SI Engine Performance Using Oxygenated Fuel

The anti-knock quality of gasoline fuel used in spark ignition internal combustion engine can be enhanced by the addition of lead alkyls .But this results in the formation and emission of toxic lead compounds .a recent practice is to enhance the anti-knock property of the fuel by using certain high octane oxygen containing compounds called oxygenates The use of oxygenates to replace the lead additives in gasoline is considered now as an alternative. The most commonly used oxygenates are MTBE (methyl tertiary butyl ether ), methanol and ethanol .MTBE is manufactured from isobutene and methanol , while methanol is manufactured from natural gas or synthesized from a variety of materials such as coal, municipal wastes and biomass. Ethanol is derived from the direct fermentation of sugars, fermentation of starches and cellulose after chemical or enzymatic pretreatment or made from petroleum sources. These three oxygenates have different chemical and physical properties whencompared to gasoline
These differences are expected to influence the performance and combustion products of gasoline-oxygenates blends. The study offers a comparison between the oxygenated and leaded fuel in terms of engine performance.