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Bioethanol is being used as an alternative fuel throughout the world based on considerations of reduction of CO2 emissions and sustainability. It is widely known that ethanol has an advantage of high anti-knock quality. In order to use the ethanol in ethanol-blended gasoline to control knocking, the research discussed in this paper sought to develop a fuel separation system that would separate ethanol-blended gasoline into a high-octane-number fuel (high-ethanol-concentration fuel) and a low-octane-number fuel (low-ethanol-concentration fuel) in the vehicle. The research developed a small fuel separation system, and employed a layout in which the system was fitted in the fuel tank based on considerations of reducing the effect on cabin space and maintaining safety in the event of a collision. The total volume of the components fitted in the fuel tank is 6.6 liters.

HONDA has investigated On Board Separation (OBS) of high octane alcohol and aromatics from current commercial fuels such as E10, a blend of 10 volume % ethanol and 90 volume % gasoline. The high-octane components concentrated from commercial fuel can be injected when needed to suppress knock. The availability of high octane fuel enables the engine to be designed with a compression ratio and boost which gives the Octane Boost Engine (OBE) higher efficiency. 3M has developed pervaporation separation modules made with flexible organic membranes that selectively remove and concentrate ethanol and methanol from gasoline blends. The separation module profile can be circular or rectangular to best fit the available space. Organic membrane performance has been studied for up to 15% ethanol and up to 15% methanol blended with 5% ethanol added for humid condition stability. Aromatic separation capability has also been evaluated.