Impact of Fuel Properties on GDI Injector Deposit Formation and Particulate Matter Emissions

Smith

et al. 2022

Analyst

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Time resolved growth of (N)-polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in engine deposits uncovered with OrbiSIMS depth profiling

Smith

et al. 2022

Analyst

“…11−14 For example, deposit formation can increase particulate emissions by up to 5 times. 13,15 The World Health Organization estimates that poor air quality leads to 7 million premature deaths each year; 16 therefore, mitigating deposits will present benefits from an environmental and healthcare perspective.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…It is proposed that by 2040, 70% of light passenger vehicles will still use internal combustion engines. , These offer benefits such as efficiency, cost, reliability, and flexibility of burning new generation fuels and as such will feature heavily in the future global vehicle mix for road, rail, off-road, and marine applications. − Two processes in internal combustion engines that greatly influence emissions and efficiency are fuel injection, where fuel is injected into the combustion chamber, and fuel filtration, where fuel is repeatedly passed through and cleaned for recirculation back into the fuel injectors. However, insoluble deposits, caused by contaminated or unstable fuel mixtures, , commonly afflict these components and lead to a decrease in fuel economy and an increase in pollutant emission from internal combustion engines. − For example, deposit formation can increase particulate emissions by up to 5 times. , The World Health Organization estimates that poor air quality leads to 7 million premature deaths each year; therefore, mitigating deposits will present benefits from an environmental and healthcare perspective.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Spatially Resolved Molecular Compositions of Insoluble Multilayer Deposits Responsible for Increased Pollution from Internal Combustion Engines

ACS Appl. Mater. Interfaces

Lamb

Spanu

et al. 2020

Internal combustion engines are used heavily in diverse applications worldwide. Achieving the most efficient operation is key to improving air quality as society moves to a decarbonized energy system. Insoluble deposits that form within internal combustion engine components including fuel injectors and filters negatively impact CO2 and pollutant emissions. Understanding the composition, origins, and formation mechanisms of these complex materials will be key to their mitigation however, previous attempts only afforded nondiagnostic chemical assignments and limited knowledge toward this. Here, we uncover the identity and spatial distribution of molecular species from a gasoline direct injector, diesel injector, and filter deposit in situ using a new hyphenation of secondary ion mass spectrometry and the state-of-the-art Orbitrap mass analyzer (3D OrbiSIMS) and elemental analysis. Through a high mass resolving power and tandem MS we unambiguously uncovered the identity, distribution, and origin of species including alkylbenzyl sulfonates and provide evidence of deposit formation mechanisms including formation of longer chain sulfonates at the gasoline deposit’s surface as well as aromatization to form polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons up to C66H20, which were prevalent in the lower depth of this deposit. Inorganic salts contributed significantly to the diesel injector deposit throughout its depth, suggesting contamination over multiple fueling cycles. Findings will enable several strategies to mitigate these insoluble materials such as implementing stricter worldwide fuel specifications, modifying additives with adverse reactivity, and synthesizing new fuel additives to solubilize deposits in the engine, thereby leading to less polluting vehicles.

“…However, insoluble fuel deposits commonly afflict these components and are caused by contaminated or unstable fuel mixtures (9,10), and lead to a decrease in fuel economy and an increase in pollutant emission from internal combustion engines (11)(12)(13)(14)(15), and particulate emissions can increase by up to five times (14,16). The World Health Organization estimate that poor air quality leads to 7 million premature deaths each year (17), therefore mitigating deposits will present benefits from an environmental and healthcare perspective.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Unambiguous Identification of Key Molecular Species in Deposits Responsible for Increased Pollution from Internal Combustion Engines

Lamb²,

Spanu³

et al. 2020

Preprint

<div>Clean and efficient internal combustion engine performance will play a significant role in</div><div>the move to a decarbonized energy system. Currently, fuel deposit formation on engine</div><div>components negatively impacts CO2 and pollutant emissions, where previous attempts at</div><div>deposit characterization afforded non-diagnostic chemical assignments. Here, we uncover</div><div>the identity and 3D spatial distribution of molecular species from gasoline, diesel injector</div><div>and filter deposits with the 3D OrbiSIMS technique. Alkylbenzyl sulfonates, derived from </div><div>lubricant oil contamination in the engine fuel cycle, were common to samples, we</div><div>evidence transformation of the native sulfonate to longer chain species by reaction with</div><div>fuel fragments in the gasoline deposit. Inorganic salts, identified in both diesel deposits,</div><div>were prevalent throughout the injector deposits depth. We identified common polycyclic</div><div>aromatic hydrocarbons up to C66H20, these were prevalent in the gasoline deposits lower</div><div>depths. This work will enable deposit mitigation by unravelling their chemical</div><div>composition, spatial distribution, and origins.</div>