Kärcher, Viktor; Hellier, Paul; Ladommatos, Nicos; (2024) Effects of potential biofuel composition on emission reduction by a three-way catalyst during combustion in direct-injection spark ignition engine. In: Proceedings of the THIESEL 2024 Conference on Thermo- and Fluid Dynamics of Clean Propulsion Powerplants. European Automotive Research Partners Association (EARPA): Valencia, Spain.

Text THIESEL_2024_Biofuel_TWC_final.pdf - Accepted Version Access restricted to UCL open access staff until 30 April 2025. Download (1MB)

Abstract

The displacement of fossil fuel use in transport systems with sustainable alternatives is urgently required to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and address global climate. Advanced biofuels from renewable feedstocks, for example waste biomass, present an opportunity to decarbonise the use of combustion for propulsion but sustainable utilisation of these fuels also requires consideration of impacts on other exhaust pollutants that negatively affect the environment and human health. Therefore, while exhaust after-treatment systems are an established and effective means of emission reduction during combustion of hydrocarbon fuels, there is a need to understand the impacts of biofuel use on the performance of devices including three-way catalysts (TWC) for simultaneous reduction of nitrogen oxides (NOx), carbon monoxide (CO) and unburnt hydrocarbons (THC). This study therefore investigates the effects of four potential biofuel molecules from sustainable feedstocks, 2-methylfuran (MF), 2-methyltetrahydrofuran (MTHF), gamma valerolactone (GVL) and linalool (LNL), on combustion characteristics, engine-out exhaust emissions and pollutant conversion across a three-way catalyst (TWC) in a gasoline direct injection engine. The potential biofuel molecules were blended with reference gasoline (RGL) at 20 % wt/wt and supplied to a light-duty direct injection spark ignition engine operated at constant speed and load, with gaseous and particulate exhaust emissions measured pre- and post- TWC during catalyst warm-up during engine cold-start and at steady state. While all of the biofuel blends displayed similar rates of heat release rate relative to gasoline only combustion, the MF blend significantly increased CO and NOx engine-out emissions both during cold-start and at steady state. The use of GVL reduced NOx, while hydrogen (H2) emissions correlated with blend hydrogen carbon ratio. All of the biofuel blends increased the TWC inlet temperature required for pollutant conversion, while MF, LNL and GVL increased H2 levels post-TWC at higher temperatures. LNL exhibited higher particulate levels post-TWC than gasoline only, despite lower engine-out emissions during combustion of the biofuel blend

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