Small alcohols as biofuels: Status and needs for experimental data, theoretical calculations, and chemical kinetic modeling

Small alcohols can be obtained from biomass and potentially meet economic and environmental goals for low carbon fuels. They can possibly meet fuel requirements of internal combustion engines and gas turbine engines used in the transportation sector during the transition period from fossil fuels to a carbon neutral future. To simulate the fuel effects of small alcohols in engine combustion, detailed chemical kinetic models of small alcohols are developed and reduced for use in multidimensional CFD codes to predict performance and emissions of advanced combustion engine designs. In this chapter, the status of detailed kinetic model mechanism development and research needs in the areas of theoretical understanding of their chemical kinetics, scope of experimental data and availability of chemical kinetic models are discussed for small alcohol fuels from C1 to C5. Future needs for accurate rate constants and deficiencies in current chemical kinetic models are identified as focus areas for future research.