Aldehyde and BTX Emissions from a Light Duty Vehicle Fueled on Gasoline and Ethanol-Gasoline Blend, Operating with a Three-Way Catalytic Converter

The current work is aimed at the experimental investigation of the aldehyde and BTX (benzene, toluene and Xylene) pollutants emitted from a light duty spark ignition (SI) vehicle fueled on gasoline and ethanol-gasoline blended fuel, operating with a three-way catalytic converter (TWC). At the same time, the specific reactivity (SR) of these pollutants has also been addressed in this paper. The experiments were performed on both transient as well as steady modes following the standard protocols recommended for light duty vehicles. Aldehyde and BTX species were analyzed using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and gas chromatography/mass spectroscopy (GC/MS), respectively. During the transient cycle of operation, formaldehyde and BTX emissions were decreased, while acetaldehyde and acrolein+acetone pollutants were increased with (10% ethanol – 90% gasoline by volume), compared with E-0 (neat gasoline). During the steady modes, formaldehydes with E-0 were dominant to those with E-10 fuel. Acetaldehydes with E-10 showed dominancy to those with E-0, and were the most abundant components among the other aldehyde species. Formaldehydes were decreased with the increase in speed, and toluene was found to be the most abundant component of the BTX emissions with both the fuels. The BTX components displayed their maxima at lower speed mode and minima at medium speed mode for both the fuels, and were decreased in case of E-10, compared with E-0. The SR of the transient mode pollutants was lower as compared to that taken from the mean of the steady mode pollutants. In case of E-10, the SR of the pollutants was higher at both transient as well as steady modes, compare with E-0 fuel.