Overview
Caused by the fix blending rates of the European Union, biofuels become more and more important. Currently, the biogenic components in diesel fuel are mainly covered by fatty acid methyl ester (FAME). However, the EU 2020 targets regarding diesel fuel substitution are not achievable only by the addition of FAME. For this reason, an extension of the range of substitutes appears not only to be useful but also necessary in order to achieve the EU's ambitious goals.
Within a systematic approach regenerative oxygenates as a diesel substitute are about to be characterized. Their interaction with FAME diesel fuel and the suitability for today’s and tomorrow’s vehicles is analysed and assessed.
Funding
Results
In a first step, the broad spectrum of possible diesel alternatives was analysed in a comprehensive literature review. The most promising components were subjected to the test facility for a detailed analysis. There was no substantial influence of the molecular structure (of the oxygenates) on the motor behaviour and emissions detected. Therefore, the selection of the components for the second test phase on the bench was carried out mainly due to production-specific criteria. Within the second test phase, advantages of the oxygenate blends regarding particle emissions could be detected. The final studies on the DPF (Diesel particulate filter) regeneration and oil dilution showed that the alternative diesel components have advantages over the already widely used FAME fuel with respect to the oil dilution behaviour.