Internal combustion engine with thermochemical recuperation fed by ethanol steam reforming products - Feasibility study

O. Cesana, M. Gutman, Michael Shapiro, Leonid Tartakovsky

Research output: Contribution to journalConference articlepeer-review

Abstract

This research analyses the performance of a spark ignition engine fueled by ethanol steam reforming products. The basic concept involves the use of the internal combustion engine's (ICE) waste heat to promote onboard reforming of ethanol. The reformer and the engine performance were simulated and analyzed using GT-Suite, Chem CAD and Matlab software. The engine performance with different compositions of ethanol reforming products was analyzed, in order to find the optimal working conditions of the ICE - reformer system. The analysis performed demonstrated the capability to sustain the endothermic reactions in the reformer and to reform the liquid ethanol to hydrogen-rich gaseous fuel using the heat of the exhaust gases. However, the required reformer's size is quite large: 39 x 89 x 73 cm, which makes a feasibility of its mounting on board a vehicle questionable. A comparison with ICE fed by gasoline or liquid ethanol doesn't show a potential of efficiency improvement, but can be considered as a tool of additional emissions reduction.

Original languageEnglish
Article number012109
JournalIOP Conference Series: Materials Science and Engineering
Volume147
Issue number1
DOIs
StatePublished - 2 Sep 2016
Event7th International Conference on Advanced Concepts in Mechanical Engineering, ACME 2016 - Iasi, Romania
Duration: 9 Jun 201610 Jun 2016

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

  • General Engineering
  • General Materials Science

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Internal combustion engine with thermochemical recuperation fed by ethanol steam reforming products - Feasibility study'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this