Technical Paper
Exhaust Emissions and Field Trial Results of a New, Oxygenated, Non-Petroleum-Based, Waste-Derived Gasoline Blending Component: 2-Methyltetrahydrofuran
1993-10-01
932675
2-Methyltetrahydrofuran, MTHF, can be produced from waste cellulose at a cost as low as US$ 0.60 per gallon ($ 0.16 per liter). Prior work in Florida has indicated good driveability and fuel system compatibility at MTHF levels up to 100 vol.%. FTP exhaust emissions testing is reported here using fuel consisting of 60 vol.% MTHF and 40 vol.% gasoline, and a single vehicle equipped with adaptive-learn, port electronic fuel injection and a closed-loop, three-way catalyst. The emissions effect of the MTHF fuel compared to the gasoline base used to blend the fuel was to produce significant reductions in HCs (by 52%), CO (by 20%), ozone forming potential (by 39%), and benzene (by 75%). Increases in NOx(not significant at 13%), carbonyls (by 37%) and NMOG-specific ozone reactivity (33%) were also found. Hydrocarbon and carbonyl speciation results are also reported.
