Home About us Contact
|
Home About us Contact | ||
|
|
||
Gasoline
Terms modified by Gasoline Selected AbstractsSimultaneous Determination of Quinoline and Pyridine Compounds in Gasoline and Diesel by Differential Pulse VoltammetryELECTROANALYSIS, Issue 6 2007Leonardo Abstract The presence of trace basic organonitrogen compounds such as quinoline and pyridine in derivative petroleum fuels plays an important role in maintaining the engines of vehicles. However, these substances can contaminate the environment and so must be controlled because most of them are potentially carcinogenic and mutagenic. For these reasons, a reliable and sensitive method was developed for the determination of basic nitrogen compounds in fuel samples such as gasoline and diesel. This method utilizes preconcentration on an ion,exchange resin (Amberlyte IR,120,H) followed by differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) on a glassy carbon electrode. The electrochemical behavior of quinoline and pyridine as studied by cyclic voltammetry (CV) suggests that their reduction occurs via a reversible electron transfer followed by an irreversible chemical reaction. Very well resolved diffusion-controlled voltammetric peaks were obtained in dimethylformamide (DMF) with tetrabutylammonium tetrafluoroborate (TBAF4 0.1,mol L,1) for quinoline (,1.95,V) and pyridine (,2.52,V) vs. Ag|AgCl|KClsat reference electrode. The proposed DPV method displayed a good linear response from 0.10 to 300,mg L,1 and a limit of detection (LOD) of 5.05 and 0.25,,g L,1 for quinoline and pyridine, respectively. Using the method of standard additions, the simultaneous determination of quinoline and pyridine in gasoline samples yielded 25.0±0.3 and 33.0±0.7,mg L,1 and in diesel samples yielded 80.3±0.2 and 131±0.4,mg L,1, respectively. Spike recoveries were 94.4±0.3% and 101±0.5% for quinoline and pyridine, respectively, in the fuel determinations. This proposed method was also compared with UV-vis spectrophotometric measurements. Results obtained for the two methods agreed well based on F and t student's tests. [source] Recipe determination and scheduling of gasoline blending operationsAICHE JOURNAL, Issue 2 2010Jie Li Abstract Gasoline is a major contributor to the profit of a refinery. Scheduling gasoline-blending operations is a critical and complex routine task involving tank allocation, component mixing, blending, product storage, and order delivery. Optimized schedules can maximize profit by avoiding ship demurrage, improving order delivery, minimizing quality give-aways, avoiding costly transitions and slop generation, and reducing inventory costs. However, the blending recipe and scheduling decisions make this problem a nonconvex mixed-integer nonlinear program (MINLP). In this article, we develop a slot-based MILP formulation for an integrated treatment of recipe, specifications, blending, and storage and incorporate many real-life features such as multipurpose product tanks, parallel nonidentical blenders, minimum run lengths, changeovers, piecewise constant profiles for blend component qualities and feed rates, etc. To ensure constant blending rates during a run, we develop a novel and efficient procedure that solves successive MILPs instead of a nonconvex MINLP. We use 14 examples with varying sizes and features to illustrate the superiority and effectiveness of our formulation and solution approach. The results show that our solution approach is superior to commercial solvers (BARON and DICOPT). © 2009 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 2010 [source] DoE in engine developmentQUALITY AND RELIABILITY ENGINEERING INTERNATIONAL, Issue 6 2008Karsten Röpke Abstract Stricter legal emission limits and increasing customer expectations lead to a growing number of controllable engine components and thus to a higher engine control complexity. For engine development, however, this means much greater time and effort is required to find the optimal combination of all selectable parameters. This trend can be observed in the field of Gasoline as well as for Diesel engines. At the same time, the development time from the first idea up to the introduction of a new production engine has become even shorter, and the costs have to be reduced. Since the number of measuring points required for complete operational-test measurements rises exponentially with the number of input variables, it is quite obvious that full factorial measurements are no longer possible. Therefore the method ,Design of Experiments' (DoE) is widely accepted as a suitable tool in the automotive sector and among its suppliers. In the meantime the term ,DoE'/,DoE-Process' covers often also the measurement procedure and the modeling. Likewise, this method is broadly applied in the IAV (author's note: IAV is a German provider of engineering services to the automotive industry) during the advanced development stage up to the production engine applications. Whereas DoE is used mainly in the area of steady-state applications recent research work shows a great potential also to optimize transient engine behavior. This paper will give an overview about the usage of statistical methods (mainly Design of Experiments) in the production engine calibration. ,Engine calibration' is the term for finding the optimal settings of the engine controller unit; optimal in terms of minimal emissions, minimal fuel consumption, good drivability and other brand specific goals. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] The Use of Gasoline: Value, Oil, and the "American way of life"ANTIPODE, Issue 3 2009Matthew T. Huber Abstract:, While the critical literature has focused on the geography of oil production, the politics of "outrageous" gasoline prices in the United States provide a fertile path toward understanding the wider geography of petro-capitalism. Despite the deepening contradictions of US oil consumption, "pain at the pump" discourse projects a political sense of entitlement to low priced gasoline. I use a value-theoretical perspective to examine this politics as not only about the quantitative spectrum of price, but also the historical sedimentation of qualitative use-values inscribed in the commodity gasoline. Gasoline is analyzed both as a use-value among many within the postwar value of labor power and as a singular use-value fueling broader imaginaries of a national "American way of life." While use-value still represents an open site of cultural and political struggle infused within value itself, the case of gasoline illustrates how use-values are not automatically mobilized toward politically savory ends. [source] A Novel Catalyst for Isobutene Oligomerization to High Quality GasolineCHINESE JOURNAL OF CHEMISTRY, Issue 6 2003Zhou Peng Abstract Dimerization of isobutene in liquid state to form high-octane value gasoline components was investigated over a homemade novel ion exchange resin, SPPESK, which shows high activity and selectivity in isobutene dimerization under mild conditions. [source] A theory of quality-related differences in retail margins: why there is a ,premium' on premium gasolineECONOMIC INQUIRY, Issue 4 2000JM Barron This paper develops a theory of vertical and horizontal product differentiation to explain observed price-cost margin differentials for goods that differ in quality. The difference in price-cost margins between the high- and low-quality goods is shown to depend positively on consumers' average valuation for incremental increases in quality and positively on the distance to each competitor's closest rival. These predictions are largely supported using an extensive station-level data set of premium and regular unleaded gasoline prices from the Los Angeles Basin area from 1992,1995. [source] Simultaneous Determination of Quinoline and Pyridine Compounds in Gasoline and Diesel by Differential Pulse VoltammetryELECTROANALYSIS, Issue 6 2007Leonardo Abstract The presence of trace basic organonitrogen compounds such as quinoline and pyridine in derivative petroleum fuels plays an important role in maintaining the engines of vehicles. However, these substances can contaminate the environment and so must be controlled because most of them are potentially carcinogenic and mutagenic. For these reasons, a reliable and sensitive method was developed for the determination of basic nitrogen compounds in fuel samples such as gasoline and diesel. This method utilizes preconcentration on an ion,exchange resin (Amberlyte IR,120,H) followed by differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) on a glassy carbon electrode. The electrochemical behavior of quinoline and pyridine as studied by cyclic voltammetry (CV) suggests that their reduction occurs via a reversible electron transfer followed by an irreversible chemical reaction. Very well resolved diffusion-controlled voltammetric peaks were obtained in dimethylformamide (DMF) with tetrabutylammonium tetrafluoroborate (TBAF4 0.1,mol L,1) for quinoline (,1.95,V) and pyridine (,2.52,V) vs. Ag|AgCl|KClsat reference electrode. The proposed DPV method displayed a good linear response from 0.10 to 300,mg L,1 and a limit of detection (LOD) of 5.05 and 0.25,,g L,1 for quinoline and pyridine, respectively. Using the method of standard additions, the simultaneous determination of quinoline and pyridine in gasoline samples yielded 25.0±0.3 and 33.0±0.7,mg L,1 and in diesel samples yielded 80.3±0.2 and 131±0.4,mg L,1, respectively. Spike recoveries were 94.4±0.3% and 101±0.5% for quinoline and pyridine, respectively, in the fuel determinations. This proposed method was also compared with UV-vis spectrophotometric measurements. Results obtained for the two methods agreed well based on F and t student's tests. [source] Implementing a global greenhouse gas emissions trading programENVIRONMENTAL PROGRESS & SUSTAINABLE ENERGY, Issue 4 2002Ryan ZarnitzArticle first published online: 20 APR 200 The Kyoto Protocol of 1997 loosely outlines a variety of possible greenhouse gas emissions trading plans. Emissions trading has been used successfully in the U.S. to reduce emissions of SO2, NOx, and CFCs, and to eliminate use of leaded gasoline. A brief review of these programs is presented, followed by a discussion of the elements that made them successful. These success factors will then be discussed in the context of a global greenhouse gas trading system. Trading may help substantially reduce emissions by channeling funds to the location where the most reduction per unit of currency is achieved. However, the effectiveness of the Kyoto protocol is in severe jeopardy due to a lack of interest by the U.S. government. [source] Selection and identification of bacterial strains with methyl- tert -butyl ether, ethyl- tert -butyl ether, and tert -amyl methyl ether degrading capacitiesENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY & CHEMISTRY, Issue 11 2008Jessica Purswani Abstract Nine bacterial strains isolated from two hydrocarbon-contaminated soils were selected because of their capacity for growth in culture media amended with 200 mg/L of one of the following gasoline oxygenates: Methyl- tert -butyl ether (MTBE), ethyl- tert -butyl ether (ETBE), and tert -amyl methyl ether (TAME). These strains were identified by amplification of their 16S rRNA gene, using fD1 and rD1 primers, and were tested for their capacity to grow and biotransform these oxygenates in both mineral and cometabolic media. The isolates were classified as Bacillus simplex, Bacillus drentensis, Arthrobacter sp., Acinetobacter calcoaceticus, Acinetobacter sp., Gordonia amicalis (two strains), Nocardioides sp., and Rhodococcus ruber. Arthrobacter sp. (strain MG) and A. calcoaceticus (strain M10) consumed 100 (cometabolic medium) and 82 mg/L (mineral medium) of oxygenate TAME in 21 d, respectively, under aerobic conditions. Rhodococcus ruber (strain E10) was observed to use MTBE and ETBE as the sole carbon and energy source, whereas G. amicalis (strain T3) used TAME as the sole carbon and energy source for growth. All the bacterial strains transformed oxygenates better in the presence of an alternative carbon source (ethanol) with the exception of A. calcoaceticus (strain M10). The capacity of the selected strains to remove MTBE, ETBE, and TAME looks promising for application in bioremediation technologies. [source] Methyl- tert -hexyl ether and methyl- tert -octyl ether as gasoline oxygenates: Anticipating widespread risks to community water supply wells,ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY & CHEMISTRY, Issue 11 2007Jeff Snelling Abstract The widespread contamination of groundwater resources associated with methyl- tert -butyl ether (MtBE) use has prompted a search for replacement oxygenates in gasoline. Among the alternatives currently under development are higher methyl- tert -alkyl ethers, notably methyl- tert -hexyl ether (MtHxE) and methyl- tert -octyl ether (MtOcE). As was the case with MtBE, the introduction of these ethers into fuel supplies guarantees their migration into groundwater resources. In the present study, a screening-level risk assessment compared predicted well water concentrations of these ethers to concentrations that might cause adverse effects. A physicochemical model which has been successfully applied to the prediction of MtBE concentrations in community water supply wells (CSWs) was used to predict well water concentrations of MtHxE and MtOcE. The results indicate that these ethers are likely to contaminate water supply wells at slightly lower levels than MtBE as a result of migrating from leaking underground fuel tanks to CSWs. Because very little data is available on the physicochemical and environmental properties of MtHxE and MtOcE, estimation methods were employed in conjunction with the model to predict well water concentrations. Model calculations indicated that MtHxE and MtOcE will be present in many CSWs at concentrations approaching the concentrations that have caused widespread public health concern for MtBE. Based on these results and the possibility that MtHxE and MtOcE are potential carcinogens, testing of the toxicological properties of these ethers is recommended before they are used to replace MtBE in gasoline. [source] Effect of volatile hydrocarbon fractions on mobility and earthworm uptake of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons from soils and soil/lampblack mixturesENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY & CHEMISTRY, Issue 1 2005Bill W. Bogan Abstract Studies were conducted to examine the mobility and bioavailability to earthworms (Eisenia fetida) of priority pollutant polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) in a suite of 11 soils and soil/lampblack mixtures obtained from former manufactured-gas plant sites. Contaminant mobility was assessed using XAD4 resins encapsulated in dialysis tubing, which were exposed to slurried soils for 15 d. These experiments showed that mobility of PAH in the different soils strongly correlated to the levels of volatile hydrocarbons (namely, gasoline- and diesel-range organics [GRO and DRO]) that existed in the soils as co-contaminants. Actual PAH bioavailability (as measured by earthworm PAH concentrations) also appeared to depend on GRO + DRO levels, although this was most evident at high levels of these contaminants. These findings are discussed in view of the effects of diesel-range organics on oil viscosity, assuming that the hydrocarbon contaminants in these soils exist in the form of distinct adsorbed oil phases. This study, therefore, extends correlations between carrier-oil viscosity and dissolved solute bioavailability, previously observed in a number of other in vitro and whole-organism tests (and in bacterial mutagenicity studies in soil), to multicellular organisms inhabiting contaminated-soil systems. [source] Occupational exposure to methyl tertiary butyl ether in relation to key health symptom prevalence: the effect of measurement error correctionENVIRONMETRICS, Issue 6 2003Aparna P. Keshaviah Abstract In 1995, White et al. reported that methyl tertiary butyl ether (MTBE), an oxygenate added to gasoline, was significantly associated with key health symptoms, including headaches, eye irritation, and burning of the nose and throat, among 44 people occupationally exposed to the compound and for whom serum MTBE measurements were available (odds ratio (OR),=,8.9, 95% CI,=,[1.2, 75.6]). However, these serum MTBE measurements were available for only 29 per cent of the 150 subjects enrolled. Around the same time, Mannino et al. conducted a similar study among individuals occupationally exposed to low levels of MTBE and did not find a significant association between exposure to MTBE and the presence of one or more key health symptoms among the 264 study participants (OR,=,0.60, 95% CI,=,[0.3, 1.21]). In this article, we evaluate the effect of MTBE on the prevalence of key health symptoms by applying a regression calibration method to White et al.'s and Mannino et al.'s data. Unlike White et al., who classified exposure using actual MTBE levels among a subset of the participants, and Mannino et al., who classified exposure based on job category among all participants, we use all of the available data to obtain an estimate of the effect of MTBE in units of serum concentration, adjusted for measurement error due to using job category instead of measured exposure. After adjusting for age, gender and smoking status, MTBE exposure was found to be significantly associated with a 50 per cent increase in the prevalence of one or more key health symptoms per order of magnitude increase in blood concentration on the log10 scale, using data from the 409 study participants with complete information on the covariates (95% CI,=,[1.00, 2.25]). Simulation results indicated that under conditions similar to those observed in these data, the estimator is unbiased and has a coverage probability close to the nominal value. The methodology illustrated in this article is advantageous because all of the available data were used in the analysis, obtaining a more precise estimate of exposure effect on health outcome, and the estimate is adjusted for measurement error due to using job category instead of measured exposure. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Microbial desulfurization of gasoline by free whole-cells of Rhodococcus erythropolis XPFEMS MICROBIOLOGY LETTERS, Issue 2 2006Bo Yu Abstract Rhodococcus erythropolis XP could grow well with condensed thiophenes, mono-thiophenic compounds and mercaptans present in gasoline. Rhodococcus erythropolis XP was also capable of efficiently degrading the condensed thiophenes in resting cell as well as biphasic reactions in which n -octane served as a model oil phase. Free whole cells of R. erythropolis XP were adopted to desulfurize fluid catalytic cracking (FCC) and straight-run (SR) gasoline oils. About 30% of the sulfur content of FCC gasoline and 85% of sulfur in SR gasoline were reduced, respectively. Gas chromatography analysis with atomic emission detection also showed depletion of sulfur compounds in SR gasoline. Rhodococcus erythropolis XP could partly resist the toxicity of gasoline and had an application potential to biodesulfurization of gasoline. [source] An electromagnetic modelling tool for the detection of hydrocarbons in the subsoilGEOPHYSICAL PROSPECTING, Issue 2 2000Carcione Electromagnetic geophysical methods, such as ground-penetrating radar (GPR), have proved to be optimal tools for detecting and mapping near-surface contaminants. GPR has the capability of mapping the location of hydrocarbon pools on the basis of contrasts in the effective permittivity and conductivity of the subsoil. At radar frequencies (50 MHz to 1 GHz), hydrocarbons have a relative permittivity ranging from 2 to 30, compared with a permittivity for water of 80. Moreover, their conductivity ranges from zero to 10 mS/m, against values of 200 mS/m and more for salt water. These differences indicate that water/hydrocarbon interfaces in a porous medium are electromagnetically ,visible'. In order to quantify the hydrocarbon saturation we developed a model for the electromagnetic properties of a subsoil composed of sand and clay/silt, and partially saturated with air, water and hydrocarbon. A self-similar theory is used for the sandy component and a transversely isotropic constitutive equation for the shaly component, which is assumed to possess a laminated structure. The model is first verified with experimental data and then used to obtain the properties of soils partially saturated with methanol and aviation gasoline. Finally, a GPR forward-modelling method computes the radargrams of a typical hydrocarbon spill, illustrating the sensitivity of the technique to the type of pore-fluid. The model and the simulation algorithm provide an interpretation methodology to distinguish different pore-fluids and to quantify their degree of saturation. [source] Soil greenhouse gas fluxes and global warming potential in four high-yielding maize systemsGLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY, Issue 9 2007M. A. A. ADVIENTO-BORBE Abstract Crop intensification is often thought to increase greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, but studies in which crop management is optimized to exploit crop yield potential are rare. We conducted a field study in eastern Nebraska, USA to quantify GHG emissions, changes in soil organic carbon (SOC) and the net global warming potential (GWP) in four irrigated systems: continuous maize with recommended best management practices (CC-rec) or intensive management (CC-int) and maize,soybean rotation with recommended (CS-rec) or intensive management (CS-int). Grain yields of maize and soybean were generally within 80,100% of the estimated site yield potential. Large soil surface carbon dioxide (CO2) fluxes were mostly associated with rapid crop growth, high temperature and high soil water content. Within each crop rotation, soil CO2 efflux under intensive management was not consistently higher than with recommended management. Owing to differences in residue inputs, SOC increased in the two continuous maize systems, but decreased in CS-rec or remained unchanged in CS-int. N2O emission peaks were mainly associated with high temperature and high soil water content resulting from rainfall or irrigation events, but less clearly related to soil NO3 -N levels. N2O fluxes in intensively managed systems were only occasionally greater than those measured in the CC-rec and CS-rec systems. Fertilizer-induced N2O emissions ranged from 1.9% to 3.5% in 2003, from 0.8% to 1.5% in 2004 and from 0.4% to 0.5% in 2005, with no consistent differences among the four systems. All four cropping systems where net sources of GHG. However, due to increased soil C sequestration continuous maize systems had lower GWP than maize,soybean systems and intensive management did not cause a significant increase in GWP. Converting maize grain to ethanol in the two continuous maize systems resulted in a net reduction in life cycle GHG emissions of maize ethanol relative to petrol-based gasoline by 33,38%. Our study provided evidence that net GHG emissions from agricultural systems can be kept low when management is optimized toward better exploitation of the yield potential. Major components for this included (i) choosing the right combination of adopted varieties, planting date and plant population to maximize crop biomass productivity, (ii) tactical water and nitrogen (N) management decisions that contributed to high N use efficiency and avoided extreme N2O emissions, and (iii) a deep tillage and residue management approach that favored the build-up of soil organic matter from large amounts of crop residues returned. [source] Evaluation of TCE and MTBE in situ Biodegradation: Integrating Stable Isotope, Metabolic Intermediate, and Microbial Lines of EvidenceGROUND WATER MONITORING & REMEDIATION, Issue 4 2007Jennifer R. McKelvie Compound specific isotope analysis (CSIA) was used to investigate biodegradation of trichloroethene (TCE) and methyl tert -butyl ether (MTBE) at contaminated field sites in Alaska and New York State, respectively. At both sites, geochemical conditions and the presence of metabolic intermediates (cis -1-2-dichloroethene and tert -butyl alcohol [TBA]) suggested the potential for biodegradation of TCE and MTBE, respectively. Given that in both cases these metabolic intermediates could also have been present as cocontaminants in the source zone, CSIA was undertaken to evaluate the possibility of in situ biodegradation. At the TCE-contaminated field site in Alaska, ,13C values of TCE in ground water determined in this study showed no evidence of biodegradation (mean ,13C of ,27.0 ± 1.0, for nine wells), and quantitative-polymerase chain reaction analyses of ground water from four wells found no evidence of dechlorinator Dehalococcoides sp. at this site. At the MTBE-contaminated field site in New York, TBA was present in the ground water but was not present in gasoline sampled from underground storage tanks (UST) on-site, suggesting that at this site, TBA was potentially a metabolite of MTBE biodegradation rather than a cocontaminant. However, at all sampling times and locations, ,13C and ,2H values of MTBE in ground water were within range of published values for undegraded MTBE in gasoline. While the occurrence of a small extent of in situ MTBE biodegradation cannot be ruled out, the findings suggest that it is more likely that multiple gasoline spills occurred through time, and while present day USTs do not contain TBA as a cocontaminant, gasoline spilled at the site in the past may have. At both contaminated field sites, CSIA, chemical, and microbiological lines of evidence suggest that biodegradation was not a significant attenuation process. The results of these two studies underscore the need for an integrated approach to site assessment that draws on measurements of metabolic intermediates, analysis of stable isotopes, and microbial evidence to give a reliable assessment of in situ biodegradation at contaminated field sites. [source] Used Motor Oil as a Source of MTBE, TAME, and BTEX to Ground WaterGROUND WATER MONITORING & REMEDIATION, Issue 4 2002Ronald J. Baker Methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE), the widely used gasoline oxygenate, has been identified as a common ground water contaminant, and BTEX compounds (benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylenes) have long been associated with gasoline spills. Because not all instances of ground water contamination by MTBE and BTEX can be attributed to spills or leaking storage tanks, other potential sources need to be considered. In this study, used motor oil was investigated as a potential source of these contaminants. MTBE in oil was measured directly by methanol extraction and gas chromatography using a flame ionization detector (GC/FID). Water was equilibrated with oil samples and analyzed for MTBE, BTEX, and the oxygenate tert-amyl methyl ether (TAME) by purge- and-trap concentration followed by GC/FID analysis. Raoult's law was used to calculate oil-phase concentrations of MTBE, BTEX, and TAME from aqueous-phase concentrations. MTBE, TAME, and BTEX were not detected in any of five new motor oil samples, whereas these compounds were found at significant concentrations in all six samples of the used motor oil tested for MTBE and all four samples tested for TAME and BTEX. MTBE concentrations in used motor oil were on the order of 100 mg/L. TAME concentrations ranged from 2.2 to 87 mg/L. Concentrations of benzene were 29 to 66 mg/L, but those of other BTEX compounds were higher, typically 500 to 2000 mg/L. [source] Natural gas internal combustion engine hybrid passenger vehicleINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENERGY RESEARCH, Issue 7 2008S. Wright Abstract The implementation of hybrid electric vehicles powered with alternative fuels is critical in reducing national dependence on imported crude oil, addressing the detrimental environmental impact of increasing petroleum usage worldwide, and sustaining the national economy. The question is not whether changes should be made, but instead centers on identifying pathways that will lead to the greatest environmental and economic benefits. To avoid misuse of limited infrastructure investment, the objective of this research is to consider a broad range of relevant factors to determine desirable power plant,fuel combinations for hybrid electric vehicles. In the long term, fuel cells may dominate this application, but at least in the short term, proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) will not likely offer immediate substantial benefit over internal combustion (IC) engines. Environmentally friendly operation of the PEMFC results partly due to low-temperature operation but primarily due to the requirement of a clean fuel, hydrogen. In addition, the differential benefits from power plant choice can be overshadowed by the advantages obtained from hybrid electric vehicle technology and alternative fuels. Consequently, the fuel flexibility of IC engines provides an advantage over the relatively fuel inflexible PEMFC. The methane/hythane IC engine hybrid option, as developed and presented here, is a promising pathway that avoids the barriers encountered with conventional non-hybrid natural gas vehicles, namely range, power and fueling infrastructure difficulties. Dynamometer testing of the natural gas hybrid prototype on the certification FTP-72 duty cycle revealed very low emissions and mileage greater than 33 miles per gallon gasoline equivalent. This hybrid option utilizes a domestic, cost-effective fuel with renewable sources. With multi-fuel capability (methane, hythane and gasoline) it is also designed for use within the emerging hydrogen market. This hybrid option offers reliability and cost-effective technology with immediate wide spread market availability. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Simulation of the market penetration of hydrogen fuel cell vehicles in KoreaINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENERGY RESEARCH, Issue 4 2008Eunju Jun Abstract As fuel cell technologies are developed, hydrogen-powered vehicles are receiving more interest. The hydrogen economy, particularly hydrogen-powered vehicle penetration into the Korean transportation market, is studied in this paper. Vensim, a system dynamic code, was used to simulate the dynamics in the transportation market, assuming various types of vehicles such as gasoline, hybrid electricity, and hydrogen powered. Market share for each vehicle was predicted using the currently available data. The results showed that the hydrogen era will not be as bright as predicted by many people. The main barrier is the fuel cell cost. Thus, in order to expand the fuel cell vehicles (FCVs) market, hydrogen fuel cell cost needs to be dramatically reduced. Hydrogen-powered FCV cost, including operating and capital costs, should reach $0.16 per kilometer in order to seize 50% of the newly created transportation market. However, if strong policies or subsidies are implemented, the results predicted here will be affected. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Effects of an ethanol,gasoline mixture: results of a 4-week inhalation study in ratsJOURNAL OF APPLIED TOXICOLOGY, Issue 3 2005I. Chu Abstract The inhalation toxicity of an ethanol,gasoline mixture was investigated in rats. Groups of 15 male and 15 female rats were exposed by inhalation to 6130 ppm ethanol, 500 ppm gasoline or a mixture of 85% ethanol and 15% gasoline (by volume, 6130 ppm ethanol and 500 ppm gasoline), 6 h a day, 5 days per week for 4 weeks. Control rats of both genders received HEPA[sol ]charcoal-filtered room air. Ten males and ten females from each group were killed after 4 weeks of treatment and the remaining rats were exposed to filtered room air for an additional 4 weeks to determine the reversibility of toxic injuries. Female rats treated with the mixture showed growth suppression, which was reversed after 4 weeks of recovery. Increased kidney weight and elevated liver microsomal ethoxyresorufin- O -deethylase (EROD) activity, urinary ascorbic acid, hippuric acid and blood lymphocytes were observed and most of the effects were associated with gasoline exposure. Combined exposure to ethanol and gasoline appeared to exert an additive effect on growth suppression. Inflammation of the upper respiratory tract was observed only in the ethanol,gasoline mixture groups, and exposure to either ethanol and gasoline had no effect on the organ, suggesting that an irritating effect was produced when the two liquids were mixed. Morphology in the adrenal gland was characterized by vacuolation of the cortical area. Although histological changes were generally mild in male and female rats and were reversed after 4 weeks, the changes tended to be more severe in male rats. Brain biogenic amine levels were altered in ethanol- and gasoline-treated groups; their levels varied with respect to gender and brain region. Although no general interactions were observed in the brain neurotransmitters, gasoline appeared to suppress dopamine concentrations in the nucleus accumbens region co-exposed to ethanol. It was concluded that treatment with ethanol and gasoline, at the levels studied, produced mild, reversible biochemical hematological and histological effects, with some indications of interactions when they were co-administered. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Aerobic biodegradation of MtBE in an upflow fixed bed reactorJOURNAL OF CHEMICAL TECHNOLOGY & BIOTECHNOLOGY, Issue 6 2009Emma Bianchi Abstract BACKGROUND: An aerobic upflow fixed bed reactor (UFBR) was densely colonized by a bacterial consortium, obtained from gasoline polluted waters, able to mineralize MtBE and BTEX. The system was studied in order to determine its capability to degrade the MtBE present in prepared solutions and in real contaminated aquifers and was operating for more than a year. RESULTS: Efficient colonization of the reactor took about 50 days, utilizing bacteria grown in continuous culture in a fermenter connected to the UFBR. During the study the influence of feed concentration of MtBE, temperature and hydraulic retention time (HRT) was analyzed. The system, running at 18 °C on synthetic medium, was fed at an influent MtBE concentration of 27.8 mg L,1 with HRT of 5 h showing 99.98% of MtBE degradation. When working with polluted groundwater, the system achieved 100% BTEX degradation and 99.34% MtBE degradation. CONCLUSION: The UFBR was tested on synthetic medium spiked with MtBE and on groundwater contaminated with MtBE and BTEX at concentrations of 50,60 ppm and a few ppm, respectively. The reactor responded efficiently showing great flexibility and capability of adjustment to different operating conditions with MtBE degradation of nearly 100%. Copyright © 2009 Society of Chemical Industry [source] Photocatalytic degradation of methyl tert -butyl ether (MTBE) in contaminated water by ZnO nanoparticlesJOURNAL OF CHEMICAL TECHNOLOGY & BIOTECHNOLOGY, Issue 11 2008Akbar Eslami Abstract BACKGROUND: Over the past several decades methyl tert -butyl ether (MTBE) as additive to gasoline, intended to either boost ratings of fuel or to reduce air pollution, has been accepted worldwide. Since MTBE has high water solubility, the occurrence of fuel spills or leaks from underground storage tanks or transferring pipeline has led to the contamination of natural waters. In this study the degradation of aqueous MTBE at relatively high concentrations was investigated by a UV-visible/ZnO/H2O2 photocatalytic process. The effects of important operational parameters such as pH, amount of H2O2, catalyst loading and irradiation time were also investigated. Concentration of MTBE and intermediates such as tert -butyl formate and tert -butyl alcohol were measured. RESULTS: Time required for complete degradation increased from 20 to 150 min when the initial concentration was increased from 10 to 500 mg L,1. The first-order rate constants for degradation of MTBE were estimated to be 0.183,0.022 min,1 as the concentration increased from 10 to 500 mg L,1. Study of the overall mineralization monitored by total organic carbon analysis showed that at an initial concentration of 100 mg L,1 MTBE complete mineralization was obtained after 100 min under UV-visible/ZnO/H2O2 photocatalysis. CONCLUSION: The data presented in this paper clearly indicated that UV-visible/ZnO/O2 as an advanced oxidation process provides an efficient treatment alternative for the remediation of MTBE-contaminated waters. Copyright © 2008 Society of Chemical Industry [source] Cell-free ethanol production: the future of fuel ethanol?JOURNAL OF CHEMICAL TECHNOLOGY & BIOTECHNOLOGY, Issue 2 2007Eric J. Allain Abstract The production of fuel ethanol from renewable resources as an economically viable alternative to gasoline is currently the subject of much research. Most studies seek to improve process efficiency by increasing the rate of ethanol production; ultimately, this approach will be limited by the selected ethanol-producing microorganism. Cell-free ethanol production, using only the enzymes involved in the conversion of glucose to ethanol, may offer a practical and beneficial alternative. Mathematical modeling of such a system has suggested that a cell-free process should be capable of producing ethanol much more efficiently than the microbial based process. This finding along with other potential benefits of a microorganism-free process suggests that a cell-free process might significantly improve the economy of fuel ethanol production and is a worthy target for further research. Copyright © 2007 Society of Chemical Industry [source] Study of the preparation and composition of the metallic function for the selective hydrogenation of CO2 to gasoline over bifunctional catalysts,JOURNAL OF CHEMICAL TECHNOLOGY & BIOTECHNOLOGY, Issue 2-3 2003Javier Ereña Abstract Bifunctional catalysts for the transformation of carbon dioxide and hydrogen into gasoline have been prepared by conventional and novel processes and characterized by measurement of BET surface area and volume and distribution of pores, and by X-ray diffraction, FTIR spectroscopy and X-ray fluorescence. The effects of the preparation conditions and of the atomic ratios between the metals on the structure and on the properties of the catalysts were studied. © 2003 Society of Chemical Industry [source] Prediction model for increasing propylene from FCC gasoline secondary reactions based on Levenberg,Marquardt algorithm coupled with support vector machinesJOURNAL OF CHEMOMETRICS, Issue 9 2010Xiaowei Zhou Abstract Levenberg,Marquardt (LM) algorithm was adopted to optimize the multiple parameters of the support vector machines (SVM) model to overcome the difficulty in selecting the parameters of SVM and to fit relational expression of high nonlinearity. Strategy of dividing the training data into working data to train SVM and the testing data so as to avoid over-fitting was performed. Comparison of the proposed LM/SVM method with three reported hybridized SVM approaches (GA/SVM, SM/SVM and SQP/SVM) was also carried out. The new method was applied in modelling for the prediction of propylene by secondary reactions of FCC gasoline. Best performance of LM/SVM employing polynomial kernel was demonstrated. Good agreement between predicted results and experimental data suggests that the LM/SVM method is successfully developed and the SVM model for increasing propylene is well established. Finally, sequential quadratic programming (SQP) algorithm was employed to optimize the operation conditions of FCC gasoline secondary reaction for maximizing the propylene yield. The obtained optimization conditions are consistent with experimental data and reported results, indicating that the optimization results are reliable. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Impact of renewable fuels standard ethanol mandates on the corn marketAGRIBUSINESS : AN INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL, Issue 1 2010John D. Anderson Since 2002, the Renewable Fuels Standard has established mandated levels of ethanol blending in gasoline. Mandated ethanol use represents an important component of ethanol demand. Thus, the ethanol mandates influence derived demand for corn. This work investigates the potential impact of ethanol mandates on equilibrium corn prices and quantities, focusing on how the mandates influence market participant expectations. Results illustrate that due to the stochastic nature of supply and demand shocks, even a mandate that is technically nonbinding can have a substantial impact on corn prices and quantities through the mandate's impact on the price-responsiveness of demand from the ethanol sector. [JEL classifications: Q13, Q42, Q48]. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [source] From Cradle to Grave: Extended Producer Responsibility for Household Hazardous Wastes in British ColumbiaJOURNAL OF INDUSTRIAL ECOLOGY, Issue 2 2001Ronald J. Driedger Summary Household hazardous wastes (HHWs), the discarded pesticides, solvents, paints, lubricating oil, and similar products common to residences throughout the industrial world, create problems for governments charged with managing solid waste. When disposed of improperly in landfills or incinerators or if dumped illegally, HHW may contribute to soil and water contamination. A most common management tool for HHW is a special collection effort that segregates HHW from normal trash and disposes of it in an approved manner, all at a higher cost to the governmental jurisdiction. The Canadian province of British Columbia (BC) has undertaken a different approach, based on the use of extended producer responsibility (EPR). BC's efforts began in 1992 with adoption of a regulation on used lubricating oil (lube oil). More than 40 million liters (L) of used lube oil have been collected annually through the EPR system established under this regulation. A regulation establishing producer responsibility for postconsumer paints followed in 1994. BC enacted an additional regulation establishing EPR in 1997 for solvents/flammable liquids, domestic pesticides, gasoline, and pharmaceuticals. As a result of the application of EPR to HHW, local government costs for managing HHW and the amount of HHW identified in municipal waste have declined. Although the regulations appear to have mixed success in prompting consumers to avoid products that result in HHW, there are indications that they may be more effective than conventional management efforts. Based on BC's experience with EPR, key factors for successful implementation include maintaining flexibility in program design, creating viable funding alternatives, aggressive enforcement to provide a level playing field, and adopting policies that maximize diversion of HHW from landfills, while minimizing waste generation, setting targets for reuse and recycling, promoting consumer awareness and convenience, involving local government jurisdictions, and monitoring outcomes. [source] Base-free catalytic aerobic oxidation of mercaptans for gasoline sweetening over HTLcs-derived CuZnAl catalystAICHE JOURNAL, Issue 12 2009Lida Gao Abstract An aerobic oxidative removal of mercaptans from gasoline in the absence of liquid base has been demonstrated for gasoline sweetening over CuZnAl catalyst. This process could proceed at large WHSV of gasoline (50,70 h,1) with >95% mercaptan conversion at 150°C (or 300°C) using an O2/S molar ratio of 20,40. At 150°C, dimerization of mercaptans occurred dominantly to form their disulfides. At 300°C, deep oxidation of the mercaptans to SO2 was the dominant process in the first tens of hours, but it decreased then with prolonged time on stream and meanwhile the dimerization increased. The spent catalyst could be restored to its fresh activity level only through a calcination treatment in air. This process was also demonstrated to be effective and efficient for sweetening of a real cracking gasoline. © 2009 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 2009 [source] Multi-scale study on the secondary reactions of fluid catalytic cracking gasolineAICHE JOURNAL, Issue 8 2009Bo-lun Yang Abstract Multi-scale model considered the heat transfer, mass transfer, momentum transfer, fluid flow with reactions together at different spatiotemporal scales for the riser reactor of secondary reactions of fluid catalytic cracking gasoline (SRFCCG) process has been preformed in this work. Micro-scale of kinetics in catalyst particles, meso-scale of clusters, voids, dense phase, dilute phases, and heterogeneous structures in gas,solid flow, and the macro-scale of product distribution over riser reactor have been established using multi-scale modeling method and integrated by the multi-domain strategy. The proposed model was solved with the software of EQUATRAN-G. Good agreement between simulation results and the experimental data suggested that the proposed model was well constructed and simulation exercise was successful. The multi-scale model was capable of predicting heterogeneous structures of multi-phase flow, reactor temperature profile, and product distribution of SRFCCG process. © 2009 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 2009 [source] Fischer-Tropsch synthesis product grade optimization in a fluidized bed reactorAICHE JOURNAL, Issue 8 2006Fabiano A. N. Fernandes Abstract Fischer-Tropsch synthesis is an important chemical process for the production of liquid fuels and olefins. In recent years, the abundant availability of natural gas and the increasing demand of olefins, gasoline, diesel and waxes have led to a high interest in further developing this process. A mathematical model of a fluidized-bed reactor used for syngas polymerization was developed and the carbon monoxide polymerization was studied from a modeling point of view. Simulation results show that several parameters affect syngas conversion and carbon product distribution, such as operating pressure, superficial gas velocity, bed porosity, and syngas composition. Optimization of liquid hydrocarbon products was done and the best operating conditions for their production were found for an iron catalyst that produces hydrocarbon chains according to a dual mechanism theory. © 2006 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 2006 [source] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||