Diesel Fuel (diesel + fuel)

Distribution by Scientific Domains


Selected Abstracts


Hydrogen Production via Autothermal Reforming of Diesel Fuel

FUEL CELLS, Issue 3 2004
J. Pasel
Abstract Hydrogen, for the operation of a polymer electrolyte fuel cell, can be produced by means of autothermal reforming of liquid hydrocarbons. Experiments, especially with ATR 4, which produces a molar hydrogen stream equivalent to an electrical power in the fuel cell of 3,kW, showed that the process should be preferably run in the temperature range between 700,° and 850,°. This ensures complete hydrocarbon conversion and avoids the formation of considerable amounts of methane and organic compounds in the product water. Experiments with commercial diesel showed promising results but insufficient long-term stability. Experiments concerning the ignition of the catalytic reaction inside the reformer proved that within 60,s after the addition of water and hydrocarbons the reformer reached 95% of its maximum molar hydrogen flow. Measurements, with respect to reformer start-up, showed that it takes approximately 7,min. to heat up the monolith to a temperature of 340,° using an external heating device. Modelling is performed, aimed at the modification of the mixing chamber of ATR Type 5, which will help to amend the homogeneous blending of diesel fuel with air and water in the mixing chamber. [source]


An Investigation into the Transient Behavior of a Microreactor System for Reforming of Diesel Fuel in the kW Range

CHEMICAL ENGINEERING & TECHNOLOGY (CET), Issue 11 2009
M. O'Connell
Abstract A diesel reformer based on microreaction technology was developed for application in an auxiliary power unit (APU) system. The transient characteristics of this reactor for reforming of diesel fuel are reported. Diesel steam reforming was performed at various S/C ratios with load changes ranging from 30 % LL to 80 % LL, i.e., a 1.5 kW to a 4 kW electrical equivalent. The reactor itself was based on an integrated reformer/burner heat exchange reactor concept. The reforming was performed at temperatures above 750,°C and at various S/C ratios, down to a minimum of 3.17. Variation of experimental parameters, such as O/C and S/C ratios, are critical for optimum and efficient operation of the reformer. [source]


Kinetic and Statistical Studies of Adsorptive Desulfurization of Diesel Fuel on Commercial Activated Carbons

CHEMICAL ENGINEERING & TECHNOLOGY (CET), Issue 3 2008
M. Muzic
Abstract Diesel fuel desulfurization by different commercial activated carbons was studied in a batch adsorber. Experiments, carried out to determine the sulfur adsorption dependency on time, were used to perform kinetic characterization and to screen the best performing activated carbon. The equilibrium characterization of the adsorption process was also performed. The statistical study of the process was undertaken by way of a two-level one-half fractional factorial experimental design with five process parameters. Individual parameters and their interaction effects on sulfur adsorption were determined and a statistical model of the process was developed. Chemviron Carbon SOLCARBTM C3 was found to be the most efficient adsorbent. The kinetic pseudo-second order model and Freundlich isotherm are shown to exhibit the best fits of experimental data. The lowest achieved sulfur concentration in treated diesel fuel was 9.1,mg kg,1. [source]


Investigation of Soot Formation During Partial Oxidation of Diesel Fuel

CHEMICAL ENGINEERING & TECHNOLOGY (CET), Issue 6 2007
K. Roth
Abstract Soot formation during partial oxidation is a major issue for hydrogen production from liquid hydrocarbon fuels. Measurements were made to investigate the sooting behavior of diesel fuel under variation of the main operating parameters temperature (T = 800 to 1300,°C), pressure (p = 1 to 3,bar), equivalence ratio (, =1 to 3), and steam ratio (H2O/C = 0.2 to 0.6) at constant residence time. The experimental setup was a perfectly stirred/plug flow reactor (PSR/PFR system) providing conditions close to reality. The study proves that soot growth rate strongly depends on temperature, pressure, and equivalence ratio while adding water has a minor effect on soot growth. Experimental results were compared with a kinetic model developed by the Institut Français du Pétrole (IFP), predicting soot formation during the partial oxidation of liquid hydrocarbon fuels. The calculated amount of soot shows good agreement with the measured data. [source]


Reforming diesel-fuel distillates with membrane reactors

ASIA-PACIFIC JOURNAL OF CHEMICAL ENGINEERING, Issue 1 2010
Michael V. Mundschau
Abstract A porous-membrane reactor is used to produce H2 and CO by dry partial oxidation of volatile hydrocarbons distilled from diesel fuel. To eliminate deposition of thermodynamically and kinetically favored carbon onto reactor walls as the fuel is heated, cool air is brought into reactors through porous walls of refractory, zirconia-based ceramic. Flow of air through reactor walls suppresses alkyl-radical polymerization that otherwise leads to formation of tar and soot in the reformer heating zone. Diesel fuel is distilled just below 200 °C to avoid cracking of long-chain n -alkanes. The volatile distillates enter the reformer in the vapor phase, eliminating need for complex liquid-fuel injectors and mixers. Volatile distillates are relatively easily reformed, eliminating soot and most naphthalene in the exhaust, converting 88 mole% of carbon in the distillate into CO, 7% into CH4, and 5% into CO2. Approximately 75 mole% of the hydrogen is converted into H2, 13% into CH4, and the remainder into H2O. Synthesis gas produced from diesel fuel distillates could fuel solid-oxide fuel cells or regenerate NOx traps used in pollution control. Copyright © 2009 Curtin University of Technology and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source]


Cold flow properties of fuel mixtures containing biodiesel derived from animal fatty waste

EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF LIPID SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY, Issue 9 2006
Kiril Kazancev
Abstract The aims of the present study were to evaluate the cold temperature behavior of methyl esters of vegetable and animal origin and of their mixtures with fossil diesel fuel, as well as to investigate the effectiveness of different depressants. Various blends of rapeseed oil methyl esters, linseed oil methyl esters, pork lard methyl esters and fossil diesel fuel were prepared, and both cloud point and cold filter plugging point (CFPP) were analyzed. It was found that mixtures with CFPP values of ,5,°C and lower may contain up to 25% of pork lard methyl esters; whereas the ratio of summer fossil diesel fuel and rapeseed oil methyl esters may vary over a wide range, i.e. such mixtures can be used in a diesel engine in the summer. In the transitory periods it is possible to use up to 20% animal and vegetable ester blends (3,:,7) with winter fossil diesel, whereas only up to 5% of esters can be added to the fuel used in winter. In order to improve the cold properties of rapeseed oil, pork lard and linseed oil methyl ester mixtures, various additives were tested. Depressant Viscoplex 10,35 with an optimal dose of 5000,mg/kg was found to be the most effective. [source]


Estimating diesel degradation rates from N2, O2 and CO2 concentration versus depth data in a loamy sand

EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF SOIL SCIENCE, Issue 1 2007
J. Van De Steene
Summary The degradation rate of the pollutant is often an important parameter for designing and maintaining an active treatment system or for determining the rate of natural attenuation. A quasi-steady-state gas transport model based on Fick's law with a correction term for advective flux, for estimating diesel degradation rates from N2, O2 and CO2 concentration versus depth data, was evaluated in a laboratory column study. A loamy sand was spiked with diesel fuel at 0, 1000, 5000 and 10 000 mg kg,1 soil (dry weight basis) and incubated for 15 weeks. Soil gas was sampled weekly at 6 selected depths in the columns and analysed for O2, CO2 and N2 concentrations. The agreement between the measured and the modelled concentrations was good for the untreated soil (R2= 0.60) and very good for the soil spiked with 1000 mg kg,1 (R2= 0.96) and 5000 mg kg,1 (R2= 0.97). Oxygen consumption ranged from ,0.15 to ,2.25 mol O2 m,3 soil day,1 and CO2 production ranged from 0.20 to 2.07 mol CO2 m,3 soil day,1. A significantly greater mean O2 consumption (P < 0.001) and CO2 production (P < 0.005) over time was observed for the soils spiked with diesel compared with the untreated soil, which suggests biodegradation of the diesel substrate. Diesel degradation rates calculated from respiration data were 1.5,2.1 times less than the change in total petroleum hydrocarbon content. The inability of this study to correlate respiration data to actual changes in diesel concentration could be explained by volatilization, long-term sorption of diesel hydrocarbons to organic matter and incorporation of diesel hydrocarbons into microbial biomass, aspects of which require further investigation. [source]


Hydrogen Production via Autothermal Reforming of Diesel Fuel

FUEL CELLS, Issue 3 2004
J. Pasel
Abstract Hydrogen, for the operation of a polymer electrolyte fuel cell, can be produced by means of autothermal reforming of liquid hydrocarbons. Experiments, especially with ATR 4, which produces a molar hydrogen stream equivalent to an electrical power in the fuel cell of 3,kW, showed that the process should be preferably run in the temperature range between 700,° and 850,°. This ensures complete hydrocarbon conversion and avoids the formation of considerable amounts of methane and organic compounds in the product water. Experiments with commercial diesel showed promising results but insufficient long-term stability. Experiments concerning the ignition of the catalytic reaction inside the reformer proved that within 60,s after the addition of water and hydrocarbons the reformer reached 95% of its maximum molar hydrogen flow. Measurements, with respect to reformer start-up, showed that it takes approximately 7,min. to heat up the monolith to a temperature of 340,° using an external heating device. Modelling is performed, aimed at the modification of the mixing chamber of ATR Type 5, which will help to amend the homogeneous blending of diesel fuel with air and water in the mixing chamber. [source]


Self-sustained reformation of diesel fuel using a SiC block with penetrating walls

INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENERGY RESEARCH, Issue 5 2010
Min Kook Ko
Abstract Reformation of diesel fuel was performed using a silicon carbide (SiC) block with penetrating walls. The atomized fuel was spray injected to the electrically heated block. The fuel,air mixture was reformed by partial oxidation and changed to synthesis gas including CO, CO2, H2O, O2 and H2. The composition of the reformed gas was measured with varying fuel,air ratios. The degree of reformation or conversion changes with the temperature and a maximum conversion efficiency of ,90% is attained at around 850°C. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source]


Influence of advanced injection timing on the performance and emissions of CI engine fueled with ethanol-blended diesel fuel

INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENERGY RESEARCH, Issue 11 2008
Cenk Sayin
Abstract Ethanol has been considered as an alternative fuel for diesel engines. On the other hand, injection timing is a major parameter that sensitively affects the engine performance and emissions. Therefore, in this study, the influence of advanced injection timing on the engine performance and exhaust emissions of a single cylinder, naturally aspirated, four stroke, direct injection diesel engine has been experimentally investigated when using ethanol-blended diesel fuel from 0 to 15% with an increment of 5%. The original injection timing of the engine is 27° crank angle (CA) before top dead center (BTDC). The tests were conducted at three different injection timings (27, 30 and 33° CA BTDC) for 30 Nm constant load at 1800 rpm. The experimental results showed that brake-specific energy consumption (BSEC), brake-specific fuel consumption (BSFC), NOx and CO2 emissions increased as brake-thermal efficiency (BTE), smoke, CO and HC emissions decreased with increasing amount of ethanol in the fuel mixture. Comparing the results with those of original injection timing, NOx emissions increased and smoke, HC and CO emissions decreased for all test fuels at the advanced injection timings. For BSEC, BSFC and BTE, advanced injection timings gave negative results for all test conditions. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source]


Performance and emission characteristics of turpentine,diesel dual fuel engine and knock suppression using water diluents

INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENERGY RESEARCH, Issue 10 2007
R. Karthikeyan
Abstract In the present work, a normal diesel engine was modified to work in a dual fuel (DF) mode with turpentine and diesel as primary and pilot fuels, respectively. The resulting homogeneous mixture was compressed to a temperature below the self-ignition point. The pilot fuel was injected through the standard injection system and initiated the combustion in the primary-fuel air mixture. The primary fuel (turpentine) has supplied most of the heat energy. Usually, in all DF engines, low-cetane fuels are preferred as a primary fuel. Therefore, at higher loads these fuels start knocking and deteriorating in performances. Usually, DF operators suppress the knock by adding more pilot-fuel quantity. But in the present work, a minimum pilot-fuel quantity was maintained constant throughout the test and a required quantity of diluent (water) was added into the combustion at the time of knocking. The advantages of this method of knock suppression are restoration of performance at full load, maintenance of the same pilot quantity through the load range and reduction in the fuel consumption at full load. From the results, it was found that all performance and emission parameters of turpentine, except volumetric efficiency, are better than those of diesel fuel. The emissions like CO, UBHC are higher than those of the diesel baseline (DBL) and around 40,45% reduction of smoke was observed at 100% of full load. The major pollutant of diesel engine, NOx, was found to be equal to that of DBL. From the above experiment, it was proved that approximately 80% replacement of diesel with turpentine is quite possible. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source]


A hybrid density functional theory study of the low-temperature dimethyl ether combustion pathways.

ISRAEL JOURNAL OF CHEMISTRY, Issue 2-3 2002
I: Chain-propagation
Dimethyl ether (DME) has been proposed to be a promising alternative to conventional diesel fuel because of its favorable compression ignition property (high cetane number) and its soot-free combustion. A radical chain mechanism for hydrocarbon autoignition has been proposed for DME at low temperatures. In this mechanism, the chain initiation step consists of DME undergoing hydrogen abstraction by a highly reactive species (typically ·OH). The CH3O·H2 created in the initiation step then combines with O2; the subsequent CH3OCH2OO· radical is involved in a Lindemann-type mechanism, which can lead to the production of formaldehyde (CH2 = O) and ·OH. This concludes the chain-propagating step: the one ·OH produced then sustains the chain-reaction by creating another CH3O·H2. A relatively stable intermediate (·CH2OCH2OOH), formed via isomerization of CH3OCH2OO· in the chain-propagation step, can combine with a second O2 to produce a radical (·OOCH2OCH2OOH) that can potentially decompose into two ·OH radical (and other products). This path leads to chain-branching and an exponential increase in the rate of DME oxidation. We have used spin-polarized density functional theory with the Becke-3-parameter Lee,Parr,Yang exchange-correlation functional to calculate the structures and energies of key reactants, intermediates, and products involved in (and competing with) the chain-propagating and chain-branching steps of low-temperature DME oxidation. In this article, Part I, we consider only the chain-propagation mechanism and its competing mechanisms for DME combustion. Here, we show that only certain conformers can undergo the isomerization to ·CH2OCH2OOH. A new transition state has been discovered for the disproportionation reaction ·CH2OCH2OOH , 2CH2O + ·OH in the chain-propagating step of DME autoignition that is much lower than previous barriers. The key to making this decomposition pathway facile is initial cleavage of the O,O rather than the C,O bond. This renders all transition states along the chain-propagation potential energy surface below the CH3O·H2 + O2 reactants. In contrast with the more well-studied CH3·H2 (ethyl radical) + O2 system, the H-transfer isomerization of CH3OCH2OO· to ·CH2OCH2OOH in low-temperature DME oxidation has a much lower activation energy. This is most likely due to the larger ring strain of the analogous transition state in ethane oxidation, which is a five-membered ring opposed to a six-membered ring in dimethyl ether oxidation. Thus low-temperature ethane oxidation is much less likely to form the ·ROOH (where R is a generic group) radicals necessary for chain-branching, which leads to autoignition. Three competing reactions are considered: CH3O·H2 , CH2O + ·CH3; ·CH2OCH2OOH , 1,3-dioxetane + ·OH; and ·CH2OCH2OOH , ethylene oxide + HOO·. The reaction barriers of all these competing paths are much higher in energy (7,10 kcal/mol) than the reactants CH3O·H2 + O2 and, therefore, are unlikely low-temperature paths. Interestingly, an analysis of the highest occupied molecular orbital along the CH3O·H2 decomposition path shows that electronically excited (1A2 or 3A2) CH2O can form; this can also be shown for ·CH2OCH2OOH, which forms two formaldehyde molecules. This may explain the luminosity of DME's low-temperature flames. [source]


Solubilization of methanol and ethanol in palm oil stabilized by medium- and long-chain alkanols

JOURNAL OF CHEMICAL TECHNOLOGY & BIOTECHNOLOGY, Issue 6 2002
K Dzulkefly
Abstract Solubilization of methanol and ethanol in crude palm oil, refined, bleached and deodorized palm oil (RBD PO) and RBD palm olein (POL) was studied using medium- and long-chain alkanols (C4,C12). Ternary phase diagrams were constructed to determine the solubilization (isotropic) region. The results showed that methanol and ethanol are solubilized to a greater extent in an unsaturated palm olein than the saturated CPO and RBD PO in the presence of long-chain alkanols. The minima of the solubilization curves for dodecanol, decanol and octanol were 27%, 30% and 33% of alkanol respectively in the methanol system, whereas in the ethanol system, the minima for the same alkanols were found at 22%, 24% and 27%. The longer chain-length alkanol (dodecanol) requires a lesser amount (21% and 32%) to achieve miscibility compared with 53% and 57% for butanol in mixtures containing 70:30 and 50:50 wt ratios respectively. The kinematic viscosity of the isotropic solutions increases with the chain-length and percentage of alkanols. Solubilization using a POL/methanol/butanol system significantly reduced the kinematic viscosity of POL from 72.7,mm2,s,1 to the value allowable for No 2 diesel fuel (1.9,4.1,mm2,s,1) or about a 96% reduction from the initial kinematic viscosity of POL. © 2002 Society of Chemical Industry [source]


Evaluation of the evidential value of physicochemical data by a Bayesian network approach

JOURNAL OF CHEMOMETRICS, Issue 7-8 2010
Grzegorz Zadora
Abstract The growing interest in applications of Bayesian networks (BNs) in forensic science raises the question of whether BN could be used in forensic practice for the evaluation of results from physicochemical analysis of a limited number of observations from flammable liquids (weathered kerosene and diesel fuel) by automated thermal desorption gas chromatography mass spectrometry (ATD-GC/MS), car paints by pyrolysis gas chromatography mass spectrometry (Py-GC/MS) and fibres by microspectrophotometry (MSP) in the visible (VIS) range. Therefore, various simple BN models, which allow the evaluation of both discrete and continuous types of data, were studied in order to address questions raised by the representatives of the administration of justice, concerning the identification and classification of objects into certain categories and/or the association between two items. The results of the evaluation performed by BN models were expressed in the form of a likelihood ratio, which is a well-documented measure of evidential value in the forensic field. From the results obtained, it can be concluded that BN models seem to be promising tool for evaluating physicochemical data. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source]


Investigation of the combustion process in an auxiliary heating system using dual-pump CARS

JOURNAL OF RAMAN SPECTROSCOPY, Issue 6 2006
A. Braeuer
Abstract A dual-pump coherent anti-Stokes Raman spectroscopy (CARS) setup was used for the simultaneous determination of temperature and oxygen/nitrogen ratio in an automotive auxiliary heating system. The auxiliary heating system was equipped with eight windows to provide four line-of-sight optical accesses at two different downstream levels. The usable laser pulse energies, which are essentially limited by the damage threshold of the glass windows, were increased by the application of an optical pulse stretcher. Measurements were performed for standard diesel fuel for full- and part-load operation as well as for the model fuel n -dodecane for full-load operation. The n -dodecane measurements can directly be compared with numerical predictions, whereas the results for diesel fuel provide information about the possibility of transfer of the n -dodecane simulations to real fuel conditions. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source]


Molecularly imprinted polymers for selective analysis of chemical warfare surrogate and nuclear signature compounds in complex matrices

JOURNAL OF SEPARATION SCIENCE, JSS, Issue 11 2005
Scott D. Harvey
Abstract This paper describes the preparation and evaluation of molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) that display specificity toward diisopropyl methylphosphonate (DIMP) and tributyl phosphate (TBP). Polymer activity was assessed by solid-phase extraction and high-performance liquid chromatography experiments. Both DIMP- and TBP-specific vinylpyridine-based MIPs selectively retained their targets relative to a non-imprinted control. Proof-of-principle experiments demonstrated highly selective analysis of the targets from fortified complex matrix samples (diesel fuel, gasoline, and air extract concentrate). The retained MIP fractions gave near quantitative recovery of the target analytes with very low matrix background content. The same fraction from the control sorbent recovered only about half of the analyte and tended to be less pure. [source]


Effect of coconut oil-blended fuels on diesel engine wear and lubrication

LUBRICATION SCIENCE, Issue 4 2005
M. A. Kalam
This paper presents the results of an experimental investigation into the wear and lubrication characteristics of a diesel engine using ordinary coconut oil (COIL)-blended fuels. The blended fuels consisted of 10, 20, 30, 40, and 50% COIL with diesel fuel (DF2). Pure DF2 was used for comparison purposes. The engine was operated with 50% throttle setting at a constant speed of 2000 rpm for a period of 100 h with each fuel. The same lubricating oil, equivalent to SAE 40, was used for all fuel systems. A multi-element oil analyser was used to measure wear metals (Fe, Cr, Cu, Al, and Pb), contaminant elements (Si, B, and V), and additive elements (Zn, Ca, P, and Mg) in the used lubricating oil. Fourier transform infrared analysis was performed to measure the degradation products (soot, oxidation, nitration, and sulphation products) in the used lubricant. Karl Fischer (ASTM D 1744) and potentiometric titrations (ASTM D 2896) were used to measure water concentration and total base number (TBN), respectively. An automatic viscometer (ASTM D 445) was used to measure lubricant viscosity. The results show that wear metals and contaminant elements increase with an increasing amount of COIL in DF2. An increasing amount of COIL in the blends reduces additive elements, with the reduction for blends of up to 30% COIL being quite similar to that for DF2. Soot and sulphation decrease with increasing COIL in the blended fuels due to reduced aromatics and sulphur in comparison to DF2. The water concentration increases for blended fuels with more than 30% COIL. The TBN and viscosity changes are found to be almost normal. The engine did not appear to have any starting and combustion problems when operating with the COIL-blended fuels. The lubricating oil analysis data from this study will help in the selection of tribological components and compatible lubricating oils for coconut oil- or biofuel-operated diesel engines. [source]


A concept for simultaneous wasteland reclamation, fuel production, and socio-economic development in degraded areas in India: Need, potential and perspectives of Jatropha plantations

NATURAL RESOURCES FORUM, Issue 1 2005
George Francis
Abstract The concept of substituting bio-diesel produced from plantations on eroded soils for conventional diesel fuel has gained wide-spread attention in India. In recent months, the Indian central Government as well as some state governments have expressed their support for bringing marginal lands, which cannot be used for food production, under cultivation for this purpose. Jatropha curcas is a well established plant in India. It produces oil-rich seeds, is known to thrive on eroded lands, and to require only limited amounts of water, nutrients and capital inputs. This plant offers the option both to cultivate wastelands and to produce vegetable oil suitable for conversion to bio-diesel. More versatile than hydrogen and new propulsion systems such as fuel cell technology, bio-diesel can be used in today's vehicle fleets worldwide and may also offer a viable path to sustainable transportation, i.e., lower greenhouse gas emissions and enhanced mobility, even in remote areas. Mitigation of global warming and the creation of new regional employment opportunities can be important cornerstones of any forward looking transportation system for emerging economies. [source]


Occupational risk factors for non-Hodgkin's lymphoma: A population-based case,control study in Northern Germany

AMERICAN JOURNAL OF INDUSTRIAL MEDICINE, Issue 4 2008
David B. Richardson
Abstract Objectives To identify occupational factors associated with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL). Methods A population-based case,control study was conducted in which incident cases of high-malignancy NHL (NHLhigh), low-malignancy NHL (NHLlow), and chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) were ascertained during the period 1986,1998 among men and women aged 15,75 years residing in six German counties; controls were drawn from population registries. Occupational histories were collected and agent-specific exposures were estimated via a job-exposure-matrix. Odds ratios were estimated by conditional logistic regression. Results A total of 858 cases were included in these analyses. Agricultural workers [odds ratio (OR),=,2.67, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.99, 7.21) and farmers (OR,=,1.98, 95% CI: 0.98, 3.98] had elevated risk of NHLhigh. Risk of NHLlow was elevated among agricultural workers (OR,=,2.46, 95% CI: 1.17, 5.16), and among blacksmiths, toolmakers, and machine tool operators (OR,=,3.12, 95% CI: 1.31, 7.47). Workers in sales and construction had elevated risks of NHLhigh and NHLlow. Exposure to arsenic compounds, chlorophenols, diesel fuel, herbicides, nitrites/nitrates/nitrosamines, and organic dusts were associated with NHLhigh and NHLlow, while exhibiting little association with CLL. A positive monotonic trend in NHLlow risk across tertiles of cumulative diesel fuel exposure was observed [P -value for test of linear trend (P),=,0.03]. Conclusions These findings provide insights into several potential occupational risk factors for NHL and suggest some specific occupational agents for further investigation. Am. J. Ind. Med. 51:258,268, 2008. © 2008 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source]


An application of hierarchical regression in the investigation of multiple paternal occupational exposures and neuroblastoma in offspring,

AMERICAN JOURNAL OF INDUSTRIAL MEDICINE, Issue 5 2001
Anneclaire J. De Roos MPH
Abstract Background We used hierarchical regression to study the effects of 46 paternal occupational exposures on the incidence of neuroblastoma in offspring. Methods The study population included 405 cases and 302 controls. The effect of each exposure was estimated using both conventional maximum likelihood and hierarchical regression. Results Using hierarchical regression, overall precision was greatly enhanced compared to the conventional analysis. In addition, adjustment of effect estimates based on prespecified prior distributions of the true effect parameters allowed a more consistent interpretation across the entire panel of exposures. Estimates for several metals and solvents were shrunk close to the null value, whereas estimates for several thinner solvents, diesel fuel, solders, wood dust, and grain dust remained moderately elevated. Conclusions Hierarchical regression may mitigate some of the problems of the conventional approach by controlling for correlated exposures, enhancing the precision of estimates, and providing some adjustment of estimates based on prior knowledge. Am. J. Ind. Med. 39:477,486, 2001. © 2001 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source]


Cryogenic extinguishment of liquid pool fires

PROCESS SAFETY PROGRESS, Issue 1 2010
Yiannis Levendis
Abstract Results on fire extinguishment using direct application of liquid nitrogen are presented in this article. This technique targets challenging fires, such as burning hazardous chemicals or fuels, in which cases prompt suppression or extinguishment is paramount to prevent explosions, avoid release of toxic fumes and avert environmental catastrophes. Liquid nitrogen is a rather environmentally benign extinguishing agent that does not cause property damage or groundwater contamination. Application of this cryogen onto a hot pyrolyzing/burning surface induces abrupt vaporization, spread and expansion. The pyrolyzing gases are inerted, the surface is cooled and hence its pyrolysis rate is reduced, air is separated from the fuel, and the fire extinguishes. To demonstrate this technique, experiments were conducted with pool fires of ethanol, propanol, and diesel fuel. To examine the underlying principles, analysis of the results was conducted based on simplified calculations. Sufficient quantities of the cryogen extinguished the fires nearly instantaneously. Half-liter quantities were sufficient to extinguish 1 m2 pool fires. The method of dispensing and distributing the cryogen on the pool fires proved to be of considerable importance. The existence of wind, which disturbed the flame, was not found to prevent extinguishment. © 2009 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Process Saf Prog 2010 [source]


Reforming diesel-fuel distillates with membrane reactors

ASIA-PACIFIC JOURNAL OF CHEMICAL ENGINEERING, Issue 1 2010
Michael V. Mundschau
Abstract A porous-membrane reactor is used to produce H2 and CO by dry partial oxidation of volatile hydrocarbons distilled from diesel fuel. To eliminate deposition of thermodynamically and kinetically favored carbon onto reactor walls as the fuel is heated, cool air is brought into reactors through porous walls of refractory, zirconia-based ceramic. Flow of air through reactor walls suppresses alkyl-radical polymerization that otherwise leads to formation of tar and soot in the reformer heating zone. Diesel fuel is distilled just below 200 °C to avoid cracking of long-chain n -alkanes. The volatile distillates enter the reformer in the vapor phase, eliminating need for complex liquid-fuel injectors and mixers. Volatile distillates are relatively easily reformed, eliminating soot and most naphthalene in the exhaust, converting 88 mole% of carbon in the distillate into CO, 7% into CH4, and 5% into CO2. Approximately 75 mole% of the hydrogen is converted into H2, 13% into CH4, and the remainder into H2O. Synthesis gas produced from diesel fuel distillates could fuel solid-oxide fuel cells or regenerate NOx traps used in pollution control. Copyright © 2009 Curtin University of Technology and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source]


An Investigation into the Transient Behavior of a Microreactor System for Reforming of Diesel Fuel in the kW Range

CHEMICAL ENGINEERING & TECHNOLOGY (CET), Issue 11 2009
M. O'Connell
Abstract A diesel reformer based on microreaction technology was developed for application in an auxiliary power unit (APU) system. The transient characteristics of this reactor for reforming of diesel fuel are reported. Diesel steam reforming was performed at various S/C ratios with load changes ranging from 30 % LL to 80 % LL, i.e., a 1.5 kW to a 4 kW electrical equivalent. The reactor itself was based on an integrated reformer/burner heat exchange reactor concept. The reforming was performed at temperatures above 750,°C and at various S/C ratios, down to a minimum of 3.17. Variation of experimental parameters, such as O/C and S/C ratios, are critical for optimum and efficient operation of the reformer. [source]


Kinetic and Statistical Studies of Adsorptive Desulfurization of Diesel Fuel on Commercial Activated Carbons

CHEMICAL ENGINEERING & TECHNOLOGY (CET), Issue 3 2008
M. Muzic
Abstract Diesel fuel desulfurization by different commercial activated carbons was studied in a batch adsorber. Experiments, carried out to determine the sulfur adsorption dependency on time, were used to perform kinetic characterization and to screen the best performing activated carbon. The equilibrium characterization of the adsorption process was also performed. The statistical study of the process was undertaken by way of a two-level one-half fractional factorial experimental design with five process parameters. Individual parameters and their interaction effects on sulfur adsorption were determined and a statistical model of the process was developed. Chemviron Carbon SOLCARBTM C3 was found to be the most efficient adsorbent. The kinetic pseudo-second order model and Freundlich isotherm are shown to exhibit the best fits of experimental data. The lowest achieved sulfur concentration in treated diesel fuel was 9.1,mg kg,1. [source]


Investigation of Soot Formation During Partial Oxidation of Diesel Fuel

CHEMICAL ENGINEERING & TECHNOLOGY (CET), Issue 6 2007
K. Roth
Abstract Soot formation during partial oxidation is a major issue for hydrogen production from liquid hydrocarbon fuels. Measurements were made to investigate the sooting behavior of diesel fuel under variation of the main operating parameters temperature (T = 800 to 1300,°C), pressure (p = 1 to 3,bar), equivalence ratio (, =1 to 3), and steam ratio (H2O/C = 0.2 to 0.6) at constant residence time. The experimental setup was a perfectly stirred/plug flow reactor (PSR/PFR system) providing conditions close to reality. The study proves that soot growth rate strongly depends on temperature, pressure, and equivalence ratio while adding water has a minor effect on soot growth. Experimental results were compared with a kinetic model developed by the Institut Français du Pétrole (IFP), predicting soot formation during the partial oxidation of liquid hydrocarbon fuels. The calculated amount of soot shows good agreement with the measured data. [source]


Light FCC gasoline olefin oligomerization over a magnetic NiSo4/,-Al2o3 catalyst in a magnetically stabilized bed

AICHE JOURNAL, Issue 3 2009
Ying Peng
Abstract Magnetic NiSO4/,-Al2O3 catalysts were prepared by impregnating NiSO4 solutions onto the ,-Al2O3 support containing a magnetic material of Fe3O4. Characterization by XRD, NH3 -TPD, and thermal analysis showed that the magnetic NiSO4/,-Al2O3 catalyst with a nickel content of 7.0% by weight had a monolayer dispersion of NiSO4 and the largest number of moderate strength acid sites, and a high specific saturation magnetization. The magnetic catalyst was evaluated for light FCC gasoline olefin oligomerization in both fixed-bed and magnetically stabilized bed (MSB) reactors. Comparing with that in the fixed-bed reactor, the optimal reaction temperature in the MSB lowered to 443 K, and its space velocity ranged broadly from 2.0 to 6.0 h,1. The sulfur-free diesel distillate produced by operation of the MSB for 100 h had higher cetane number and good low-temperature flow property, which illuminates a promising application of the MSB to manufacture clean diesel fuels with high productivity and flexibility. © 2009 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 2009 [source]


Multidimensional GC coupled to MS for the simultaneous determination of oxygenate compounds and BTEX in gasoline

JOURNAL OF SEPARATION SCIENCE, JSS, Issue 4-5 2010
Danilo Sciarrone
Abstract In the present work, carried out in relation to the European and American Directives on the quality of petrol and diesel fuels, the simultaneous determination of the oxygenate compounds and BTEX in gasoline was achieved through the use of a multidimensional GC (MDGC)/MS system, employing a Deans switch-based transfer system, with an innovative configuration; the latter enabled multiple heart-cut transfers with no hint of retention time shift, a phenomenon that can occur in MDGC, providing the possibility to achieve more then 20 different heart-cuts for the compounds of interest. In this study, 20 selected compounds were quantitatively transferred with 12 heart-cuts, from a first to a secondary column, in order to resolve primary column co-elutions. Analyte quantification and identification was achieved through a fast-scanning quadrupole mass analyzer, operated in full scan mode, in order to evaluate also the interfering compounds transferred together with the compounds of interest. The multidimensional method developed was subjected to validation. All attained data were in excellent correlation with results obtained through the UNI-EN 12177:2000, ASTM D 5580-02 and ASTM D 4815-04 MDGC methods, for the determination of benzene, BTEX and oxygenate compounds in gasoline, respectively. [source]


Determination of conjugated dienes in petroleum products by supercritical fluid chromatography and ultraviolet detection

JOURNAL OF SEPARATION SCIENCE, JSS, Issue 15-16 2003
Flávio Cortiñas Albuquerque
Abstract A method for determining total conjugated dienes in petroleum products, such as catalytic or thermal cracking fractions, using supercritical fluid chromatography (SFC) is presented. The separation is carried out in one or two silica columns and with CO2 as mobile phase. The conditions of analysis are the same as used in group-type analysis of diesel fuels by SFC (ASTM D 5186 standard method), except that UV detection at 240 nm is used. Hydrocarbons with two conjugated double bonds are the only substances eluting in the retention time range of the non-aromatics that appreciably absorb UV radiation at this wavelength. This was confirmed by analyzing standards of olefins, isolated diolefins, and conjugated diolefins. Results are reported in mol L,1 of 1,3-pentadiene. Several samples of different natures, such as fluid catalytic cracking liquid products and hydrotreated cracking naphthas, were successfully analyzed. The results correlate quite well with the respective diene values as determined by UOP method 326, although the slope and intercept were specific for each type of product. [source]


Evaluation of ball and disc wear scar data in the HFRR lubricity test

LUBRICATION SCIENCE, Issue 1 2008
Gerhard Knothe
Abstract The high-frequency reciprocating rig (HFRR) lubricity tester has become a widespread method for determining the lubricity of diesel fuels. The test is a ball-on-disc method, in which a steel ball scrapes over a steel disc immersed in the liquid to be tested. According to standards, the wear scar generated on the ball, in the form of the average of the x - and y -axes, is used for evaluating the lubricity of the sample. Generally, the smaller the wear scar, the greater the lubricity of the sample. However, a wear scar is also generated on the disc. The size of the wear scar on the disc also depends on the lubricity of the sample. In this work, the wear scar data of the balls and discs of 230 samples related to the testing of biodiesel and related compounds with petrodiesel were evaluated. Data comparisons for all wear scar combinations correlated well by linear regression. Although correlations are slightly better when using only ball wear scar data (r2 > 0.99), other wear scar data, including those generated on the disc, appear just as useable (r2 , 0.97,0.99) for evaluating lubricity by the HFRR test. The wear scars on the disc have the advantage of being more easily measurable and recognisable under the microscope, especially if the wear scars are small. Limits for all wear scar values corresponding to current limits for average ball wear scar data in standards are presented. Published in 2007 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source]