IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jeners/v16y2023i22p7470-d1275640.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

A Review of Isobutanol as a Fuel for Internal Combustion Engines

Author

Listed:
  • André L. Olson

    (Department of Energy Sciences, Lund University, SE-221 00 Lund, Sweden)

  • Martin Tunér

    (Department of Energy Sciences, Lund University, SE-221 00 Lund, Sweden)

  • Sebastian Verhelst

    (Department of Energy Sciences, Lund University, SE-221 00 Lund, Sweden)

Abstract

Isobutanol, one of the four isomers of butanol (C 4 H 9 OH), possesses some favorable properties that make it an attractive fuel for internal combustion engines. For instance, when compared to ethanol, isobutanol features a higher heating value and lower hygroscopicity (which prevents corrosion and enables it to be transported via pipelines). Moreover, its addition to gasoline does not distort the fuel blend’s vapor pressure to the same extent as ethanol does. All of this while having a high octane rating. Those advantages over ethanol suggest that isobutanol has the potential to be used as a gasoline oxygenate or even as a neat fuel. Furthermore, the advances made in biotechnology have enabled isobutanol to be produced from biomass more efficiently, allowing it to be used in compliance with existing renewable energy mandates. This article reviews some of the relevant literature dedicated to isobutanol as a motor fuel, covering its merits and drawbacks. Several studies on its combustion characteristics are also discussed. Most of the included literature refers to the use of isobutanol in spark-ignition (SI) engines, as its properties naturally lend themselves to such applications. However, isobutanol’s utilization in diesel engines is also addressed, along with a couple of low-temperature combustion examples.

Suggested Citation

  • André L. Olson & Martin Tunér & Sebastian Verhelst, 2023. "A Review of Isobutanol as a Fuel for Internal Combustion Engines," Energies, MDPI, vol. 16(22), pages 1-28, November.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jeners:v:16:y:2023:i:22:p:7470-:d:1275640
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/16/22/7470/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/16/22/7470/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Mack, J. Hunter & Schuler, Daniel & Butt, Ryan H. & Dibble, Robert W., 2016. "Experimental investigation of butanol isomer combustion in Homogeneous Charge Compression Ignition (HCCI) engines," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 165(C), pages 612-626.
    2. Irimescu, Adrian, 2012. "Performance and fuel conversion efficiency of a spark ignition engine fueled with iso-butanol," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 96(C), pages 477-483.
    3. Sayin, Cenk & Balki, Mustafa Kemal, 2015. "Effect of compression ratio on the emission, performance and combustion characteristics of a gasoline engine fueled with iso-butanol/gasoline blends," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 82(C), pages 550-555.
    4. Shota Atsumi & Taizo Hanai & James C. Liao, 2008. "Non-fermentative pathways for synthesis of branched-chain higher alcohols as biofuels," Nature, Nature, vol. 451(7174), pages 86-89, January.
    5. Karavalakis, Georgios & Short, Daniel & Vu, Diep & Russell, Robert L. & Asa-Awuku, Akua & Jung, Heejung & Johnson, Kent C. & Durbin, Thomas D., 2015. "The impact of ethanol and iso-butanol blends on gaseous and particulate emissions from two passenger cars equipped with spray-guided and wall-guided direct injection SI (spark ignition) engines," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 82(C), pages 168-179.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Dhamodaran, Gopinath & Esakkimuthu, Ganapathy Sundaram & Pochareddy, Yashwanth Kutti & Sivasubramanian, Harish, 2017. "Investigation of n-butanol as fuel in a four-cylinder MPFI SI engine," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 125(C), pages 726-735.
    2. Yusri, I.M. & Mamat, R. & Najafi, G. & Razman, A. & Awad, Omar I. & Azmi, W.H. & Ishak, W.F.W. & Shaiful, A.I.M., 2017. "Alcohol based automotive fuels from first four alcohol family in compression and spark ignition engine: A review on engine performance and exhaust emissions," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 77(C), pages 169-181.
    3. Deng, Banglin & Yang, Jing & Zhang, Daming & Feng, Renhua & Fu, Jianqin & Liu, Jingping & Li, Ke & Liu, Xiaoqiang, 2013. "The challenges and strategies of butanol application in conventional engines: The sensitivity study of ignition and valve timing," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 108(C), pages 248-260.
    4. Elfasakhany, Ashraf, 2017. "Investigations on performance and pollutant emissions of spark-ignition engines fueled with n-butanol–, isobutanol–, ethanol–, methanol–, and acetone–gasoline blends: A comparative study," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 71(C), pages 404-413.
    5. Ashraf Elfasakhany, 2021. "State of Art of Using Biofuels in Spark Ignition Engines," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(3), pages 1-26, February.
    6. Karol Tucki & Olga Orynycz & Andrzej Wasiak & Antoni Świć & Remigiusz Mruk & Katarzyna Botwińska, 2020. "Estimation of Carbon Dioxide Emissions from a Diesel Engine Powered by Lignocellulose Derived Fuel for Better Management of Fuel Production," Energies, MDPI, vol. 13(3), pages 1-29, January.
    7. Deng, Banglin & Fu, Jianqin & Zhang, Daming & Yang, Jing & Feng, Renhua & Liu, Jingping & Li, Ke & Liu, Xiaoqiang, 2013. "The heat release analysis of bio-butanol/gasoline blends on a high speed SI (spark ignition) engine," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 60(C), pages 230-241.
    8. Saeid Aghahossein Shirazi & Thomas D. Foust & Kenneth F. Reardon, 2020. "Identification of Promising Alternative Mono-Alcohol Fuel Blend Components for Spark Ignition Engines," Energies, MDPI, vol. 13(8), pages 1-16, April.
    9. Liu, Kaimin & Li, Yangtao & Yang, Jing & Deng, Banglin & Feng, Renhua & Huang, Yanjun, 2018. "Comprehensive study of key operating parameters on combustion characteristics of butanol-gasoline blends in a high speed SI engine," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 212(C), pages 13-32.
    10. Bauer, Fredric & Hulteberg, Christian, 2014. "Isobutanol from glycerine – A techno-economic evaluation of a new biofuel production process," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 122(C), pages 261-268.
    11. Jiang, Chenxu & Li, Zilong & Qian, Yong & Wang, Xiaole & Zhang, Yahui & Lu, Xingcai, 2018. "Influences of fuel injection strategies on combustion performance and regular/irregular emissions in a turbocharged gasoline direct injection engine: Commercial gasoline versus multi-components gasoli," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 157(C), pages 173-187.
    12. Nestor Sanchez & Ruth Yolanda Ruiz & Nicolas Infante & Martha Cobo, 2017. "Bioethanol Production from Cachaza as Hydrogen Feedstock: Effect of Ammonium Sulfate during Fermentation," Energies, MDPI, vol. 10(12), pages 1-16, December.
    13. Liu, Yang & Cheng, Xiaobei & Qin, Longjiang & Wang, Xin & Yao, Junjie & Wu, Hui, 2020. "Experimental investigation on soot formation characteristics of n-heptane/butanol isomers blends in laminar diffusion flames," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 211(C).
    14. Tara Larsson & Senthil Krishnan Mahendar & Anders Christiansen-Erlandsson & Ulf Olofsson, 2021. "The Effect of Pure Oxygenated Biofuels on Efficiency and Emissions in a Gasoline Optimised DISI Engine," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(13), pages 1-24, June.
    15. Irimescu, Adrian & Vasiu, Gabriel & Tordai, Gavrilă Trif, 2014. "Performance and emissions of a small scale generator powered by a spark ignition engine with adaptive fuel injection control," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 121(C), pages 196-206.
    16. Michał Wojcieszyk & Lotta Knuutila & Yuri Kroyan & Mário de Pinto Balsemão & Rupali Tripathi & Juha Keskivali & Anna Karvo & Annukka Santasalo-Aarnio & Otto Blomstedt & Martti Larmi, 2021. "Performance of Anisole and Isobutanol as Gasoline Bio-Blendstocks for Spark Ignition Engines," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(16), pages 1-19, August.
    17. Li, Yuqiang & Chen, Yong & Wu, Gang & Liu, Jiangwei, 2018. "Experimental evaluation of water-containing isopropanol-n-butanol-ethanol and gasoline blend as a fuel candidate in spark-ignition engine," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 219(C), pages 42-52.
    18. Chengzhang Fu & Yunkun Liu & Christine Walt & Sari Rasheed & Chantal D. Bader & Peer Lukat & Markus Neuber & F. P. Jake Haeckl & Wulf Blankenfeldt & Olga V. Kalinina & Rolf Müller, 2024. "Elucidation of unusual biosynthesis and DnaN-targeting mode of action of potent anti-tuberculosis antibiotics Mycoplanecins," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-13, December.
    19. Costagliola, M.A. & De Simio, L. & Iannaccone, S. & Prati, M.V., 2013. "Combustion efficiency and engine out emissions of a S.I. engine fueled with alcohol/gasoline blends," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 111(C), pages 1162-1171.
    20. Chen, Longfei & Ding, Shirun & Liu, Haoye & Lu, Yiji & Li, Yanfei & Roskilly, Anthony Paul, 2017. "Comparative study of combustion and emissions of kerosene (RP-3), kerosene-pentanol blends and diesel in a compression ignition engine," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 203(C), pages 91-100.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jeners:v:16:y:2023:i:22:p:7470-:d:1275640. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.