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Isobutanol-extended fuel was tested in two recreational marine vessels placed in Annapolis, MD and operated for fifty hours on the Chesapeake Bay and surrounding tributaries. Field emissions testing was conducted using a unique portable marine bag sampling system (MPSS) which collected a weighted five mode composite emissions sample consisting of total hydrocarbons (THC), oxides of nitrogen (NOx) and carbon monoxide (CO) while operating recreational boats on both a non-oxygenated baseline indolene certification fuel and a 16.1% isobutanol-extended gasoline. Engine and boat runability was also observed throughout the six month operational period. In addition, back-to-back sampling yielded excellent repeatability from the portable bag sampling equipment. Based on the results of this preliminary study, isobutanol-extended fuels look to be very promising for marine engine applications.

This paper summarizes work performed to define the range of recreational boat engine operation for the National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA). Sixteen boats were tested on-water with data acquisition systems to measure engine parameters. Boat types included sterndrive and inboard (SD/I), outboard (OB), and personal watercraft (PWC). Each boat was tested with low loads and at its rated load carrying capacity. Each boat was run at prescribed engine speeds from low to maximum speed during data collection. Maps of each boat's engine operation were produced in order to identify the lowest and highest engine load at each engine speed, based on intake manifold depression (for SD/I and OB) or throttle position (for PWC). Each engine type was then installed in a test cell where the lowest and highest engine loads from on-water testing were duplicated in order to measure the engine's output.