Diluted combustion of methanol in spark-ignition engines with on-board fuel reforming

Subtitle:Verdunde verbranding van methanol in vonkontstekingsmotoren met brandstofreforming aan boord

Using methanol as an alternative fuel for gasoline engines can reduce CO2 emissions. Engines and fuel technology are scalable, compact and can be produced in a sustainable way. Methanol is the simplest liquid synthetic fuel, therefore has production advantages compared to more complex fuels. The CO2 emissions can be further decreased with a waste heat recovery system for fuel reforming. Thanks to a high hydrogen to carbon ratio and low reforming temperature, methanol was considered as the most promising fuel for onboard hydrogen production. The aim of this research was evaluating the efficiency improvement of methanol fueled spark-ignition engines with on-board fuel reforming. The research shows that the use of methanol produces a significant increase in engine efficiency compared to gasoline. With the addition of fuel reformates, engine efficiency further increases. However, the improvement is not as much as the increase in the heating value of the reforming product would suggest.

ISBN:9789463552226

Publication year:2019

Accessibility:Open