High Octane Fuels, Making Better use of Ethanol

Brian West Fuels, Engines, and Emissions Research Center

Annual ACE Conference Omaha, NE

August 15-17, 2017

Work supported by DOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy

National Corn Growers Association Illinois Corn Marketing Board

2

Acknowledgements • DOE Vehicle Technologies Office

• DOE Bioenergy Technologies Office

• National Corn Growers Association

• Illinois Corn Marketing Board

• Industry Partners and National Lab Peers

• Fuels, Engines, Emissions Research Center (FEERC) colleagues

3 ACE 2017

US DOE has 17 National Laboratories Labs support defense, science, and energy efficiency missions

Managed by UT-Battelle for the U.S. Department of Energy

ORNL in 1943 The Clinton Pile was the world’s first

continuously operated nuclear reactor

Oak Ridge National Laboratory evolved from the Manhattan Project

Managed by UT-Battelle for the U.S. Department of Energy

5 ACE 2017

ORNL is the largest multi-program science and energy lab

3,200 research guests annually

Nation’s largest

materials research portfolio

$1.5B budget

Nation’s most diverse

energy portfolio

Forefront scientific

computing facilities

World- class

research reactor

$750M modernization

investment

4,750 employees

World’s most intense

neutron source Managing

major DOE projects: US ITER, exascale

computing

2,203 journal articles

published in CY15 185

invention disclosures

in FY16

83 patents issued in FY16

6

Main Campus and Spallation Neutron Source (inset)

7

ORNL’s Science and National User Facilities support transportation research missions • National Transportation Research Center

– Fuels, engine, emissions labs – Power electronics – Vehicle and Transportation Systems – Battery manufacturing

• Manufacturing Demonstration Facility

• Materials Characterization Laboratories – Characterizing the microstructure, microchemistry,

and physical and mechanical properties of materials

• Spallation Neutron Source, and HFIR – Diffraction (batteries, materials) – Neutron Imaging (emission controls, batteries)

• Leadership Computing – Materials engineering, batteries, climate, combustion

8

ORNL Sustainable Transportation Program (STP)

Pursuing a diversity of technologies to reduce environmental impact while establishing predictable, reliable, and secure personal mobility and freight movement

ACCELERATING ELECTRIFICATION • Wireless power transfer • Advanced power electronics and

electric motors • Next generation battery materials

and manufacturing • Fuel cells

IMPROVING VEHICLE EFFICIENCY • Advanced engine and emissions

controls • Hybrid powertrains and vehicle

systems integration • Lightweight and propulsion

materials • Advanced lubricants

DEVELOPING SUSTAINABLE FUELS • Co-development of fuel and engine

technologies • Alternative fuel GHG analysis • Critical data for the introduction of

new fuels

ENABLING INTELLIGENT SYSTEMS AND OPERATIONS • Predictive data for decision making • Data sciences and cyber security • fueleconomy.gov • Congestion management • Efficient operation of commercial vehicles

REVOLUTIONIZING MANUFACTURING • Additive manufacturing for

components to full vehicles • More efficient processes

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Examples of significant ORNL contributions to transportation

Material Science & Technology • CF8C-plus steel, Al alloys, and ceramics used

in millions of engines • Leading development of affordable carbon

fiber • Diagnostics in support of emissions controls

Data, Analysis, Modeling • NAS and congressional testimony

• Transportation Energy Databook

• Freight analysis framework (DOT)

• “Billion Ton” biomass study

• Logistics modeling (DOD)

• FuelEconomy.gov

Fuel Supply and Emissions Certification

• Data cited in EPA 15 ppm sulfur diesel fuel rule

• Data cited by EPA in 15% ethanol waiver decision

• NMOG correlation codified in CARB LEV III and EPA Tier 3 rule

Vehicle Propulsion Systems • Innovative emissions diagnostics enables clean

diesel engine

• 15+ years of high efficiency combustion research

• Go-to laboratory for demonstrating DOE program engine efficiency goals

• Development and benchmarking of HEV components

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Let’s talk about fuels

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Ethanol is a very effective octane booster • ~2/3rd of octane benefit from first 1/3rd of

ethanol volume percent

• U.S. EPA opened the door for a high octane ~E30 fuel in Tier 3 rule

– “…we allow vehicle manufacturers to request approval for … fuel such as a high-octane 30 percent ethanol … blend (E30) for vehicles … optimized for such fuel”

• Road fuel infrastructure for a mid-level ethanol blend is not trivial (but significantly less complex than many other alternatives)

– Around 3000 E85 dispensers in service, and growing; over 20M Flex Fuel Vehicles on the road that could use an E25-E40 fuel today

Low-Octane BOB Regular Gasoline Premium Gasoline

Managed by UT-Battelle for the U.S. Department of Energy

12

Industry and DOE Investing In Programs to Quantify Efficiency and GHG Benefits of High Octane Fuels

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

0 200 400 600 800 1000 1200 1400 1600 1800 2000 2200 2400 Brake Mean Effective Pressure (kPa)

92 RON (E0) CR10.1 101 RON (E30) CR 10.1 101 RON (E30) CR12

DOE Work supported by • Vehicle Technologies Office • Bioenergy Technologies Office

Industry Cost-Share, Funds-in, and Tech Support • Ford • General Motors • Fiat Chrysler • Coordinating Research Council • Illinois Corn Marketing Board • National Corn Growers Association

Thermal Efficiency of Ford EcoBoost (data from Sluder, ORNL)

Brak

e Th

erm

al E

ffici

ency

(%)

Managed by UT-Battelle for the U.S. Department of Energy

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1200 1600 2000 2400 2800 3200

IMEP

• = data point

E30 (12:1) 87 AKI E0

101 RON E30

E0 (9.2:1)

E0 (12:1)

Engine Speed (RPM)

Recent Experiments Highlight Efficiency Benefits of High Octane Fuel for SI engines

• Engines can make more torque and power with higher octane fuel

• Ethanol is very effective at boosting octane number

– 87 AKI E0 + 30% Ethanol = 101 RON Fuel

• Increased torque enables downspeeding and downsizing for improved fuel economy – For future vehicles, engine and

system efficiency can balance lower energy density of ethanol blends

In a high compression research engine, high-octane E30 enables doubling of available torque compared to 87 AKI E0 fuel - Splitter and Szybist, ORNL

Constant Power

Best Efficiency

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A New High Octane Fuel Could Make Better Use of Ethanol’s Properties, Moving The U.S. Toward Multiple Goals

• Engine efficiency can be improved with increasing ethanol and octane rating • E25-E40 blend in future vehicles can return equivalent “tank mileage” as E10

in today’s comparable vehicles – Energy density penalty is linear with increasing ethanol concentration – Power and efficiency gains are non-linear – Volumetric Fuel Economy Parity means every gallon of ethanol displaces a gallon of gasoline

• Efficiency/fuel economy benefit to OEM is significant

– Can help U.S. Comply with Renewable Fuel Standard

– Legal to use in >20M legacy FFVs

100 MINIMUM OCTANE RATING

RON METHOD

HIGH OCTANE

FUEL PREMIUM PLUS REGULAR

14 Managed by UT-Battelle for the U.S. Department of Energy

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A few example results

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• Objective: Demonstrate High Octane fuel benefits at the vehicle level

• Late model vehicle with 2.0 liter, 4-cylinder • Efficiency gains of 5-10% demonstrated with

high-octane mid-level blends

High Octane Vehicle Demonstration Project Supported by DOE Bioenergy Technologies Office and follow-on work by NCGA

Cadillac ATS equipped with a 2.0 liter turbocharged, direct-injection engine and

manual transmission

9.5:1 Production 10.5:1 Prototype

Piston Blank

Range bars denote max and min of multiple tests

250

300

350

400

24.0

25.0

26.0

27.0

Baseline E10 Downsped E10 Downsped E30

CO2

Emis

sion

s (g/

mi)

Fuel

Eco

nom

y (E

0mpg

equ

ival

ent)

E0_equiv mpg

CO2 g/mi

FTP(City Test)

Factory Setup 10.5:1 Compression Pistons, Downspeeding

-6.6% +8.5%

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12.5

12.6

12.7

12.8

12.9

13.0

13.1

13.2

13.3

E10 E30

Tim

e (s

)

15 MPH to 80 MPH WOT Acceleration Time(GMC Sierra FFV, 12 run average)

E10

Regu

lar

RSP

0.45 seconds

High Octane E30

Legacy FFVs Realize Performance Gain with High Octane Mid-Level Ethanol Blends

• Motivation: Measureable performance improvement in legacy FFVs could enable early adoption of “High Octane Fuel for Your FFV”

• Tested 4 “ethanol tolerant” FFVs – GMC Sierra – Chevrolet Impala – Ford F150 – Dodge Caravan

• Prep and Baseline “wide open throttle” (WOT) test with Regular E10

• Prep and WOT test with ~100 RON E30

10.1 CR (factory)

100 MINIMUM OCTANE RATING

RON METHOD

HIGH OCTANE FUEL

For your FFV

Work supported by DOE Bioenergy Technologies Office

Car and Driver FFV test shows 0.4 second faster 0-60 mph time with E85

www.caranddriver.com/reviews/2014-chevrolet-silverado-v-6-instrumented-test-review

If half of FFVs on road today filled up with E25 half the time, easily consume over half-billion

gallons more ethanol

• Report available: – 3 of 4 FFVs show acceleration

improvement with E30 • ORNL’s Sierra results with E30

similar to Car and Driver test with E85

http://info.ornl.gov/sites/publications/Files/Pub54888.pdf

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Illinois Corn Marketing Board Supporting Mini Cooper E25 Demonstration

• Vehicle Specs: – 2.0 liter turbo GDI – Factory pistons and drivetrain, manual

transmission – Why Mini? Owner’s manual calls out

E25:

– Why manual trans?

• Enable “short shifting” (downspeeding)

• Tier 3 E10 and “Tier 3 E25” fuels • High-Octane E25 provides efficiency

and performance gains

Property Test Method Tier 3 E10 Value

‘Tier 3 E25’ Value

Research Octane Number ASTM D2699 92.3 98.9

Motor Octane Number ASTM D2700 84.5 87.5

AKI (RON+MON)/2 88.4 93.2 Sensitivity RON-MON 7.8 11.4

*Acknowledgement to BMW for informal technical support

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9.01

8.61

13.02

12.58

10.60

7.0

8.0

9.0

10.0

11.0

12.0

13.0

14.0

15-8

0 m

ph E

laps

ed T

ime

(s)

E10-Mini

E25-Mini

E10-Charger

E25-Charger

E25-Charger withPower Module

Mini Cooper Dodge Charger Dyno Settings

Extreme downsizing can improve fuel economy at the expense of acceleration performance. Mini is 0.4s quicker with high-octane E25 than with E10. With Charger test weight, vehicle considerably slower; high-octane E25 again provides 0.4s quicker acceleration. Aftermarket “Power Module” increases boost, improves acceleration time by 2.4 s with HO E25 fuel.

E10 E10 E25 E25 E25

2006 Dodge Charger dynamometer settings used with Mini Cooper to simulate downsizing

NM Engineering Power Module (PM) intercepts T–MAP sensor and increases boost. PM installed by previous owner; PM was disconnected for all tests except these final E25 WOT tests. http://www.nm-eng.com/338/0/0/3128/nm648846-nm-eng-power-module.html

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Summary • High-octane fuels can enable improved

vehicle efficiency (in vehicles designed for their use)

– Vehicle-level demonstrations have shown efficiency gains can more than offset lowered energy density of added ethanol

– Vehicle efficiency gains of up to 12% demonstrated

• Improved torque and power can provide performance improvement (or permit smaller engines)

– Legacy FFVs, turbo GDI engines (Mini Cooper) show improved acceleration, demonstrate potential for OEMs if fuel widely available

Managed by UT-Battelle for the U.S. Department of Energy

12.5

12.6

12.7

12.8

12.9

13.0

13.1

13.2

13.3

E10 E30

Tim

e (s

)

15 MPH to 80 MPH WOT Acceleration Time(GMC Sierra FFV, 12 run average)

E10

Regu

lar

RSP

0.45 seconds

High Octane E30

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Contact Information

Brian West Deputy Director Fuels, Engines, and Emissions Research Center (865) 946-1231

westbh@ornl.gov

Managed by UT-Battelle for the U.S. Department of Energy