PNNL

Abstract

The primary objectives of this work were to formulate, blend, and characterize a set of four ultra-low-sulfur diesel surrogate fuels in quantities sufficient to enable their study in single-cylinder engines and combustion-vessel experiments. The surrogate fuels feature increasing levels of compositional accuracy (i.e., increasing exactness in matching hydrocarbon structural characteristics) relative to the single target diesel fuel upon which the surrogate fuels are based. This approach was taken to assist in determining the minimum level of surrogate-fuel compositional accuracy that is required to adequately emulate the performance characteristics of the target fuel under different combustion modes. For each of the four surrogate fuels, an approximately 30-liter batch was blended, and a number of the physical and chemical properties were measured. This publication documents the surrogate fuel creation process and the results of the property measurements.