Combustion of n-Butanol, Gasoline, and n-Butanol/Gasoline Mixture Droplets

Abstract

Fuels derived from biofeedstocks are receiving attention for their potential as additives to conventional petroleum-based transportation fuels. Normal butanol, in particular, can enhance performance compared to ethanol because of its higher energy density. To better understand the combustion dynamics of n-butanol in the context of gasoline, experiments are reported here to examine the isolated droplet combustion characteristics of an 87 octane (ethanol-free) gasoline and a mixture of gasoline (0.9, v/v) and n-butanol (0.l, v/v, B10), along with n-butanol. The experiments are performed in an ambience that minimizes convection and promotes spherical droplet flames. The initial droplet diameters range from 0.52 to 0.63 mm, and the experiments are carried out in room-temperature air at normal atmospheric pressure. Measurements of the evolution of the droplet diameter show that butanol and B10 droplets have burning rates that are almost identical to gasoline, even though other features of the burning process, such as soot formation and the relative position of the droplet and flame, are quite different. With butanol mixed with gasoline, the mixture flames are comparatively closer to the droplet than for gasoline droplets. A scale analysis is developed that expresses the droplet burning rate in terms of temperature-dependent properties. The results support the experimentally observed similarity of burning rates for butanol, gasoline, and their mixtures, even though soot formation is neglected.

Demonstration of CO2 Conversion to Synthetic Transport Fuel at Flue Gas Concentrations

“…Unlike ethanol, which can only be blended with hydrocarbon fuels up to certain limits due to its corrosivity and hydrophilicity, butanol is lipophilic and non-corrosive (New Zealand Ministry of Transport and SGS Industrial, Penrose 2009). Furthermore, it has a slightly higher energy density (36.0 MJ/L) than gasoline (34.2 MJ/L), and similar burn rate and octane number, allowing completely unmodified vehicles to run on both butanol alone and butanol/petrol fuel blends (Szulczyk, 2010;Xu and Avedisian, 2015). Butanol further allows higher ethanol concentrations to be used within blended fuels, as it solubilizes ethanol in the bulk petrol and prevents ethanol volatilization (Yanowitz et al, 2011).…”

Efficient conversion of ethanol to 1-butanol and C5–C9 alcohols over calcium carbide

“…6 1-Butanol is considered to be an excellent alternative to ethanol because it possesses an energy density closer to gasoline, low solubility in water and lesscorrosive nature. 7,8 1-Butanol is also a bulk platform chemical for synthesis of 1-butyl esters plasticizer, general extraction agent of perfumes and drugs, and paint solvent. 9 Although fermentation of biomass to 1-butanol has been developed, economical production on an industrial scale was reported to remain a challenge.…”

Increased Butanol Yields through Cosubstrate Fermentation of Jerusalem Artichoke Tubers and Crude Glycerol by Clostridium pasteurianum DSM 525

“…Butanol is a potential advanced biofuel that can be blent with gasoline and diesel. 1−4 Because of increased substrate costs and availability of less expensive petrochemically derived butanol in the 1950s, most of the acetone/butanol/ethanol (ABE) fermentation plants were closed. 4,5 However, in the past decade, the interest in butanol fermentation has been revived, which led multiple studies on strain development, fermentation improvement, and in situ product removal technologies.…”