Rajan Wilcox
Ethanol, also known as EtOH, is a clear, colourless liquid with a higher octane number than gasoline. It is often blended with diesel fuel to create E-Diesel or eDiesel, which can be used in compression ignition engines. This blend typically contains up to 15% ethanol, along with an additive package to maintain stability and other properties. While E-diesel offers advantages such as reduced diesel particulate emissions and a partially renewable character, it also presents potential safety issues due to its low flashpoint. The compatibility of ethanol blends with engine components and fuel distribution systems is an important consideration, as ethanol can damage certain materials like aluminum and conventional paints. Additionally, the flammability of ethanol vapors poses risks that require appropriate safety measures during refueling and fires. Overall, the use of ethanol in diesel blends and engines is a developing area of technology, with ongoing research focused on optimizing performance, emissions, and safety.
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What You'll Learn
Ethanol-diesel blends
Ethanol (CH3CH2OH) is a clear, colourless liquid that can be produced from starch or sugar-based feedstocks, such as corn grain, sugar cane, or cellulosic feedstocks like wood chips or crop residues. It is a renewable bio-based resource that is oxygenated, making it an attractive alternative fuel for compression-ignition engines.
Blends of ethanol and diesel fuel, often referred to as "E-Diesel" or "eDiesel", typically consist of standard diesel fuel blended with up to 15% (by volume) of ethanol. These blends can be used in compression ignition engines and offer certain advantages, such as reductions in regulated diesel emissions, particularly diesel particulate matter.
One of the biggest advantages of E-Diesel is its partially renewable character when renewable ethanol is used as the blending stock. However, it also has some potential operational and safety concerns. For example, E-Diesel has a very low flashpoint, which may present a safety issue. Additionally, there is currently no specification for E-Diesel in the USA, and contradictory reports exist regarding its effect on NOx, CO, and HC emissions.
To ensure the compatibility of E-Diesel with engines, the formulation of additives is critical to maintaining blend stability and other properties like cetane number and lubricity. These additives can comprise up to 5.0% of the blend. Aftermarket dual-fuel kits have also been developed to allow port fuel injection of ethanol, with some kits incorporating heat exchangers to improve fuel vaporization.
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E-diesel emissions
E-diesel is a synthetic diesel fuel for use in automobiles. It is created from carbon dioxide, water, and electricity, with the process powered by renewable energy sources to create a liquid energy carrier called blue crude, which is then refined to generate e-diesel. E-diesel is considered carbon-neutral as it does not extract new carbon, and the energy sources used to create it are from carbon-neutral sources.
E-diesel can be blended with fossil diesel and used as a replacement fuel in automobiles with diesel engines. Blends of up to 15% ethanol in diesel fuel are known as e-diesel and can be used in compression ignition engines. The use of e-diesel can bring reductions in certain regulated diesel emissions, especially diesel particulate matter. However, there are contradictory reports on its effect on NOx, CO, and HC emissions.
E-diesel has a low flash point, which may present a safety issue. Additionally, it requires modifications to the engine for its application, which limits its use. Nevertheless, it offers a partially renewable character, especially if renewable ethanol is used as the blending stock.
In terms of emissions, a study on the emission characteristics of e-diesel dual-fuel engines found that e-diesel operation can significantly reduce NOx and smoke levels. However, unburned hydrocarbon (UBHC) and carbon monoxide (CO) emissions exhibited a reverse trend, with the maximum value of HC and CO emission levels noted with a 30% premixed fraction.
When considering vehicle emissions, it is important to evaluate both tailpipe emissions and life cycle emissions. Tailpipe emissions refer to the direct emissions from a vehicle's exhaust, while life cycle emissions include all emissions associated with fuel production, processing, distribution, vehicle manufacturing, and end-of-life. All-electric vehicles and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) typically produce lower tailpipe emissions and zero tailpipe emissions when running only on electricity. In contrast, conventional vehicles with internal combustion engines (ICE) produce direct tailpipe emissions and evaporation emissions from the fuel system.
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E-diesel safety issues
E-diesel, or ethanol-diesel blends, are blends of standard diesel fuel with up to 15% ethanol by volume. Ethanol is a clear, colourless liquid with the chemical formula CH3CH2OH and is also known as ethyl alcohol or grain alcohol. E-diesel can be used in compression ignition engines and can reduce regulated diesel emissions, particularly diesel particulate matter.
However, e-diesel also has several safety issues. One of the main concerns is its low flashpoint. The flashpoint is the temperature at which a flammable liquid has evaporated enough to form a flammable concentration of vapour immediately above the liquid surface. Diesel has a relatively high flashpoint of around 55°C, which is why it is considered a safe fuel. In contrast, e-diesel has a very low flashpoint, which can pose a safety risk.
The low flashpoint of e-diesel may have significant implications for its applicability and marketability. E-diesel is likely to remain a niche market fuel with limited use due to its potential safety hazards.
Another safety issue with e-diesel is the potential health risks associated with diesel exhaust. Diesel exhaust is a mixture of gases and particulates produced during the combustion of diesel fuel. It contains solid elemental carbon cores with organic carbon compounds, including polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), which have been shown to cause cancer in animal tests. Exposure to diesel exhaust can lead to eye and nose irritation, headaches, nausea, respiratory disease, and lung cancer. Therefore, occupations with potential exposure to diesel exhaust, such as construction workers, heavy equipment operators, and truck drivers, are at risk of these health effects.
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Ethanol engines
Ethanol, also known as ethyl alcohol, grain alcohol, or EtOH, is a clear, colourless liquid. It is a common fuel mixture worldwide and can be used in engines, although it is not suitable for most aircraft, some motorbikes, and small engines. Ethanol has a higher octane number than gasoline, which provides premium blending properties.
Ethanol has been used as an engine fuel since 1978 when the Fiat 147 was introduced in Brazil. Ethanol engines based on the diesel principle have been in operation in Sweden since 1989, primarily for city buses, but also for distribution trucks and waste collectors. These engines, made by Scania, have a modified compression ratio and use a fuel mix of 93.6% ethanol, 3.6% ignition improver, and 2.8% denaturants. The ignition improver makes it possible for the fuel to ignite in the diesel combustion cycle, allowing for the energy efficiency of the diesel principle with ethanol.
Ethanol can be used in its pure form, known as hydrous or anhydrous ethanol, in internal combustion engines (ICEs) that are designed or modified for this purpose. Anhydrous ethanol can be blended with gasoline for use in unmodified gasoline engines, but only in small amounts, as it has a lower energy density than gasoline. Pure ethanol contains only about two-thirds the energy of an equivalent volume of pure gasoline, and the blend E85 (85% ethanol) has been shown to produce lower mileage than gasoline and requires more frequent refuelling. However, ethanol has a higher octane rating, so the engine can be made more efficient by raising its compression ratio.
Ethanol can also be blended with diesel fuel, creating a blend known as E-Diesel or eDiesel. This blend typically contains up to 15% ethanol by volume, along with an additive package that helps maintain blend stability and other properties. E-Diesel can produce reductions in regulated diesel emissions, particularly diesel particulate matter. However, it has a low flashpoint, which may present a safety issue.
Overall, ethanol has advantages and disadvantages as a fuel for engines. While it can provide higher octane ratings and reduce regulated emissions, it also has lower energy density than gasoline, can corrode metals and rubbers in older engines, and may present safety issues due to its low flashpoint.
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Ethanol lab testing
Ethanol, also known as ethyl alcohol, is a clear, colourless liquid with the chemical formula CH3CH2OH. It is primarily produced from starch- or sugar-based feedstocks, such as corn grain or sugarcane. Ethanol is commonly used as a fuel blendstock, with blends of up to 15% ethanol in diesel fuel known as e-diesel. These blends can be used in compression ignition engines and offer reductions in regulated diesel emissions.
Laboratory techniques for ethanol testing include Point-of-Care Testing and serum ethanol level tests. Proper collection, handling, and storage of blood alcohol samples are crucial, especially in medicolegal cases involving sobriety testing. Blood tests are generally considered more reliable than urine tests for determining ethanol levels and intoxication, as urine tests can be subject to false negatives and positives due to factors such as volatility and the presence of certain organisms or high glucose content.
It is important to note that other alcohols, such as isopropyl (rubbing alcohol) or methanol (grain alcohol), can also cause ethanol tests to be positive. Therefore, when testing for ethanol specifically, it is important to use alcohol-free swabs and follow standard protocols for collection, such as using grey-top or red-top tubes.
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Frequently asked questions
Ethanol, also known as ethyl alcohol, grain alcohol, or EtOH, is a clear, colorless liquid with the chemical formula CH3CH2OH.
Diesel fuel is a type of compression ignition engine fuel that is typically made from petroleum.
No, diesel fuel will not show positive in a lab for EtOH. However, blends of diesel fuel and ethanol, known as E-Diesel, can contain up to 15% ethanol.
