E10 intro prompts fuel additives boom
Published: 16 August, 2021
E10 petrol standard replaces E5 or 95 octane grade petrol at the pump from 1 September, and garages, motor factors and consumers have been racing to prepare for the switch.
Higher levels of ethanol in fuel are known to reduce CO2 emissions, and the government has estimated that the introduction of E10 could cut these by 750,000 tonnes per year. However, the higher ethanol content will cause engine deterioration in some older vehicles. While all cars and motorbikes built since 2011 are E10-ready, and many vehicles as far back as the late 1990s are also designed for the fuel, around 5% of cars on UK roads could suffer long-term damage if E10 was used.
Mike Schlup, MD at Kalimex, the distributors of JLM professional fuel additives, commented: “In contrast to petrol, bioethanol absorbs moisture, and if water remains suspended in the fuel, when it enters the engine, damage is not likely. However, once a critical level of water is absorbed, the water/ethanol mix drops out of the petrol and descends to the bottom of the tank. Should this be taken into the fuel injection system, the engine will probably stop running.”
Fuel with the higher 5% ethanol content will still be available, but with be higher octane premium petrol, which is more expensive and only on offer at fuel stations that have more than one pump.
Lucas Oil Products UK Sales and Operations Director Dan Morgan said: “If you put E10 fuel into the fuel system of an incompatible car, it will still run, but seals, plastics and metals may be damaged over longer periods.” According to Lucas Oil, sales of its ethanol engine protection additive rose by more than 400% over the summer.
Dan told members of the A1 retail buying group recently, that while the government’s campaign is advising the public that cars built before 2011 might not be compatible with E10, the Lucas Oil experience was that after the US made the switch to E10 and higher ethanol content some years ago, the problems were far more widespread: “The popular myth is that damage will only affect the classic car market and older family runabouts. The reality is very different. As many as 600,000 vehicles currently on our roads aren't compatible with E10.”
Aftermarket magazine will be taking a deep dive into the specifics of what the E10 switch-over means for garages. Look out for that in our October issue.
- Lucas Oil warns on E10 petrol plans
Lucas Oil has warned that many cars will require some extra protection following confirmation of government plans to make E10 petrol the standard 95-octane grade by September 2021.
- Government consults on E10 at the pump
Petrol with a higher bioethanol content could be sold in the UK from next year. The government is consulting on whether E10, which has 10% bioethanol content, should become the new standard grade of petrol. The E5 grade, containing 5% bioethanol, has a higher carbon content. The Department for Transport says the move could reduce transport CO2 emissions by 750,000 per year.
- E10 to hit petrol forecourts in September
E10 fuel, which includes higher ethanol content than current grades, will be introduced at UK filling stations from September 2021, so garages may expect to see some issues around the impact of the new fuel for older vehicles using it going forward.
- Ethanol: flexible friend or biohazard?
I am starting to get the impression that governments and vehicle manufacturers are beginning to panic. Let’s begin by accepting that personal transportation vehicles will not be powered by hydrocarbon fuels for much longer. This statement includes hybrid and battery powered vehicles for the same reason. We are being subject to a whole raft of short term impractical solutions, the latest of which and the subject of this topic is bio-ethanol fuels.
The reason I express this opinion is the true impact on emissions, from production, refinement, and transportation are not included in statistics on their environmental effect. Bio-mass fuel for electricity generation is a perfect example of this. The EU has decreed that emission monitoring of stack emissions need not be published, also excluded are the felling, drying, production and transportation influences.
Political initiative
I will begin with the political initiative, a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, reduction in fossil fuel dependency, alternative fiscal revenue for the farming community, and a reduction in EU farming subsidies. Try not to laugh it’s all true. As third world nations starve, we grow fuel!
Ethanol is a hydrocarbon c2h5oh. Octane 104. The fuel is produced from a fermentation process from fast growing energy crops, sugar cane, wheat, maize, and sometimes bio-degradable waste animal feed and timber. The claim is that due to the renewable factor it has an advantage over fossil fuel. Vehicles can operate with up to 85% bio-content, with no operational disadvantages with high CO2 reduction. I can confirm from my European motorcycle tour this year, that e10 bio-ethanol fuel is widely available.
Considerations
Just before you dash out to join the Green Party, there are some technical considerations the government seems to have overlooked. Bio-ethanol fuel is corrosive, copper, aluminium, plastics and rubber list among its appetite. Just before I forget, there is a critical lubrication service update; this is due to an increase in fuel oil contamination.
I think you’re starting to get the picture, now let’s focus on its combustion problems. It has a unique evaporation envelope around 78ºC. It also requires a significant increase in fuel quantity on cold start, often requiring a pre-heater system, and a much-modified ignition profile. However, on the positive side once efficient combustion is achieved the knock resistance affords a more aggressive ignition angle and increased cylinder pressures.
I am going to focus on Audi who have offered a flexi fuel A4 since 2009! It could operate up e85 with no modification. To my knowledge there are no or very few bi-ethanol vehicles in the UK. You may have noticed warning stickers in the fuel filler cap on most vehicles, expressing non- bio compatibility.
So, back to my point: Why is the uk government considering a pilot trial for e10? Currently all gasoline sold in the uk can have e5 content without any notification at the pumps.
Requirements
Moving on to the technical requirements, the Audi flexi-fuel engine is based on the 2.0 tfsi, with Bosch med 17.1 control. Sequential mapped ignition, with knock control, digital hot film air mass measurement. Fuelling is homogenous direct injection, with port injection on cold start. Intake cam adjustment with avs on the exhaust cam.
Due to low vaporisation when cold, ‘autarkic cold start’ ,the air fuel mixture cannot form the required composition for ignition. Significant modification to con rods and bearings are required to withstand higher cylinder pressure. Modifications to the variable load in- tank pump components and wiring prevent corrosion damage. An additional digital fuel quality sensor is fitted to the
low-pressure fuel line, this enables critical adjustment to thermodynamic fuel properties and ignition maps.
Bosch injection control strategy includes injection on intake and compression, with multiple strike on compression when cold, with additional injection pressure of 150 bar. A new aluminium manifold with a port injector is fitted to avoid pre-heaters on cold start.
The point I am trying to make here is not based on a simple pessimistic naivety, but a serious concern that not enough focus is being applied to a long-term strategic solution. Two key prerequisites will have to be recognised, the first is a reconstruction of social order around a coherent public transport system, and the second a recognition that private vehicle transport is a privilege and not an automatic right.
- Petrol and diesel ban by 2030?
The government is poised to accelerate the ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel vehicles, it has been reported, with the Prime Minister expected to officially move the deadline to 2030 later this week.
