FKFS Veranstaltungen

2024 Stuttgart International Symposium
on Automotive and Engine Technology

2. - 3. Juli 2024

Session: COMBUSTION & EMISSIONS | | 09:30 - 10:00

Methods for the Holistic Evaluation of the eFuel Influence on Gasoline Engine Combustion

Jonas Villforth, Dr Ing. hc F Porsche AG

The proportion of new registrations with battery-electric and hybrid powertrains is rising steadily. This shows the strong trend in the automotive industry away from conventional powertrains with internal combustion engines. The aim is to reduce the transport sector's contribution to CO2 emissions. However, it should be noted that this only applies when renewable energy is used. Studies show the relevance of the sytem boundaries under consideration, which makes the application of Life Cycle Assessment indispensable. According to these studies, the various types of powertrains differ only slightly in their greenhouse gas impact. Rather, the energy supply chain plays a significant role. Moreover, a ban on combustion engines would lead to an additional increase in cumulative CO2 emissions. An important aspect on the way to sustainable mobility solutions is addressing the existing fleet. The approximately 1.25 billion vehicles that are predominantly powered by internal combustion engines can make a significant contribution to reducing greenhouse gas emissions by using renewable fuels. Synthetic manufacturing pathways can improve the fuel composition and properties to also minimize pollutant emissions in addition to CO2. This can specifically benefit vehicles without particulate filters, reducing local emissions. The large number of different production paths of renewable fuels leads to a high diversification of components and properties. Methods are needed to optimize these for internal combustion engine operation. Since the change of the fuel used has far-reaching effects, a holistic approach is required. In the context of the present work, different methods are presented to evaluate and optimize the effects on the sub-processes of gasoline engine combustion. From this, requirements for renewable fuels can be defined which play an important role for the further development of process engineering and manufacturing for renewable fuels.