Enhanced Ethanol Diesel Blend for Emission Reduction

New engine diesel pollution is addressed in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Clean Diesel Truck and Buses, low sulfur diesel, and nonroad diesel rules. Unfortunately, slow fleet turnover will extend full implementation. EPA is interested in both retrofit technologies that reduce emissions (particulate matter, volatile organic pollutants, NOx) from diesel sources and new biodiesel implementation technologies. In this Phase I project, Compact Membrane Systems, Inc. (CMS) will address both of these issues. Ethanol-diesel fuel blends have shown that they can reduce many emissions (particulate matter, volatile organic pollutants, CO) by more than 20 percent. Unfortunately, the ethanol-diesel (e-diesel) fuels do not affect significantly NOx emissions. CMS proposes the simultaneous use of e-diesel fuels with retrofit membrane technology. The latter retrofit membrane technology already has demonstrated an ability to reduce NOx emissions by more than 50 percent with no significant change in other emissions. Both e-diesels and CMS membranes are easily retrofitable technology, which is one to EPA’s key objectives. In addition, ethanol prices ($/gallon) are significantly lower than other biodiesel sources, and ethanol’s BTU/$ is much higher than other biodiesels. This project therefore addresses a second EPA objective related to low-cost biodiesel production technologies. There also is special synergy between CMS technology and e-diesel. E-diesel is a more combustible mixture and using nitrogen-enriched air from CMS membrane reduces or controls the e-diesel combustibility, which is desirable. In Phase I, CMS will demonstrate on a 20 kw Lister-Petter diesel engine using an appropriate ethanol-diesel fuel blend and appropriate controls that low-cost, ethanol-based biodiesel in combustion with novel CMS retrofit membrane broadly reduces emissions by at least 20 percent across the board with no significant (less than 2 percent) fuel penalty. CMS has established key relationships with major industrial and industrial membrane companies. These relationships will enhance CMS’s ability to be successful in Phase I/Phase II and subsequent downstream production.