A Review of Isobutanol as a Fuel for Internal Combustion Engines

Isobutanol, one of the four isomers of butanol (C4H9OH), possesses some favorable properties that make it an attractive fuel for internal combustion engines. For instance, when compared to ethanol, isobutanol features a higher heating value and lower hygroscopicity (which prevents corrosion and enab...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Energies (Basel) 2023-11, Vol.16 (22), p.7470
Main Authors: Olson, André L., Tunér, Martin, Verhelst, Sebastian
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Alcohol
Alternative energy sources
Biodiesel fuels
biofuel
Biofuels
Biomass
butanol
Combustion
Corrosion and anti-corrosives
Diesel engines
Diesel fuels
Emissions
Energiteknik
Energy consumption
Energy Engineering
Engineering and Technology
Engines
Enzymes
Ethanol
fuel blends
Gasoline
internal combustion engine
Internal combustion engines
isobutanol
Maskinteknik
Mechanical Engineering
Microorganisms
oxygenate
Raw materials
renewable
Renewable resources
Sugarcane
Teknik
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Summary:Isobutanol, one of the four isomers of butanol (C4H9OH), possesses some favorable properties that make it an attractive fuel for internal combustion engines. For instance, when compared to ethanol, isobutanol features a higher heating value and lower hygroscopicity (which prevents corrosion and enables it to be transported via pipelines). Moreover, its addition to gasoline does not distort the fuel blend’s vapor pressure to the same extent as ethanol does. All of this while having a high octane rating. Those advantages over ethanol suggest that isobutanol has the potential to be used as a gasoline oxygenate or even as a neat fuel. Furthermore, the advances made in biotechnology have enabled isobutanol to be produced from biomass more efficiently, allowing it to be used in compliance with existing renewable energy mandates. This article reviews some of the relevant literature dedicated to isobutanol as a motor fuel, covering its merits and drawbacks. Several studies on its combustion characteristics are also discussed. Most of the included literature refers to the use of isobutanol in spark-ignition (SI) engines, as its properties naturally lend themselves to such applications. However, isobutanol’s utilization in diesel engines is also addressed, along with a couple of low-temperature combustion examples.
ISSN:1996-1073
1996-1073
DOI:10.3390/en16227470