Biomass has the potential to become an important source of energy for future automotive fuels. Recent biological and chemical improvements to the conversion of biomass-derived carbohydrates have produced high yields of liquid 2,5-dimethylfuran (DMF). This discovery has made DMF a possible substitute for petroleum-based gasoline, because they share very similar physicochemical properties, which are superior to those of ethanol. In the present study, experiments have been carried out on a single-cylinder gasoline direct-injection (GDI) research engine to study the performance of DMF benchmarked against gasoline and what is considered to be the current biofuel leader, ethanol. Initial results are very promising for DMF as a new biofuel; not only is the combustion performance similar to commercial gasoline, but the regulated emissions are also comparable.
The 2,5-dimethylfuran (DMF) has attracted renewed global interest since its improved production methods were published in Nature and Science in 2007. Its high energy density makes it a promising biofuel and a possible alternative to gasoline. Consequently, a series of studies, led by the University of Birmingham, aims to assess the potential of DMF as an automotive energy carrier. These studies will include an analysis of the spray properties, the laminar flame characteristics, the engine performance, and the subsequent emissions. This paper examines the laminar flame characteristics from a quiescent homogeneous air−fuel mixture. The experiments were conducted using a constant volume vessel and were recorded by high speed schlieren visualization. By measurement of the flame growth following ignition, the laminar flame speed was determined. The calculation of flame stretch yielded the Markstein lengths and the laminar burning velocities. This paper presents the results of DMF combustion for a range of equivalence ratios (0.6−2.0) and initial temperatures (50−100 °C). The flame performance when using DMF is compared to EN228 gasoline and to the most commonly used biofuel substitute for gasoline, ethanol. The data shows that ethanol has the highest laminar burning velocity, followed by gasoline, and then DMF. In the 0.9−1.1 equivalence ratio range, the laminar burning velocity of DMF was very similar to gasoline and the difference was within 10%.
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