GoodFuels

MI company improves ethanol engine performance

Van Buren, Michigan based company Ricardo, Inc. has announced that they have supposedly developed “technology that optimizes ethanol-fueled engines to a level of performance that exceeds gasoline engine efficiency“.

The technology, called Ethanol Boosted Direct Injection or EBDI, takes full advantage of ethanol’s best properties — higher octane and higher heat of vaporization — to create a truly renewable fuel scenario that is independent of the cost of oil.

Ricardo’s President Dean Harlow is optimistic about applying “theoretical discussions” to find real world solutions when it comes to renewable fuel.

EBDI solves many of the challenges faced by flex-fuel engines because it is optimized for both alternative fuels and gasoline. Current flex-fuel engines pay a fuel economy penalty of about 30 percent compared to gasoline when operated on ethanol blends such as E85. The EBDI engine substantially improves ethanol’s efficiency, and performs at a level comparable to a diesel engine.

The prototype EBDI is a 3.2-liter V6 engine that ultimately could serve as a replacement for a large gasoline or turbo-diesel engine in a large SUV. The first firing of the engine & initial development is currently taking place and will be installed into a dual-wheel pick-up truck demonstration vehicle later this year.

We’re definitely looking forward to the demonstration vehicle Ricardo promises. Keep an eye out for this new technology.