Application of impedance spectroscopy method for analysis of benzanol fuels

Abstract

The authors have developed a method for express control of three component «gasoline-alcohol-water» fuel mixtures based on the spectral impedance investigation of benzanol mixture in the frequency range of 500 Hz — 10 kHz. A correlation dependence between the dielectric constant and the specific resistance of the fuel mixture on content of ethanol and water in the mixture has been found. On the basis of this dependence a calibration nomogram to quantify the gasoline and water-alcohol components content in the test benzanol fuel in the actual range of concentrations has been formed. The nomogram allows determining the water-alcohol and gasoline parts in the analyzed fuel with an error of no more than 1% vol., while the strength of water-alcohol solution is determined with an error of no more than 0.8% vol. The obtained nomogram can also give information about critical water content in the benzanol fuel to prevent its eventual phase separation. It is shown that the initial component composition of different gasoline brands has no significant effect on the electrical characteristics of the studied benzanol fuels, which makes the evaluation of alcohol and water content in the fuel sufficiently accurate. for practical applications.

Keywords

• impedance spectroscopy
• ethyl-gasoline fuel
• water-alcohol solution
• dielectric constant
• resistivity