Lifecycle-based environmental pollution cost analyses of a spark ignition engine fueled with a methanol-gasoline blend

ABSTRACT

The purpose of this study is to investigate lifecycle-based environmental pollution cost analyses of a spark ignition engine fueled with a methanol-gasoline blend. In this respect, the experiments are performed at partial loads such as 25 Nm, 50 Nm, 75 Nm, 100 Nm, and full load, whereas lambda and engine speed values are constant at λ = 1 and 2000 rpm, respectively. According to calculated results, lifecycle-based environmental pollution cost analyses are considerably varying from each other. The lowest specific environmental pollution cost and total environmental pollution cost values are 3.893 US cent/kWh and $17,903.89 for methanol-gasoline test fuel at 50 Nm, respectively. In contrast to these, the lowest lifecycle specific environmental pollution cost and the lifecycle-based on total environmental pollution cost values are found to be 5.161 US cent/kWh and $13,786 for gasoline at 100 Nm and full engine load, respectively. The methanol-gasoline test fuel has higher values than gasoline in lifecycle-based specific and total environmental pollution cost at all engine loads. For instance, the average value of lifecycle-based specific and total environmental pollution cost for five loads increased by 11.63% and 11.54% because of methanol addition, respectively. Furthermore, the methanol-gasoline test fuel has longer payback, environmental payback and lifecycle-based environmental payback period values than gasoline at all engine loads. In this respect, the average value of payback, environmental payback, and lifecycle-based environmental payback period values increased by 6.65%, 6.70%, and 19.05% with the addition of methanol. The lowest system total payback period, environmental payback period and lifecycle-based environmental payback period periods are 11.66, 4.646, and 6.15 years for gasoline at full load, 50 Nm, and 100 Nm, respectively. In addition, the optimum engine load, lifecycle-based environmental pollution cost and payback period values found to be 56.48 Nm, $27,850.55, 6.42 year, for gasoline, while 54.95 Nm, $30,138.12, 7.71 year for the MG20, respectively. Interestingly, considering all the results, gasoline usually emerges as a more promising fuel in the lifecycle-based environmental pollution costs than the methanol-gasoline test fuel at all engine loads.

KEYWORDS:

• Methanol
• spark ignition engine
• lifecycle
• environmental pollution cost
• payback period

Nomenclature

c_f-fuel price per kJ ($/kJ)

CO₂-carbon dioxide

ECU-engine control unit

EPP-environmental payback period (year)

EPP_LC-lifecycle-based environmental payback period (year)

G-pure gasoline

GHG-greenhouse gas

HC-hydrocarbon

MG20-80% Gasoline+20% Methanol (in volumetric)

NO-nitrogen monoxide

NO_x-nitrogen oxides

OM-operation and maintain cost of the system ($)

O₂-oxygen

PEC-price of equipment cost ($)

Pe-effective brake power (kW)

rpm-revolution per minute

SEPC-specific environmental pollution cost (US cent/kWh) 

SEPC_LC-lifecycle-based specific environmental pollution cost ($/kW)

SI-spark ignition

TEPC-total environmental pollution cost ($)

TEPC_LC-lifecycle-based total environmental pollution cost ($)

TPP-total payback period (year)

λ-lambda

Acknowledgments

The author is expressing his appreciation to the Amasya University, and also equally expressing his gratefulness to the Erciyes University for the engine test system support. Furthermore, the author would like to thank the Erciyes University Scientific Text Support Office for proofreading this study.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Amasya University; Erciyes University.