fuel Vehicle. In addition to a possible maximum cost effectiveness, these fuels ease vehicle range restrictions due to refueling logistics, and mitigate cold starting problems, while at the same time providing most of the performance of the higher concentration blends.

The use of methanol as an automotive fuel can be expected to become significant in North America during the 1990's. Methanol fuel will be sold as 85%/15% MeOH/gasoline mixture. Limited availability of methanol fuel in some parts of North America will require methanol vehicles to be dynamically adaptable to fuel compositions ranging from 85% methanol to 100% gasoline. One approach to meeting such a requirement is a sensor that is mounted somewhere in the vehicle's fuel handling system that determines the concentration of methanol in the fuel flowing to the engine. The output of the sensor is supplied to the computer controlled engine management system that sets engine operating parameters. A sensor based on near infrared absorbance is the subject of this paper.

This paper presents a numerical study of trace knocking combustion of ethanol/gasoline blends in a modern, single cylinder SI engine. Results are compared to experimental data from a prior, published work [1]. The engine is modeled using GT-Power and a two-zone combustion model containing detailed kinetic models. The two zone model uses a gasoline surrogate model [2] combined with a sub-model for nitric oxide (NO) [3] to simulate end-gas autoignition. Upstream, pre-vaporized fuel injection (UFI) and direct injection (DI) are modeled and compared to characterize ethanol's low autoignition reactivity and high charge cooling effects. Three ethanol/gasoline blends are studied: E0, E20, and E50. The modeled and experimental results demonstrate some systematic differences in the spark timing for trace knock across all three fuels, but the relative trends with engine load and ethanol content are consistent. Possible reasons causing the differences are discussed.