Researchers from Germany and Switzerland have presented a new class of synthetic fuels. The so-called HyFit diesel fuels could help reduce CO2 and particulate emissions from heavy-duty trucks.
Researchers from RWTH Aachen, the Max Planck Institute for Chemical Energy Conversion and ETH Zurich have presented a new class of synthetic fuels as part of an interdisciplinary study. These are diesel fuels that could help reduce CO2 and particulate matter emissions from heavy-duty trucks.
Diesel with alcohol: What is HyFiT?
The abbreviation HyFiT stands for hydroformylated Fischer-Tropsch fuels. These are diesel fuels with a specific chemical composition. The so-called Fischer-Tropsch synthesis is a chemical process in which synthetic fuels are produced from hydrogen, carbon monoxide or methanol, among other things.
However, this process is currently relatively inefficient and expensive on an industrial scale. Researchers at the RWTH Aachen University have therefore investigated whether the chemical composition of synthetic diesel from Fischer-Tropsch synthesis can be optimized.
Background: The classic Fischer-Tropsch synthesis produces a liquid that is very similar to natural fossil petroleum and contains various hydrocarbons, including alkanes and olefins. In order to use the liquid as fuel, the diesel, which consists mainly of alkanes, must first be distilled out.
The olefins also contained can in turn be converted into alkanes and alcohols through hydroformylation. According to the researchers, the alcohol content can be controlled via the proportion of olefins. Therefore, optimization could influence the chemical composition of the synthetic HyFiT diesel.
CO2 footprint like an electric car?
The researchers published their study in the journal Nature published. They first investigated the extent to which the alcohol content influences the density and volume of the HyFiT diesel and whether the composition is suitable for conventional diesel engines.
They then fueled a truck with different chemical compositions of the synthetic fuel and measured the CO2 and particulate matter emissions at different speeds and in different driving situations.
The result: HyFiT diesel, with an alcohol content of 20 to 40 percent, would be highly suitable for everyday use. While CO2 emissions only fell by three to five percent, the measurements showed a reduction of up to 70 percent in particulate matter emissions.
If the synthetic diesel is produced from biomass, the environmental impact for journeys of over 550 kilometers is even lower than that of an electric truck. However, the researchers emphasize that HyFiT diesel is by no means a competing solution, but rather a complementary solution for certain areas of application where there are few alternatives. In order to be efficient, the fuel is dependent on raw materials and renewable energies.
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Source: https://www.basicthinking.de/blog/2024/07/19/hyfit-diesel-mit-alkohol-emissionen-lkw/
