ABSTRACT
Ethanol is an oxygenated fuel, produced from fermentation of biological renewable resources such as molasses, sugar cane, or starch. Research has shown that ethanol blended with gasoline could reduce environmental pollution and also slow depletion of petroleum reserves. Fuel ethanol production is rapidly expanding all over the world. In May 2008, the Verenium Company of Cambridge, Massachusetts, opened a cellulosic ethanol plant in Jennings, Louisiana, to convert sugar cane bagasse to ethanol. The quality of ethanol as a fuel has a major influence on factors such as blend stability, materials compatibility in the engine and corrosion of engine components. Gasoline-alcohol mixtures may be prepared by addition of a certain amount of ethanol to the gasoline. Blending ethanol with gasoline positively affects the geometric properties of the flame and the mass burning rate, leading to faster burning. It also produces higher cylinder pressures and temperatures compared with gasoline.
