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In Brazilian market, Flex-Fuel vehicles represented over 85% of new light-duty vehicles sold in 2010. These vehicles can use gasoline blended with anhydrous ethanol (18 to 25% v/v), 100% of hydrous ethanol (contains from 6,2 to 7,4% w/w of water) or any blend of these fuels. Some studies regarding Flex-Fuel technology are being made in Brazil, but there are not many published information about fuel properties of different ethanol-gasoline blends. Also, it is important to better understand emissions of aldehydes, unburned ethanol and total hydrocarbons of different ethanol blends on gasoline. A Flex-Fuel engine, 1.4 l, 4 cylinders was tested on a dynamometer. A FTIR (Fourier Transform Infrared analyzer) bench measured aldehydes, unburned ethanol and total hydrocarbons. It was used Gasoline with 25% of anhydrous ethanol was used as a reference fuel (E25). E25 was blended with different hydrous ethanol contents such as 30% (H30), 50% (H50), 80% (H80) and 100% (H100).

In Brazilian market, Flex-Fuel vehicles represented over 90% of new light-duty vehicles sold in 2009. These vehicles can use gasoline blended with anhydrous ethanol (20 to 25% v/v), 100% of hydrous ethanol (contains from 6,2 to 7,4% w/w of water) or any blend of these fuels. An experimental investigation was done to study fuel consumption, emissions and in-cylinder pressure data of a Flex-Fuel Otto engine, 1.4 L, 4 cylinders. It used gasoline with 22% of anhydrous ethanol as a reference fuel (E22). E22 was blended with different hydrous ethanol contents such as 50% (H50) and 80% (H80), also a 100% hydrous ethanol H100) was used. The main fuel properties were analyzed as part of this work. To control the engine operation, a programmable ECU (Engine Control Unit) was used, allowing spark timing calibration either for maximum break torque (MBT) or to keep the engine below the knocking limit.