Excellence in Research: Combustion of Bio-derived Isobutanol as an Emerging Fuel for Improved Fuel Efficiency and Economy

This project concerns a study of the combustion performance of an emerging bio-derived liquid fuel, isobutanol, and its mixtures with gasoline in an environment that promotes spherical flames during droplet combustion. The relevance of this work stems from the fact that combustion engines such as gasoline engines are powered by petroleum-based fuels, and the supplies of these fuels are limited. Therefore, the continuous consumption of these non-renewable liquid fuels and concerns over the harmful emissions have highlighted the need for renewable biofuels with sustainable production and reduced emissions. In this context, this work aims to provide a fundamental understanding of the combustion dynamics of biobutanol and its blends with practical transportation fuels to determine their potential performance in combustion engines. These efforts will significantly benefit society by guiding the development of improved fuel efficiency and providing insights into reducing harmful emissions, and thus offering solutions to climate change. Broader impacts from an educational perspective for this project include providing underrepresented minority students at both undergraduate and graduate levels with opportunities to conduct independent research, discover new knowledge, and explore practical applications. Furthermore, this work will offer various K-12 outreach opportunities. These programs will engage more minority students, attract them to pursue a career in science and engineering, and thus build a more diverse workforce in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM). The goal of this research is to deepen the fundamental understanding of the combustion processes of bio-derived liquid fuels as promising additives or alternatives for petroleum-based fuels. The specific objectives of this project are to (1) establish a cost-effective Multiphase Droplet Burning Facility at Prairie View A&M University to build the institutional research capacity as a Historically Black College and University in the areas of droplet combustion and thermo-fluids; (2) build an experimental platform to quantitatively extract Soot Volume Fraction during the combustion of isobutanol and its mixtures with petroleum-based fuels; and (3) develop an experimental database for the combustion of isobutanol to evaluate its potential for being a desirable additive for gasoline to reduce the consumption of petroleum-based liquid fuels as well as harmful emissions during combustion. Results obtained will advance the understanding of how bio-derived fuels combust in the context of petroleum-based liquid fuels. Experimental combustion data collected will also be a valuable database for the research community for developing, validating, and optimizing numerical models. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.