Alternative Technology
The major automotive manufacturers are developing and working on other alternatives such as electric, hybrid and hydrogen fuel cell technology but they agree those alternatives are years, if not decades, away from being practical solutions for our fuel requirements. The auto makers, as well as several prominent universities and private laboratories, are also working on alternate methods of using fossil fuel in new ways that are more efficient such as HCCI and Autoignition.
Many within the Auto Industry are describing HCCI and Autoignition as the next big leap in fuel economy and CO2 reduction. The benefits of the process are typically attained by combusting gasoline in a lean burn condition similar to that of diesel. The fuel economy benefits of diesel engines are well known and documented. One problem with diesel engines as well as HCCI and Autoignition to date is the tailpipe emission of excessive amounts of Oxides of Nitrogen (NOx) unless the air to fuel ratio is extremely lean, which creates other issues.
NOx is created during the combustion
process but is removed by the catalytic converter system used by most
modern automotive gasoline engines during a standard combustion event. When
combustion occurs using a leaner fuel to air mixture the catalytic
converter does not remove NOx. The current HCCI and Autoignition efforts of the auto industry
are based on lean burn conditions and therefore must overcome the
associated problems. Projections indicate that it will be several years before this
technology will be commercially available.
The simple fact is that less fuel must be inserted into the cylinder to improve fuel economy but the cylinder must be filled prior to combustion. A lean burn condition results from allowing less fuel to be used and filling the remaining area in the cylinder with air. This dilution of fuel creates a lean fuel to air ratio and results in the previously described NOx problem.
VFT and the Auto Industry agree the NOx problem disappears during an
extremely lean condition. If the quantity of fuel is diluted by about
50% the production of NOx is very low. One problem with this condition
is there is not enough power remaining to allow the vehicle to function
properly during driving transitions such as acceleration. The auto
industry seems to be accepting the benefits of HCCI and Autoignition
will only be achieved during light load and low speed conditions. These
conditions may represent less than 20% of average driving
time.
Vapor Fuel Technologies has developed, demonstrated and patented a vapor system that utilizes the benefits of HCCI without creating the problem of NOx or loss of power.
