Engineers in California have achieved a breakthrough by creating a “safe” liquid fuel that defies traditional ignition methods. Unlike conventional fuels like gasoline or diesel, this innovative substance only requires an electric current to initiate combustion, rendering it resistant to accidental fires during storage or transportation.
Yujie Wang, a chemical engineering doctoral student at the University of California Riverside who co-authored a paper on the new fuel said, “The fuel we’re normally using is not very safe. It evaporates and can ignite—and it’s difficult to stop that.”
“It is much easier to control the flammability of our fuel and stop it from burning when we remove voltage,” he added.
The unique property of this groundbreaking fuel lies in its ignition process. Instead of relying on the liquid itself as the ignition source, the volatile fuel molecules suspended above the liquid ignite upon contact with oxygen and an open flame. This distinctive feature significantly reduces the risk of unintentional fires, setting it apart from traditional fuels.
Prithwish Biswas, UCR chemical engineering doctoral student who is the first author of the paper published in the Journal of the American Chemical Society said, “If you throw a match into a pool of gasoline on the ground, it’s the vapor of the gas that’s burning. You can smell that vapor and you instantly know it’s volatile.”
He also shared, “If you can control the vapor, you can control whether the fuel burns.”
He explained that the base of the new fuel is an ionic liquid, which is a form of liquified salt.
Wang said, “It is similar to the salt we use to flavor food, which is sodium chloride. The one we used for this project has a lower melting point than table salt, low vapor pressure, and is organic.”
Once the team was in the lab, they modified the ionic liquid’s formula, replacing the chlorine with perchlorate. After, they used a cigarette lighter to see if the resulting liquid would burn.
According to Wang, “The temperature from a normal lighter is high enough, and if it was going to burn, it would have.”
Next the team tried an application of voltage followed by a lighter flame, which did ignite.
Wang said, “Once we shut off the current, the flame was gone, and we were able to repeat that process over and over again — applying voltage, seeing smoke, lighting the smoke so it burned, then turning it off. We were excited to find a system we could start and stop very quickly.”
Another fascinating aspect of this development is the high level of controllability it provides. Researchers observed a direct relationship between the applied electric current and the size of the flames produced, offering the potential for precise control over power generation and consumption. This controllability feature could be employed as a metering or throttling system within engines, further enhancing its versatility.
As per Michael Zachariah, a distinguished professor of chemical engineering and corresponding paper author, “You can measure the combustion in this way, and cutting the voltage works like a dead man switch — a safety feature that automatically shuts down a machine if the operator becomes incapacitated.”
In addition, Zachariah also explains that another ‘interesting property of the ionic liquid is that it can be mixed with conventional fuel and still behave the way it does on its own.’ He adds, “But there needs to be additional research to understand what percentage can be mixed and still have it be not flammable.”
The potential applications of this organic liquid fuel are vast, spanning from cars and trucks to ships and aircraft. Recognizing its transformative impact, the research team has taken steps to protect their innovation by filing for a U.S. patent.
However, before this revolutionary fuel can be widely adopted, critical questions and challenges must be addressed. Comprehensive testing in various engine types is essential to evaluate its performance and compatibility. The efficiency of the fuel also needs a thorough assessment to determine if it meets or exceeds the standards set by conventional liquid fuels.
Zachariah said, “This would definitely be more expensive than the way they currently manufacture fuels. These compounds are not normally produced in bulk, but if they were, the cost would go down.”
“How competitive would it be? I don’t know. But if safety is important, that’s a major aspect of this. You make something safe, then there is a benefit that goes beyond the bottom line,” he adds.
Despite these challenges, the California-based research team is genuinely enthusiastic about their achievement. The creation of a fuel inherently safe from accidental fires marks a significant step towards enhancing safety in transportation and energy. As the scientific community continues to explore and refine this technology, it could become a game-changer in how we power our vehicles and industries.
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