General information

ReFuels (including hydrogen) are the main focus of research at KIT-IFKM alongside sustainability and emission formation. Since the first generation of biofuels was considered, the issues of emission formation, the interaction with exhaust gas after treatment, and the use of alternative fuels in a wide variety of applications have been researched, and suitable measurement methods developed.
The emission and operating behavior of gasoline fuels have been researched in detail over the past decades, and numerous solutions have been implemented. Particle formation has been a particular focus of scientific research. Fuels in various applications (road, rail, inland waterway engines) have been evaluated here.

Important expertise, preliminary work and infrastructure

The Institute of Reciprocating Engines has test facilities in various degrees of abstraction for the analysis and evaluation of fuels. These range from pure evaluation based on laboratory analyses based on a broad wealth of experience to model tests on pressure and combustion chambers, tests on research single-cylinder engines, full engines, and real vehicle tests that reflect the breadth of mobile road applications. The University of Rostock was won as a partner for investigating fuels relevant to the type of ship. They have the relevant experience and test equipment to evaluate diesel fuels in a pressure chamber and research single-cylinder engines.

Expectations for progress through the project

In the development phase of regenerative fuel blends, smaller quantities are often still available. The aim is to develop a suitable measurement and evaluation chain with which the results of laboratory quantities can be used to draw conclusions about the behavior in real applications. The defossilization of existing applications and existing systems can lead to a significant and rapid reduction in greenhouse gases through the variable use of different regenerative feedstocks in an application-optimized manner and, at the same time, improve emission issues such as particle pollution in the urban environment. The advantages offered by synthetic fuel production can be harnessed for current and future combustion engines. The interaction of different fuel components forms the basis for as many degrees of freedom as possible while simultaneously increasing fuel quality.