Net-Zero Carbon Engine
Why? Task Mission
Vehicle market segments such as long-haul road freight, off-road applications, and marine will require renewable energy carriers and engines designed for them to effectively transition from petroleum to renewable fuels. The composition and properties of these fuels will likely deviate greatly from today’s mainstream gasoline and diesel fuels. This task seeks to take advantage of these different fuel properties and support the co-development of engines and fuels with a net-zero carbon footprint, while also considering engine fuel flexibility and backwards compatibility with existing petroleum-based fuels.
Project Duration: 2021-2029
Task Contact
Dario Lopez-Pintor
dlopezp@sandia.gov
Antonio García Martinez
angarma8@mot.upv.es
Key Deliverables
- Assessment of how an updated compression ignition (CI) engine calibration can enable clean and efficient combustion using up to 100% renewable fuel.
- Quantification of fuel effects on catalyst-heating operation for lean CI operation using low-carbon fuels like biofuels, OME, DME and alcohols.
- Demonstration of ducted-fuel injection (DFI) to suppress soot formation in CI engines operated on fuels with high levels of renewables and biofuels
- Determination of operating strategies and engine configurations that ensure reliable autoignition for low-reactivity fuels like methanol, enabling efficient CI operation.
- Knowledge of how to overcome the inherent low flame speed of ammonia and improve spark-ignition (SI) engine operation, including H2, and ethonol fuel-blend effects.
Policy Relevance
Drop-in renewable gasoline and diesel fuels can allow for rapid market employment and can offer compatibility with existing vehicles and refueling infrastructure. However, it is unclear if renewable gasoline and diesel can reach a net-zero carbon footprint and be cost-effective. Therefore, new fuel formulations and engine technologies may be required to enable cost-efficient energy storage with fuels made from solar and wind. The practicality of fuel flexibility influences the options available to policymakers during a transition phase from petroleum to renewable energy carriers.
Publications
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