Regular Unleaded Gasoline Research Articles

Effects of triglyceride gasoline blends on combustion and emissions in a common rail direct injection diesel engine

This study presents the combustion and emission results using a blend of unrefined triglycerides (straight vegetable oils) and regular unleaded gasoline in a compression ignition engine typically used in farming machinery. Most farm equipment is powered by diesel engines. A sizable cost of producing a crop on a farm can be attributed to fuel—diesel in such cases. Farmers and researchers have been interested in the use of alternative fuels, especially triglycerides, which could potentially bring down the fuel cost portion of the farm input costs. One of the major drawbacks of using unrefined triglycerides is poor cold flow properties due to high density and viscosity. To overcome this, the triglycerides can be blended with gasoline to lower the density and viscosity. This blend has been used in existing diesel engines without the need for any modification to the engine or its control system. The experiments were conducted on a 4.5-L Tier 3 engine. The fuel used was a blend of unrefined canola triglyceride and regular unleaded gasoline (10% by volume). Measurements include mass fraction burned combustion pressure, fuel consumption and pollutant emissions. The fuel consumption of TGB10 was lower than most straight vegetable oils found in the literature, but higher than diesel. The peak pressure of TGB10 was slightly higher than diesel and occurred earlier than diesel. The brake-specific NOx was lower than diesel at lower and no load points. Particulate matter emissions of TGB10 were higher than diesel at rated speed. Total hydrocarbon emissions were generally higher than diesel. CO emissions were lower than diesel except at low or no load points where they were significantly higher.

Effect of Fuel Type on Carbon Monoxide Accumulation in Tents of Varied Design

The use of backpacking stoves in tents has been recognized to result in elevated carboxyhemoglobin levels and even death among tent inhabitants. A study was performed to evaluate carbon monoxide production occurring in varying tents with variable fuel types. Using a popular backpacking stove, both white gas and regular unleaded gasoline were used to heat a pot of water inside 2 tents of differing levels of weather resistance ("3-season tent" and "4-season tent") under controlled settings. A remote carbon monoxide sensor measured levels over a 20-minute period. Multiple 20-minute runs were performed with varying fuel and tent combinations to assess peak levels and rates of carbon monoxide production. Mean peak carbon monoxide levels were obtained in the 3-season tent and 4-season tent when white gas was burned measuring 60.5 ppm (95% CI: 31.2 to 89.8) and 154.5 ppm (95% CI: 112.8 to 195.7; P = .002), respectively. The use of regular unleaded gasoline in the 3-season and 4-season tents resulted in mean peak carbon monoxide levels of 102.9 ppm (95% CI: 77.8 to 128.0) and 210.6 ppm (95% CI: 37.4 to 383.1; P = .06), respectively. Using regular unleaded gasoline resulted in significantly increased mean peak carbon monoxide levels compared with white gas in the 3-season tent (P = .006); however, the difference was not significant in the 4-season tent (P = .23). The use of backpacking stoves in tents produces varying levels of carbon monoxide related to fuel type and tent styles. Efforts should continue to educate persons of the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning with the use of any stove while inside tents.

Removal of emulsified fuel oils from brackish and pond water by dissolved air flotation with and without polyelectrolyte use: Pilot-scale investigation for estuarine and near shore applications

In coastal areas, estuaries, and inland waters, dispersant use after oil spills is not allowed due to sensitivity of the ecosystems. The purpose of this study was to investigate the removal of emulsified fuel oils from brackish and pond water by dissolved air flotation (DAF) with and without use of coagulants. Experiments were conducted with a 60 L DAF system. Fuel oil–water emulsions were prepared with regular unleaded gasoline, jet fuel, and diesel fuel mixed at 1:1:1 (v/v/v) ratio. Batch and continuous runs were conducted at air pressurization of 354.6 kPa. During both batch and continuous modes, significant petroleum hydrocarbon (PHC) removal was achieved within 10 min. Coagulant addition initially increased the PHC removal by about 5–15%. However, effectiveness of the coagulant was not significant after 20 min due to breakage of the aggregates. In general, the pond water had higher PHC removal than the brackish water. With longer run times, PHC removal improved slightly and the effluent contained increasing fractions of higher molecular weight compounds indicating that PHC removal was due to both DAF and stripping processes. Results indicate that DAF process can be effective both with and without the use of coagulants for removing PHCs from brackish and pond waters.

Microwave pyrolysis of distillers dried grain with solubles (DDGS) for biofuel production

Microwave pyrolysis of distillers dried grain with solubles (DDGS) was investigated to determine the effects of pyrolytic conditions on the yields of bio-oil, syngas, and biochar. Pyrolysis process variables included reaction temperature, time, and power input. Microwave pyrolysis of DDGS was analyzed using response surface methodology to find out the effect of process variables on the biofuel (bio-oil and syngas) conversion yield and establish prediction models. Bio-oil recovery was in the range of 26.5–50.3 wt.% of the biomass. Biochar yields were 23.5–62.2% depending on the pyrolysis conditions. The energy content of DDGS bio-oils was 28 MJ/kg obtained at the 650 °C and 8 min, which was about 66.7% of the heating value of gasoline. GC/MS analysis indicated that the biooil contained a series of important and useful chemical compounds: aliphatic and aromatic hydrocarbons. At least 13% of DDGS bio-oil was the same hydrocarbon compounds found in regular unleaded gasoline.

Headspace-solid-phase microextraction using a dodecylsulfate-doped polypyrrole film coupled to ion mobility spectrometry for analysis methyl tert-butyl ether in water and gasoline

A simple and sensitive method for the determination of methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE) in water using headspace-solid-phase microextraction (HS-SPME) at sub-ng mL −1 concentrations is described. The analysis was carried out using a cooled SPME fiber coated with a film of dodecylsulfate-doped polypyrrole coupled to ion mobility spectrometry equipped with corona discharge ionization. The headspace-solid-phase microextraction experimental procedures to extract MTBE in water samples were optimized with a dodecylsulfate-doped polypyrrole coated fiber at a 30 min extraction time, extraction temperature of 40 °C, sodium chloride concentration of 2.5 mol L −1 and desorption temperature of 140 °C. Two linear calibration curves respectively in the ranges of 2–17 ng mL −1 and 10–70 ng mL −1 with detection limits of 0.7 ng mL −1 and 4.9 ng mL −1 were obtained. Relative standard deviations for three replicates in water samples were <10%. The capability of dodecylsulfate-doped polypyrrole to extract MTBE has been compared with the results obtained based on the literature data for commercial fiber. The results shows that dodecylsulfate-doped polypyrrole, as a solid-phase microextraction fiber coating, is suitable for successful extraction of MTBE having detection limits comparable to what obtained with commercial fibers. Finally, the proposed method was applied to the analysis of MTBE in three ground water samples and regular unleaded gasoline from petrol station in Tehran central district, Iran.

Lifting the Alaskan Oil Export Ban: An Intervention Analysis

In this paper we examine the price effects on crude oils of removing the U.S. export ban on Alaskan North Slope crude oil in 1996. We estimate the long-run impact of removing the export ban through the use of a time series intervention analysis. The results indicate that Alaskan crude oil prices increased between $0.98 and $1.30 on the West Coast spot market relative to prices of comparable crude oils as a result of removing the export ban. However, we find no evidence that West Coast prices for refined oil products—regular unleaded gasoline, diesel fuel, and jet fuel—increased as a result of lifting the ban.

Method for determination of methyl tert-butyl ether in gasoline by gas chromatography

A simple method for the determination of methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE) in gasoline has been developed. The separation of MTBE from other analytes was controlled by the use of gas chromatography–mass spectrometry in the full scan mode using the characteristic primary, secondary and tertiary ions m/ z 73, 57 and 43. The sample mass spectrum did not show any superimposition of other analytes. The separation from the common gasoline component 2-methylpentane was sufficient for reliable quantitation. An application of the developed conditions using gas chromatography with flame ionization detection was performed by the analysis of regular, euro super, super premium unleaded and ‘Optimax’ gasoline from petrol stations in the area of Frankfurt/Main, Germany. Regular unleaded gasoline shows an average MTBE content of 0.4% (w/w), whereas the MTBE content in euro super gasoline varies between 0.4 and 4.2% (w/w). The blending of MTBE to super premium has increased from 8.2% (w/w) in 1998 to 9.8% (w/w) on average in 1999. The recently introduced gasoline ‘Optimax’ shows an average MTBE content of 11.9% (w/w). The presented method might also be used for the analysis of other ethers, such as ethyl tert-butyl ether, which requires the use of another internal standard.

A theory of quality‐related differences in retail margins: why there is a ‘premium’ on premium gasoline

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.

Exposure to regular gasoline and ethanol oxyfuel during refueling in Alaska.

Although most people are thought to receive their highest acute exposures to gasoline while refueling, relatively little is actually known about personal, nonoccupational exposures to gasoline during refueling activities. This study was designed to measure exposures associated with the use of an oxygenated fuel under cold conditions in Fairbanks, Alaska. We compared concentrations of gasoline components in the blood and in the personal breathing zone (PBZ) of people who pumped regular unleaded gasoline (referred to as regular gasoline) with concentrations in the blood of those who pumped an oxygenated fuel that was 10% ethanol (E-10). A subset of participants in a wintertime engine performance study provided blood samples before and after pumping gasoline (30 using regular gasoline and 30 using E-10). The biological and environmental samples were analyzed for selected aromatic volatile organic compounds (VOCs) found in gasoline (benzene, ethylbenzene, toluene, m-/p-xylene, and o-xylene); the biological samples were also analyzed for three chemicals not found in gasoline (1,4-dichlorobenzene, chloroform, and styrene). People in our study had significantly higher levels of gasoline components in their blood after pumping gasoline than they had before pumping gasoline. The changes in VOC levels in blood were similar whether the individuals pumped regular gasoline or the E-10 blend. The analysis of PBZ samples indicated that there were also measurable levels of gasoline components in the air during refueling. The VOC levels in PBZ air were similar for the two groups. In this study, we demonstrate that people are briefly exposed to low (ppm and sub-ppm) levels of known carcinogens and other potentially toxic compounds while pumping gasoline, regardless of the type of gasoline used.

Detection of additive outliers in bilinear time series

Outliers are commonplace in applied time series analysis. Additive outliers could happen in linear time series as well as nonlinear time series. However, their existence is often ignored and their impact overlooked in nonlinear processes. The problem of detecting additive outliers in bilinear time series is considered in this work. We show how Gibbs sampler can be applied to detect aberrant observations in bilinear processes. We also discuss some major problems encountered in practice, such as how one can distinguish between ARMA model with outliers and a bilinear model without outliers. The methodology proposed is illustrated using some generated examples and the US monthly retail price of regular unleaded gasoline. The results obtained by the proposed procedure are informative. The major strength of this procedure is that it can identify those observations which would require more careful scrutinizing.

GC/MS Analysis of the Aromatic Composition of Gasoline

The gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) analysis of three brands of regular unleaded gasoline was conducted as part of the independent project of an undergraduate journalism major. In his ...

Emissions of two- and four-stroke outboard engines—I. Quantification of gases and VOC

The effects of outboard engines on water quality were analysed under the controlled conditions of a test stand equipped with an 800 1. water basin. Two- and four-stroke engines with different power outputs were run with different fuels, lubricating oils and a newly designed catalyst. The gaseous emissions (HC, NO x, CO) and VOC (formaldehyde and 14 major aromatic compounds) introduced by the exhaust into the water were quantitatively determined. The weighted emissions of HC and the introduction of VOC (benzene, toluene, xylenes, etc.) into the water were much higher for two-stroke than for four-stroke engines. Using ethanol instead of regular unleaded gasoline in a two-stroke engine essentially reduced the emission of aromatic compounds. Different lubricating oils had no significant effect on the gaseous emissions and introduction of VOC into the water. A new catalyst designed for two-stroke engines with a bypass and post-combustion essentially improved the emission of gases and VOC.

Aviation gasoline: comparative subchronic nephrotoxicity study in the male rat

Biochemical and histopathologic parameters of nephrotoxicity were measured in groups of male Fischer-344 rats after a 2-week, 5-days-a-week schedule of oral administration (0.5 ml/kg) of the following substances: aviation gasoline (grade 100) (AVG), automobile regular unleaded gasoline (ULG) and 2,2,4-trimethylpentane (TMP). Results of renal histopathologic examinations and biochemical parameters were compatible with the following order of increasing nephrotoxicity: ULG < TMP < AVG. The high nephrotoxic potential of aviation gasoline may be related to its elevated content in branched hydrocarbons.

Is Gasoline Overpriced?

Introduction Changes in the price of gasoline cause more concern to consumers than changes in the prices of almost any other item which are purchased on a regular basis. Recent dramatic decreases in the price of crude oil, of which everybody is aware, have not resulted in the same degree of decline in the price of gasoline. Why is this? The purpose of this paper is to identify who gets what from the price of a litre of gasoline so that one will be able to answer the question "is gasoline overpriced?". First, the most recent results of the quarterly survey of Ontario gasoline pump prices, made by the Petroleum Resources Communication Foundation, will be compared with the survey results in January 1986, when crude prices were at their peak. Then, these current data will be compared with the results in January 1986 for Quebec and Alberta. To give a broader overview, Canadian gasoline prices will be compared with the most recent information available for prices in the United States (U.S.) and United Kingdom (U.K.). Like Canada, both of these countries are oil producers as well as oil consumers. The Petroleum Resources Communication Foundation (PRCF) supplied most of the basic data used in this paper. PRCF was formed in 1975 with the objective of increasing public awareness and understanding of Canada's petroleum industry. It is supported by 100 different companies and has established a reputation for providing factual and objective data on the industry. Ontario Gasoline Prices In January 1986, Ontario pump prices for regular unleaded gasoline at full-service stations average 53.5 cents per litre, with an average crude oil price at the wellhead of $37.50 per barrel. In the first week of April 1988, pump prices for the same gasoline in Ontario averaged 48.5 cents per litre with an average crude oil price of $20.66 per barrel. The consumers' reaction is, of course, if crude price fen by 45%, why did gasoline only fall by 9%? Is the consumer being treated fairly? If the breakdown of gasoline prices is examined, then it can be established if the consumer has received the full benefit of falling world oil prices over the last 27 months. How much of the total price is in fact made up of the cost of crude oil? Gasoline The price of gasoline is shared as follows: Dealer Margin This is the amount charged by the service station operator. In Ontario, this margin varies from station to station with a range from 0 to 10 cents per litre. The average for the four major companies was 3.9 cents per litre in April 1988. It has declined by 0.6 cents per litre since January 1986. All the costs of operating the service station come from this margin of 3.9 cents. Provincial Tax This tax varies from province to province, with the lowest tax in Alberta at 5 cents per litre and a maximum of 14.4 cents per litre in Quebec.