Sustainability and Environmental Impact of Hydroxy Addition on a Light-Duty Generator Powered with an Ethanol–Gasoline Blend

Abstract

Environmental sustainability encompasses various problems including climate change, clean air, renewable energy, non-toxic environments, and capacity to live in a healthy community. Many researchers focus their attention on alternative energy sources, such as ethanol and hydroxy gas, to enhance environmental health and quality of life. The introduction of hydroxy gas as a clean source of energy is gaining significant traction. Also, ethanol has a greater octane number than gasoline. Therefore, the ethanol–gasoline blend has a higher octane number than conventional gasoline. A new combination of hydroxy gas, ethanol, and gasoline is environmentally benign while significantly improving the performance of gasoline engines. This paper tested hydroxy gas in a 197-cc gasoline engine power generator powered with ethanol–gasoline blend. The results demonstrated that thermal efficiency increased up to 23.6 % and fuel consumption decreased up to 36 % on a volume basis, which was a significant improvement over the base engine. Furthermore, the hazardous carbon monoxide reduction reached 11.45 % and the unburned hydrocarbon emissions reached 17.6 %.

Keywords

• gasoline engine
• light duty generator
• ethanol
• hydroxy gas
• emission characteristics