Assessment of environmentally friendly fuel emissions from in-use vehicle exhaust: low-blend iso-stoichiometric GEM mixture as example.

Gasoline-ethanol-methanol fuel blends were formulated with the same stoichiometric air-to-fuel ratio and volumetric energy concentration as any binary ethanol-gasoline blend. When the stoichiometric blends operated in a vehicle, the time period, injector voltage, and pressure for each fuel injection event in the engine corresponded to a given stoichiometric air-to-fuel ratio, and the load was essentially constant. Three low oxygen content iso-stoichiometric ternary gasoline-ethanol-methanol fuel blends were prepared, and the properties were compared with regular-type fuel without added oxygen. One of the ternary fuels was tested using a fleet of in-use vehicles for15 weeks and compared to neat gasoline without oxygenated compounds as a reference. Only a small number of publications have compared these ternary fuels in the same engine, and little data exist on the performance and emissions of in-use spark-ignition engines. The total hydrocarbon emissions observed was similar in both fuels, in addition to the calculated ozone forming potential of the tailpipe and evaporative emissions. In ozone non-attainment areas, the original purpose for oxygenate gasolines was to decrease carbon monoxide emissions. The results suggest that the strategy is less effective than expected because there still exist a great number of vehicles that have suffered the progressive deterioration of emissions and do not react to oxygenation, while new vehicles are equipped with sophisticated air/fuel control systems, and oxygenation does not improve combustion because the systems adjust the stoichiometric point, making it insensitive to the origin of the added excess oxygen (fuel or excess air). Graphical abstract Low level ternary blend of gasoline-ethanol-methanol were prepared with the same stoichiometric air-fuel ratio and volumetric energy concentration, based on the volumetric energy density of the pre-blended components. Exhaust and evaporative emissions was compared with a blend having no oxygen in a fleet of 12 in-use vehicles. Vehicles that had suffer a normal deterioration of emissions and do not react to oxygenation, and new vehicles with more sophisticated air/fuel control systems do not improve combustion.

Assessment of Mexico's program to use ethanol as transportation fuel: impact of 6% ethanol-blended fuel on emissions of light-duty gasoline vehicles.

Recently, the Mexican government launched a national program encouraging the blending of renewable fuels in engine fuel. To aid the assessment of the environmental consequences of this move, the effect of gasoline fuel additives, ethanol and methyl tert-butyl ether, on the tailpipe and the evaporative emissions of Mexico sold cars was investigated. Regulated exhaust and evaporative emissions, such as carbon monoxide, non-methane hydrocarbons, and nitrogen oxides, and 15 unregulated emissions were measured under various conditions on a set of 2005-2008 model light-duty vehicles selected based on sales statistics for the Mexico City metropolitan area provided by car manufacturers. The selected car brands are also frequent in Canada, the USA, and other parts of the world. This paper provides details and results of the experiment that are essential for evaluation of changes in the emission inventory, originating in the low-blend ethanol addition in light vehicle fuel.

Hazardous air pollutants from mobile sources in the Metropolitan Area of Mexico City.

Environmental agencies are currently in the process of implementing a new air management program, which includes the improvement of fuel quality. In this work, exhaust emissions data and estimated relative risk for various fuels testing in-use vehicles, equipped with three different exhaust emission control technologies, are presented. Aromatics, sulfur, and olefins contents; type of oxygenated compound; and Reid vapor pressure were varied. The aim also includes calculating the ozone (O3) forming potential and a relative cancer risk of emissions from current and formulated gasoline blends in Mexico. The proposed gasoline decreases carbon monoxide, total hydrocarbons (THC), and nitrogen oxides emissions by 18 and 14%, respectively, when compared with gasoline sold in the rest of the country and within ozone nonattainment metropolitan areas in Mexico, respectively.

Exhaust Emissions from Gasoline- and LPG-Powered Vehicles Operating at the Altitude of Mexico City.

Unburned hydrocarbons (HCs), carbon monoxide (CO), and oxides of nitrogen (NOx) are the compounds regulated as pollutants by an environmental standard in the Metropolitan Area of Mexico City (MAMC). The main fuel used in vehicular transportation is gasoline, and the use of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) is now an alternative as low emission technology to decrease the environmental impact of transportation operations. The environmental impact of commercial gasoline consumption in the Valley of Mexico was estimated by on-road and FTP-75 testing of three formulations of gasoline (one leaded [octane 81] and two unleaded [one octane 87 and one octane 93]). A fleet of 30 vehicles was used: 10 were chosen that had pre-1990 technology, while 12 were 1991-1996 vehicles equipped with fuel injection, catalytic converters, and air/ fuel ratio control technology. The remaining eight vehicles were high-performance new model vehicles (1995-1996) equipped with the newest technology available for pollution control. Fifteen vehicles in the fleet were also tested for the effect of changing from leaded to unleaded gasoline. Three different LPG formulations were tested using three vehicles representative of the LPG-powered fleet in the MAMC. Two gasoline-to-LPG conversion certified commercial systems were evaluated following the BAR-90 and the HOT-505 procedures. Emissions corresponding to the high-octane (premium) gasoline showed a 15% higher contribution to HCs with a 6% lower reactivity than the 87 octane gasoline; the HCs in the exhaust for premium gasoline are mainly isoparaffins. When the vehicles were tested on the road at high speeds, an average 3% increase in mileage was obtained when vehicles were switched from leaded to unleaded gasoline, while a 5% increase in mileage was observed when vehicles were switched from 87 octane to premium gasoline. The tests of LPG formulations indicated that a change in composition from 60% vol of propane to 85.5% vol reduces levels of HCs and CO emissions; such is not the case for the NOx emissions. The higher the concentration of propane, the higher the levels of NOx that reached values above the maximum limits set by the environmental standard. A value of 70% vol of propane in the LPG mixture, with variations no greater than 4%, seems to be the best method for reducing pollutant emissions in Mexico City.