MRI: Acquisition of a Rapid Compression Machine for Chemical Kinetic Studies on Biofuels

提案：0722780PI: Anthony MarcheseInstitution: Rowan university标题：MRI：获得用于生物燃料化学动力学研究的快速压缩机生物柴油已被证明在减少柴油发动机的CO， HC， PM和温室气体排放，减少对石油进口的依赖以及为国内农产品（如大豆）开发新市场方面非常有效。不幸的是，许多研究也表明，生物柴油导致氮氧化物排放增加。由于发动机制造商和监管机构仍在努力解决移动柴油源的氮氧化物排放问题，因此与生物柴油相关的氮氧化物惩罚可能会限制生物柴油的广泛接受。绝大多数文献都将生物柴油与石油柴油的物理性质（体积模量、沸点、粘度等）差异作为生物柴油NOx增加的机理。然而，越来越多的证据表明，生物柴油NOx的增加与生物柴油化学氧化机制（即甲酯）与石油柴油的根本差异有关。不幸的是，很少有人研究长链甲酯的详细化学动力学机制，并评估这些分子导致nox增加和PM减少的原因。更好地了解生物柴油的氮氧化物和烟尘过程，将导致更清洁燃烧的可再生燃料的发展。这项主要研究仪器补助金用于购买快速压缩机（RCM），用于生物燃料的基础化学动力学研究。RCM是一种用于模拟单个发动机循环压缩冲程的仪器，可以在比实际发动机更可控的环境中研究自动点火现象。RCM将集成新型快速响应NO/NO2分析仪，该分析仪将允许时间分辨NOx测量和快速淬火系统，该系统将能够对燃烧产物和中间体进行复杂的气体分析。通过在RCM中对生物燃料（和替代燃料）进行实验，将有可能从实际柴油发动机中存在的各种其他过程中分离出对氮氧化物和烟灰产生的化学动力学影响。此外，利用这一系统获得的数据将是建立一个数据库所必需的，以便采用一种普遍接受的生物柴油参考燃料，例如油酸甲酯。致力于替代燃料研究的RCM能力的发展将有效地弥合少数小型生物柴油替代品的基本燃烧研究与大量发动机研究之间的差距，其中污染物排放的潜在机制难以分离。更广泛的影响环境评论家Bill McKibben正确地指出，全球变暖是人类有史以来面临的第一个文明规模的挑战。虽然没有单一的技术灵丹妙药来应对这一无处不在的挑战，但生物柴油等可再生燃料在减少温室气体排放方面有潜力发挥重要作用，因为它们几乎是二氧化碳中性的。解决生物柴油NOx问题将导致发动机制造商和政府机构进一步广泛接受生物柴油，从而减少温室气体排放。减少柴油发动机的PM排放是一个同样重要的问题，可以通过使用生物柴油来解决。柴油PM已被世界卫生组织和美国环保署列为可能的人类致癌物，最近的研究已将柴油PM与心脏病联系起来。

Proposal: 0722780PI: Anthony MarcheseInstitution: Rowan UniversityTitle: MRI: Acquisition of a Rapid Compression Machine for Chemical Kinetic Studies on BiofuelsBiodiesel has been shown to be highly effective in reducing CO, HC, PM and greenhouse gas emissions from diesel engines, decreasing dependence on petroleum imports and developing new markets for domestic agricultural products such as soybeans. Unfortunately, many research studies have also shown that biodiesel results in an increase in NOx emissions. The perceived NOx penalty associated with biodiesel threatens to limit its widespread acceptance since engine manufacturers and regulatory agencies continue to struggle with NOx emissions from mobile diesel sources. The vast majority of the literature has focused on differences in physical properties (bulk modulus, boiling point, viscosity, etc.) between biodiesel and petroleum diesel as the mechanism for increased biodiesel NOx. However, there is increasing evidence that biodiesel NOx increases are related to fundamentaldifferences in the chemical oxidation mechanism of biodiesel (i.e. methyl esters) in comparison to petroleum diesel. Unfortunately, very little work has been done to develop detailed chemical kinetic mechanisms for long chain methyl esters and to evaluate why these molecules result in increased NOxand decreased PM. A better understanding of biodiesel NOx and soot processes, will lead to the development of even cleaner burning renewable fuels.Intellectual MeritThis Major Research Instrumentation Grant is for the purchase of a rapid compression machine (RCM) that will be used for fundamental chemical kinetic studies on biofuels. An RCM is an instrument designed to simulate the compression stroke of a single engine cycle allowing auto-ignition phenomena to be studied in a much more controllable environment than that which is possible in an actual engine. The RCM will be integrated with a novel fast response NO/NO2 analyzer that will allow time-resolved NOx measurements and a rapid quenching system that will enable sophisticated gas analysis of combustion products and intermediates. By performingexperiments on biofuels (and surrogate fuels) in an RCM it will be possible to isolate the chemical kinetic effects on NOx and soot production from the variety of other processes that are present in an actual diesel engine. Moreover, data acquired using this system will be integral to developing a data base necessary for adopting a universally accepted reference fuel for biodiesel, such as methyl oleate. Development of an RCM capability dedicated to alternative fuels research will effectively bridge the gap between the handful of fundamental combustion studies on smaller biodiesel surrogates and the multitude of engine studies in which the underlying mechanisms responsible for pollutant emissions are difficult to isolate.Broader ImpactsEnvironmental essayist Bill McKibben rightfully suggests that global warming is the first civilization-scale challenge ever faced by the human race. While there is no single technological panacea for this omnipresent challenge, renewable fuels such as biodiesel have the potential to play a significant role in mitigating greenhouse gas emissions since they are nearly CO2 neutral. A solution to the perceived biodiesel NOx problem will result in further widespread acceptance of biodiesel by engine manufacturers and government agencies, thereby resulting in decreased greenhouse gas emissions. Decreasing PM emissions from diesel engines is an equally important issue that can be addressed through the use of biodiesel. Diesel PM has been classified as a probable human carcinogen by the World Health Organization and the USEPA, and recent studies have linked diesel PM to heart disease.