Study Shows Higher Compression Ratios Boost the Performance of Both Hydrous Ethanol and E22 Blend

FavStocks.com
By Green Car Congress on 09/26/2010 – 8:40 am PDT

A study by a team at the Pontifical Catholic University of Minas Gerais (Brazil) found that higher compression ratios in a spark-ignition engine improved performance of both an E22 blend (78% gasoline, 22% ethanol) as well as neat hydrous ethanol. The paper was published online 15 September in the journal Applied Thermal Engineering.

In ethanol production, the beer resulting from the fermentation is processed in distillation columns where an azeotropic mixture of ethanol and water is separated out from the rest of the stillage. This product is referred to as hydrous ethanol—approximately 93% ethanol and 7% water. To be used as a supplementary blend in low levels with gasoline, this hydrous ethanol needs to be dehydrated, resulting in anhydrous ethanol.

The process of dehydration is costly and energy-consuming. A study on the use of E10-E26 hydrous ethanol blends by HE Blends BV in the Netherlands noted that hydrous ethanol is 10%-20% less expensive than anhydrous ethanol, is easier to produce and to handle, and offers a better life cycle emissions profile than anhydrous ethanol. (Earlier post.)

Read more