Fuel performance for stable homogeneous gasoline-methanol-ethanol blends

The advantages of methanol as a fuel for Internal Combustion (IC) engines includes the latent heat of evaporation that increase volumetric efficiency, high flame speed for increasing the engine power, low combustion temperature, and high hydrogen to carbon ratio which reduces harmful exhaust gases. One of the most critical aspects of gasoline-methanol is the stability during storage and distribution. This study aims to determine the fuel performance of stable homogeneous gasoline-methanol-ethanol blends. The following fuels were used, namely G95, G-90, G-80, G-70 and G-10, where G-XX blend means that the mixture consists of gasoline XX% v/v. The gasoline-methanol blending was carried out in a 10 cm3 reaction glass, stirred manually and left for 24 h in closed conditions. The blend was then opened and allowed to stand for 12 h. Observations were made to identify a separated gasoline-methanol blend. The results showed that the mixture of G-95, G-90, G-80, G-70, and G-60 occurred in separation. Then, each was given 0.1 cm3 ethanol sustainably, and stirred manually in a reaction glass. The ethanol addition was carried out until the gasoline-methanol blend was inseparable in the mixture. The performance test of the homogeneous and stable gasoline-methanol-ethanol blend was conducted on a single-cylinder engine, and tested on the dynamometer chassis to determine the engine curve characteristics of each mixture. The results of the fuel mixture showed that the G-90 and G-95 blend produced the highest maximum and average torque, respectively. In the engine power test, the fuel blend of G-70, G-80, G90, and G-95 produced higher power than the pure gasoline in all working conditions, because it has more laminar combustion speed.

Automated summary

This study investigates the fuel performance of stable homogeneous gasoline-methanol-ethanol blends. Results showed that after adding ethanol, the mixture no longer separated. In performance tests, the G-90 and G-95 blends exhibited the highest torque output.