Using biofuel tracers to study alternative combustion regimes

Mack, J. Hunter; Flowers, Daniel L.; Buchholz, Bruce A.; Dibble, Robert W.

doi:10.1016/j.nimb.2007.02.097

Cited by 5 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 29 publications

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“…Isotopically labeled molecules may be used as tracers to determine the extent of conversion of the labeled molecule(s) or atoms(s) to various combustion emissions, including PM, unburned hydrocarbons, and CO 2 . A number of isotope techniques have been used over the years for combustion and pyrolysis research, particularly those involving 14 C radiotracer techniques. − Overall, there have been fewer studies reported in the literature that have used 13 C tracer techniques, which have been utilized in some recent publications. − A major benefit of using 13 C rather than 14 C labeling is that 13 C is a stable isotope and does not carry the same health and environmental risks of using radioactive isotopes. In addition, commercially produced 13 C-containing molecules can be obtained relatively inexpensively, especially when used at only low levels of enrichment.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Quantification of the Fraction of Particulate Matter Derived from a Range of ¹³C-Labeled Fuels Blended into Heptane, Studied in a Diesel Engine and Tube Reactor

et al. 2016

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This paper presents the results of an experimental study that was carried out to determine the conversion rates to particulate matter (PM) of several liquid fuel hydrocarbon molecules and specific carbon atoms within those molecules. The fuels investigated (ethanol, n-propanol, i-propanol, acetone, and toluene) were blended in binary mixtures with n-heptane to a level of 10 mol percent. The contribution of the additive molecules to PM was quantified using a carbon-13 (13C) labeling experiment, in which the fuel of interest was enriched with 13C to serve as an atomic tracer. Measurement of the 13C/12C in the fuel and in the resulting PM was carried out using isotope ratio mass spectrometry. The fuel binary mixtures were tested under pyrolysis conditions in a tube reactor and also combusted in a direct injection compression ignition engine. In the tube reactor, samples were generated under oxygen-free pyrolysis conditions and at a temperature of 1300 °C, while the engine experiments were carried out at an intermediate load. Both in the tube reactor and in the engine it was found that, dependent on the fuel molecular structure, there were significant differences in the overall conversion rates to PM of the fuel molecules and of the “submolecular” carbon atoms. A separate experiment was also carried out in the compression ignition engine, with n-heptane as fuel, in order to determine the contribution of the engine lubrication oil to exhaust PM; the results showed that a significant portion (∼60%) of the total particulate was derived from the lubrication oil.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Quantification of the Fraction of Particulate Matter Derived from a Range of ¹³C-Labeled Fuels Blended into Heptane, Studied in a Diesel Engine and Tube Reactor

et al. 2016

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“…3 shows a schematic representation of the laminar tube reactor facility used in this research, which has been described in previous work [7]. This setup consisted of a feed system for metering the introduction of fuel, air and nitrogen (components 1-7), a high temperature reactor (components 8,9), and a means of collecting and analysing effluent gasses (components [10][11][12][13][14]. Liquid fuels were fed into the tube reactor system at a controlled rate by means of a mechanical syringe pump, passing the fuel through a stainless steel capillary into a heated vaporiser.…”

Section: Particulate Sample Collectionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The majority of studies in the literature that track a labelled component in fuel or oil to combustion products, generally utilise the radioactive isotope carbon-14 ( 14 C) [5,[8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17]. Ferguson in 1957, used 13 C labelled propane at high levels of enrichment to track the formation of soot from specific carbon atoms in propane [18].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

An investigation into the conversion of specific carbon atoms in oleic acid and methyl oleate to particulate matter in a diesel engine and tube reactor

Eveleigh

Ladommatos

Hellier

et al. 2015

Fuel

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h i g h l i g h t sThe 13 C isotope has been used to trace specific carbon atoms during combustion. Two molecules were investigated, the biofuels oleic acid and methyl oleate. The double bonded C in oleic acid forms particulate at about the same rate as the average carbon atom. The carbonyl carbon in methyl oleate and oleic acid does not convert to particulate. a b s t r a c tThe paper is concerned with particulate formation from the fuels oleic acid and methyl oleate. In particular the paper reports, quantitatively, the propensity of individual carbon atoms in these two molecules in being converted to particulate. The conversion of individual carbon atoms to particulate was traced by 'labelling' individual carbon atoms in those two fuel molecules with isotopic carbon-13 ( 13 C) and then measuring how many of the labelled atoms was found in the particulate. This allowed the measuring of the conversion rates of individual fuel carbon atoms to particulate. In the case of oleic acid, three carbon atoms were selected as being particularly relevant to particulate formation, and 13 C labelled. One of the carbon atoms was double bonded to the oxygen atom on the carboxylic acid group; and the other two were part of the oleic acid molecule alkyl chain and double bonded to each other. In the case of the methyl oleate, one carbon atom was 13 C labelled. This was the carbon atom that was double bonded to one of the oxygen atoms of the ester group. Experimental results are presented for particulate matter (PM) formed in a laminar flow tube reactor, and also in a direct injection compression ignition engine. The tube reactor has been used for the pyrolysis of oleic acid and methyl oleate at 1300°C, under oxygen-free conditions and at air-fuel equivalence ratios (k) of 0.1, and 0.2. Samples of PM were also collected from the compression ignition engine at an intermediate engine load. Isotope ratio mass spectrometry (IRMS) has been used to determine the relative abundance of 13 C in the initial fuel and in the resulting PM. Significant differences in the relative conversion rates of individual carbon atoms are reported; a negligible contribution to PM from the carbon atom directly bonded to two oxygen atoms was found in both the engine and reactor. The labelling technique used in this paper requires low quantities of 13 C labelled molecules to enrich otherwise unlabelled oleic acid; enrichment is at volumetric concentrations typically less than 0.7% (v/v). In addition, emissions data from the engine and tube reactor, including unburned hydrocarbons, CO, CO 2 , NO x , and PM size and number distributions measured by differential mobility spectrometer, are also presented.

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Effect of bioethanol on combustion and emissions in advanced CI engines: HCCI, PPC and GCI mode – A review

Noh

2017

Applied Energy

108

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Using biofuel tracers to study alternative combustion regimes

Cited by 5 publications

References 29 publications

Quantification of the Fraction of Particulate Matter Derived from a Range of ¹³C-Labeled Fuels Blended into Heptane, Studied in a Diesel Engine and Tube Reactor

Quantification of the Fraction of Particulate Matter Derived from a Range of ¹³C-Labeled Fuels Blended into Heptane, Studied in a Diesel Engine and Tube Reactor

An investigation into the conversion of specific carbon atoms in oleic acid and methyl oleate to particulate matter in a diesel engine and tube reactor

Effect of bioethanol on combustion and emissions in advanced CI engines: HCCI, PPC and GCI mode – A review

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Using biofuel tracers to study alternative combustion regimes

Cited by 5 publications

References 29 publications

Quantification of the Fraction of Particulate Matter Derived from a Range of 13C-Labeled Fuels Blended into Heptane, Studied in a Diesel Engine and Tube Reactor

Quantification of the Fraction of Particulate Matter Derived from a Range of 13C-Labeled Fuels Blended into Heptane, Studied in a Diesel Engine and Tube Reactor

An investigation into the conversion of specific carbon atoms in oleic acid and methyl oleate to particulate matter in a diesel engine and tube reactor

Effect of bioethanol on combustion and emissions in advanced CI engines: HCCI, PPC and GCI mode – A review

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Quantification of the Fraction of Particulate Matter Derived from a Range of ¹³C-Labeled Fuels Blended into Heptane, Studied in a Diesel Engine and Tube Reactor

Quantification of the Fraction of Particulate Matter Derived from a Range of ¹³C-Labeled Fuels Blended into Heptane, Studied in a Diesel Engine and Tube Reactor