A deep reinforcement learning approach to gasoline blending real-time optimization under uncertainty

The gasoline inline blending process has widely used real-time optimization techniques to achieve optimization objectives,such as minimizing the cost of production.However,the effectiveness of real-time optimization in gasoline blending relies on accurate blending models and is challenged by stochastic disturbances.Thus,we propose a real-time optimization algorithm based on the soft actor-critic(SAC)deep reinforcement learning strategy to optimize gasoline blending without relying on a single blending model and to be robust against disturbances.Our approach constructs the environment using nonlinear blending models and feedstocks with disturbances.The algorithm incorporates the Lagrange multiplier and path constraints in reward design to manage sparse product constraints.Carefully abstracted states facilitate algorithm convergence,and the normalized action vector in each optimization period allows the agent to generalize to some extent across different target production scenarios.Through these well-designed components,the algorithm based on the SAC outperforms real-time optimization methods based on either nonlinear or linear programming.It even demonstrates comparable performance with the time-horizon based real-time optimization method,which requires knowledge of uncertainty models,confirming its capability to handle uncertainty without accurate models.Our simulation illustrates a promising approach to free real-time optimization of the gasoline blending process from uncertainty models that are difficult to acquire in practice.

Experimental and Numerical Study on the Transient Flow Behavior in Gasoline Refueling System

Efficient and secure refueling within the vehicle refueling systems exhibits a close correlation with the issues concerning fuel backflow and gasoline evaporation.This paper investigates the transient flow behavior in fuel hose refilling and simplified tank fuel replenishment using the volume of fluid method.The numerical simulation is validated with the simplified hose refilling experiment and the evaporation simulation of Stefan tube.The effects of injection flow rate and injection directions have been discussed in the fuel hose refilling part.For both the experiment and simulation,the pressure at the end of the refueling pipe in the lower located nozzle case is 30%higher than that in the upper located nozzle case at a high flow rate,and the backflow phenomenon occurs at the lower filling mode.The fluid will directly flush into the first pipe elbow,changing the flow pattern from bubble flow to slug flow,which results in low-frequency and high-amplitude flowpressure fluctuations.Ahexane refueling system,consisting of a refueling pipe,fuel tank and a vapor return line,is analyzed,in which hexane evaporation is considered.At the early refueling period,a higher refueling rate will lead to more obvious splashing,which leads to a higher average mass of hexane vapor and pressure in the tank.Two optimized fuel tank designs are examined.The lower fuel tank filling port exhibits significantly lower vapor hexane in the fuel tank compared to the other design,resulting in a reduction of 200 Pa in the peak pressure in the tank,which contributes to a substantial reduction of gasoline loss during tank filling.

Fischer-Tropsch wax catalytic cracking for the production of low olefin and high octane number gasoline: Process optimization and heat effect calculation

To produce low olefin gasoline with high octane number by Fischer-Tropsch (F-T) wax fluid catalytic cracking (FCC) process, operating conditions optimization were carried out in the pilot-scale riser and turbulent fluidized bed (TFB) FCC unit. The experimental results in the riser indicated that under the condition of low reaction temperature and regenerated catalyst temperature, large catalyst-to-oil weight ratio (C/O) and long reaction time, the gasoline olefin content could be reduced to 20.28 wt%, but there is large octane number loss owing to a great loss in high octane number olefin. Therefore, a novel FCC process using the TFB reactor was proposed to strengthen the aromatization reaction. The reaction performance of TFB reactor were investigated. The result demonstrated that the TFB reactor has more significant effect in reducing olefins and improving aromatics. At the expense of certain gasoline yield, the gasoline olefin content reduced to 23.70 wt%, aromatics content could increase to 26.79 wt% and the RON was up to 91.0. The comparison of reactor structure and fluidization demonstrated that the TFB reactor has higher catalyst bed density. The reaction heat and coke combustion heat was calculated indicating the feasibility of its industrial application of the TFB process.

Recent Advances in the Rapid Detection and Performance Evaluation Methods of Detergent Additives for Gasoline

Although detergent additives for gasoline have been widely commercialized,their formulas are often kept confidential and there is still no standardized method for quickly detecting the main active ingredients and evaluating their effectiveness,which makes their regulation difficult.An overview of the current state of the development and application of detergent additives for gasoline in China and other regions,as well as a review of the rapid detection and performance evaluation methods available for analyzing detergent additives are given herein.The review focuses on the convenience,cost,efficiency,and feasibility of on-site detection and the evaluation of various methods,and also looks into future research directions,such as detecting and evaluating detergent additives in ethanol gasoline and with advanced engine technologies.

Molecular Characterization of C_(9+)Aromatics in Gasoline by Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry

The comprehensive characterization of heavy aromatic hydrocarbons in gasoline is important to optimize the blending process and understand the correlation between aromatics content and engine particulate emissions.However,most current analysis methods can only provide the composition of C_(8)/C_(8-) aromatics.In this study,a simple and fast gas chromatography-mass spectrometry(GC-MS)method to identify and quantify C_(9+)aromatics in gasoline was developed.A selected ion monitoring model was employed to eliminate interference from non-aromatic compounds in the detection of target compounds,as well as that between target compounds with different molecular formulas.The identification of C_(9+)aromatics was based on the retention time of model compounds,combined with characteristic mass fragment ions,boiling points,and retention indexes.Seventy-nine C_(9)–C_(12)aromatic compounds were quantified based on the calibration of representative model compounds,and the method demonstrated good linearity,and high accuracy and precision.Furthermore,the developed methodology was successfully applied to the analysis of gasoline fractions from the reforming,pyrolysis,straight-run,delayed coking,and catalytic cracking processes,as well as commercial gasolines.The results showed that C_(9)aromatics were the predominant aromatics in all gasoline samples,followed by C10 aromatics.Alkylbenzenes such as C_(9)H_(12)and C_(10)H_(14)were the main components in the reforming,straight-run,delayed coking,and catalytic cracking gasoline fractions,as well as in the commercial gasolines,in which 1,2,4-trimethylbenzene and 3-ethyltoluene were dominant;in contrast,aromatics with higher degrees of unsaturation such as indene were the most abundant aromatics in the pyrolysis gasoline fraction.

Effects of I-EGR and Pre-Injection on Performance of Gasoline Compression Ignition(GCI)at Low-Load Condition

Gasoline compression ignition(GCI)has been considered as a promising combustion concept to yield ultralow NOX and soot emissions while maintaining high thermal efficiency.However,how to improve the low-load performance becomes an urgent issue to be solved.In this paper,a GCI engine model was built to investigate the effects of internal EGR(i-EGR)and pre-injection on in-cylinder temperature,spatial concentration of mixture and OH radical,combustion and emission characteristics,and the control strategy for improving the combustion performance was further explored.The results showed an obvious expansion of the zone with an equivalence ratio between 0.8∼1.2 is realized by higher pre-injection ratios,and the s decreases with the increase of pre-injection ratio,but increases with the increase of i-EGR ratio.The high overlap among the equivalentmixture zone,the hightemperature zone,and the OH radical-rich zone can be achieved by higher i-EGR ratio coupled with higher preinjection ratio.By increasing the pre-injection ratio,the combustion efficiency increases first and then decreases,also achieves the peak value with a pre-injection ratio of 60%and is unaffected by i-EGR.The emissions of CO,HC,NOX,and soot can also be reduced to low levels by the combination of higher i-EGR ratios and a pre-injection ratio of 60%.

Lung Function Impairment among Gasoline Attendants: A Cross-Sectional Study

Background: Occupational health is an important consideration, especially for people that work in an environment with pollutants. Gasoline attendants are individuals that work in filling stations. They are constantly exposed to gasoline fumes and automobile engine products from vehicle exhaust. This increases the risk of acute and chronic respiratory diseases and carcinogenesis among them. The risk of health complications tends to increase with the duration of exposure. The study aimed to determine the proportion of gasoline attendants with lung function impairment. Methods and Materials: Two hundred and eight eligible participants were recruited for this study. A cross-sectional analytical study was carried out in Esan West local government area of Edo state, Nigeria. The study was carried out for a period of six months from December 2015 to May 2016. A questionnaire was used to obtain information on demographic characteristics, work history, mode of exposure and duration of exposure to petrol fumes. Lung function was assessed using a DTspiro spirometer (Model POP 10. Serial no 110843-005);also the anthropometric parameters of the respondent were measured. Statistical analysis was done using IBM SPSS version 20.0. Frequency and percentages were used to present categorical data. The mean and standard deviation of continuous variables were calculated and compared using the student’s t-test. The criteria of significant association were assumed for a p-value less than 0.05. Results: A total of one hundred and forty petrol pump attendants and one hundred and forty controls participated in this study. The mean age for petrol pump attendants was 24 ± 3.1 years and 23 ± 2.8 years for the control group. There were no significant differences in the gender distribution and anthropometric parameters as observed in this study. The lung impairment pattern observed in this study was obstructive in twelve (8.6%) gasoline pump attendants and restrictive pattern in thirty-nine (27.9%) gasoline pump attendants, while only four (2.9%) had an obstructive pattern and twelve (8.6%) had a restrictive pattern of lung impairment among the control group. This implies that a restrictive pattern was predominant. This study also observed that there was an increase in the number of gasoline pump attendants with declined lung function compared to the control group. Conclusion: Restrictive pattern of lung impairment was more predominant than the obstructive pattern among gasoline pump attendants. As a result, public health interventions should be instituted among these individuals, especially in developing countries.

Rapid Detection of Accelerants in Fire Debris Using a Field Portable Mid-Infrared Quantum Cascade Laser Based Analyzer

Arson presents a challenging crime scene for fire investigators worldwide. Key to the investigation of suspected arson cases is the analysis of fire debris for the presence of accelerants or ignitable liquids. This study has investigated the application and method development of vapor phase mid-Infrared (mid-IR) spectroscopy using a field portable quantum cascade laser (QCL) based system for the detection and identification of accelerant residues such as gasoline, diesel, and ethanol in fire debris. A searchable spectral library of various ignitable fluids and fuel components measured in the vapor phase was constructed that allowed for real-time identification of accelerants present in samples using software developed in-house. Measurement of vapors collected from paper material that had been doused with an accelerant followed by controlled burning and then extinguished with water showed that positive identification could be achieved for gasoline, diesel, and ethanol. This vapor phase mid-IR QCL method is rapid, easy to use, and has the sensitivity and discrimination capability that make it well suited for non-destructive crime scene sample analysis. Sampling and measurement can be performed in minutes with this 7.5 kg instrument. This vibrational spectroscopic method required no time-consuming sample pretreatment or complicated solvent extraction procedure. The results of this initial feasibility study demonstrate that this portable fire debris analyzer would greatly benefit arson investigators performing analysis on-site.

Lung Function Impairment among Gasoline Attendants: A Cross-Sectional Study

Background: Occupational health is an important consideration, especially for people that work in an environment with pollutants. Gasoline attendants are individuals that work in filling stations. They are constantly exposed to gasoline fumes and automobile engine products from vehicle exhaust. This increases the risk of acute and chronic respiratory diseases and carcinogenesis among them. The risk of health complications tends to increase with the duration of exposure. The study aimed to determine the proportion of gasoline attendants with lung function impairment. Methods and Materials: Two hundred and eight eligible participants were recruited for this study. A cross-sectional analytical study was carried out in Esan West local government area of Edo state, Nigeria. The study was carried out for a period of six months from December 2015 to May 2016. A questionnaire was used to obtain information on demographic characteristics, work history, mode of exposure and duration of exposure to petrol fumes. Lung function was assessed using a DTspiro spirometer (Model POP 10. Serial no 110843-005);also the anthropometric parameters of the respondent were measured. Statistical analysis was done using IBM SPSS version 20.0. Frequency and percentages were used to present categorical data. The mean and standard deviation of continuous variables were calculated and compared using the student’s t-test. The criteria of significant association were assumed for a p-value less than 0.05. Results: A total of one hundred and forty petrol pump attendants and one hundred and forty controls participated in this study. The mean age for petrol pump attendants was 24 ± 3.1 years and 23 ± 2.8 years for the control group. There were no significant differences in the gender distribution and anthropometric parameters as observed in this study. The lung impairment pattern observed in this study was obstructive in twelve (8.6%) gasoline pump attendants and restrictive pattern in thirty-nine (27.9%) gasoline pump attendants, while only four (2.9%) had an obstructive pattern and twelve (8.6%) had a restrictive pattern of lung impairment among the control group. This implies that a restrictive pattern was predominant. This study also observed that there was an increase in the number of gasoline pump attendants with declined lung function compared to the control group. Conclusion: Restrictive pattern of lung impairment was more predominant than the obstructive pattern among gasoline pump attendants. As a result, public health interventions should be instituted among these individuals, especially in developing countries.

Fuzzy Control Method for Gasoline Engine Idle Speed Control

In order to improve the steady and dynamic characteristic of the idle speed control and study the performance of the fuzzy control method for the idle speed control, a fuzzy control system is developed to control the idle speed of gasoline engine. The construction and working principle of the fuzzy controller are described, and the design procedure of the fuzzy controller is given in detail. The control parameters are determined by computer simulation. The simulation and experiments on the engine test bench show that the idle speed is controlled accurately both in stationary and in dynamic states, and the fuzzy control method is robust to the changes of engine parameters.

Investigations on High-Speed Flash Boiling Atomization of Fuel Based on Numerical Simulations

Flash boiling atomization(FBA)is a promising approach for enhancing spray atomization,which can generate a fine and more evenly distributed spray by increasing the fuel injection temperature or reducing the ambient pressure.However,when the outlet speed of the nozzle exceeds 400 m/s,investigating high-speed flash boiling atomization(HFBA)becomes quite challenging.This difficulty arises fromthe involvement ofmany complex physical processes and the requirement for a very fine mesh in numerical simulations.In this study,an HFBA model for gasoline direct injection(GDI)is established.This model incorporates primary and secondary atomization,as well as vaporization and boilingmodels,to describe the development process of the flash boiling spray.Compared to lowspeed FBA,these physical processes significantly impact HFBA.In this model,the Eulerian description is utilized for modeling the gas,and the Lagrangian description is applied to model the droplets,which effectively captures the movement of the droplets and avoids excessive mesh in the Eulerian coordinates.Under various conditions,numerical solutions of the Sauter mean diameter(SMD)for GDI show good agreement with experimental data,validating the proposed model’s performance.Simulations based on this HFBA model investigate the influences of fuel injection temperature and ambient pressure on the atomization process.Numerical analyses of the velocity field,temperature field,vapor mass fraction distribution,particle size distribution,and spray penetration length under different superheat degrees reveal that high injection temperature or low ambient pressure significantly affects the formation of small and dispersed droplet distribution.This effect is conducive to the refinement of spray particles and enhances atomization.

Sensitivity Analysis of Injection Characteristic to Structural Parameters of GDI Injector Nozzle Hole

The nozzle inner-flow characteristic of the“spray G”injector was studied by the computational fluid dynamics(CFD)simulation,and the sensitivity of cycle fuel mass to the conicity and entrance radius of the nozzle hole were analyzed.Results show that the inner conicity of nozzle hole inhibits the development of cavitation phenomena,and increases the injection rate.While the outer conicity of nozzle hole promotes the diffusion of cavita-tion,leading to reductions of the liquid volume fraction of the nozzle outlet and the local flow resistance of the nozzle hole.The sensitivity of cycle fuel mass to inner-cone nozzle hole is stronger than that of the outer-cone noz-zle,especially at the smaller hole conicity.The increase of injection pressure enhances the sensitivity of the injection characteristics to the nozzle hole structure,in which inner-cone nozzle has higher sensitivity coefficient than the outer-cone nozzle hole.However,the increase of injection pressure aggravates the offset of liquid jet to the nozzle axis of the outer-cone nozzle hole.With the increase of the inner conicity of nozzle,the sensitivity of the injection characteristics to the entrance radius of the hole decreases.With the increase of the outer conicity of nozzle hole,the sensitivity of the injection characteristics to the entrance radius of the hole increases.

Numerical investigation of condensation of gasoline vapor with turbulent flow in vertical tubes

To investigate the characteristics of the condensation in gasoline vapor condensation recovery,the condensation process of gasoline vapor with turbulent flow in a vertical tube is simulated based on the gas-liquid two-phase flow model.An effective diffusion coefficient is used to describe mass diffusion among the species of gasoline vapor.Several variables including temperature,pressure,liquid film thickness and the variation of the Nusselt number in the tube are simulated.The effects of the inlet-to-wall temperature difference and the Reynolds number on the condensation rate and the Nusselt number are obtained by modelling.The results show that heat transfer and condensation can be enhanced significantly by increasing the inlet Reynolds number.However,the increase in the inlet-to-wall temperature difference has little effect on the condensation rate.It is also found that the gasoline vapor condensation rate is influenced greatly by the mass transfer resistance.The comparison of results from the model with previous experiments shows a good agreement.

The Future Trend of E-Mobility in Terms of Battery Electric Vehicles and Their Impact on Climate Change: A Case Study Applied in Hungary

The transportation sector is responsible for 25% of the total Carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, whereas 60.6% of this sector represents small and medium passenger cars. However, as noted by the European Union Long-term strategy, there are two ways to reduce the amount of CO2 emissions in the transportation sector. The first way is characterized by creating more efficient vehicles. In contrast, the second way is characterized by changing the fuel used. The current study addressed the second way, changing the fuel type. The study examined the potential of battery electric vehicles (BEVs) as an alternative fuel type to reduce CO2 emissions in Hungarys transportation sector. The study used secondary data retrieved from Statista and stata.com to analyze the future trends of BEVs in Hungary. The results showed that the percentage of BEVs in Hungary in 2022 was 0.4% compared to the total number of registered passenger cars, which is 3.8 million. The simple exponential smoothing (SES) time series forecast revealed that the number of BEVs is expected to reach 84,192 in 2030, indicating a percentage increase of 2.21% in the next eight years. The study suggests that increasing the number of BEVs is necessary to address the negative impact of CO2 emissions on society. The Hungarian Ministry of Innovation and Technologys strategy to reduce the cost of BEVs may increase the percentage of BEVs by 10%, resulting in a potential average reduction of 76,957,600 g/km of CO2 compared to gasoline, diesel, hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs), and plug-in hybrid vehicles (PHEVs).

STUDY ON INJECTION AND IGNITION CONTROL OF GASOLINE ENGINE BASED ON BP NEURAL NETWORK

According to advantages of neural network and characteristics of operatingprocedures of engine, a new strategy is represented on the control of fuel injection and ignitiontiming of gasoline engine based on improved BP network algorithm. The optimum ignition advance angleand fuel injection pulse band of engine under different speed and load are tested for the samplestraining network, focusing on the study of the design method and procedure of BP neural network inengine injection and ignition control. The results show that artificial neural network technique canmeet the requirement of engine injection and ignition control. The method is feasible for improvingpower performance, economy and emission performances of gasoline engine.

Oxidative Desulfurization of Simulated Gasoline over Metal Oxide-loaded Molecular Sieve

A simulated gasoline consisting of model sulfur compounds of thiophene （C4H4S） and 3-methythiophene （3-MC4H4S） dissolved in n-heptane was tested for the oxidative desulfurization in the hydrogen peroxide （H202） and formic acid oxidative system over metal oxide-loaded molecular sieve. The effects of the oxidative system, loaded metal oxides, phase transfer catalyst, the addition of olefin and aromatics on sulfur removal were investigated in details. The results showed that the sulfur removal rate of simulated gasoline in the H202/formic acid system was higher than in other oxidative systems. The cerium oxide-loaded molecular sieve was found very active catalyst for oxidation of simulated gasoline in this system. The sulfur removal rates of C4H4S and 3-MC4H4S were enhanced when phase transfer catalyst （PTC） was added. However, the sulfur removal rate of simulated gasoline was reduced with the addition of olefin and aromatics.

Efficient desulfurization of gasoline fuel using ionic liquid extraction as a complementary process to adsorptive desulfurization

The extractive desulfurization of a model gaso- line containing several alkyl thiols and aromatic thiophenic compounds was investigated using two imidazolium-based ionic liquids （ILs）, 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrachloroaluminate, and 1-octyl-3-methylimidazolium te- trafluoroborate, as extractants. A fractional factorial design of experiments was employed to evaluate the effects and possible interactions of several process variables. Analysis of variance tests indicated that the number of extraction steps and the IL/gasoline volume ratio were of statistically highly significant, but none of the interactions were significant. The results showed that the desulfurization efficiency of the model gasoline by the ILs could reach 95.2 % under the optimal conditions. The optimized conditions were applied to study the extraction of thiophenic compounds in model gasoline and several real gasoline samples; the following order was observed in their separation： benzothio- phenc 〉 thiophcne 〉 3-methylthiophene 〉 2-methylthiophene, with 96.1% removal efficiency for benzothiophene. The IL extraction was successfully applied as a complementary process to the adsorptive desulfurization with acti- vated Raney nickel and acetonitrile solvent. The results indicated that the adsorptive process combined with IL extraction could provide high efficiency and selectivity, which can be regarded as a promising energy efficient desulfurization strategy for production of low-sulfur gasoline.

Enhancing hydrothermal stability of nano-sized HZSM-5 zeolite by phosphorus modification for olefin catalytic cracking of full-range FCC gasoline

In this study, phosphorus modification by trimethyl phosphate impregnation was employed to enhance the hydrothermal stability of nano‐sized HZSM‐5 zeolites. A parallel modification was studied by ammonium dihydrogen phosphate impregnation. The modified zeolites were subjected to steam treatment at 800 °C for 4 h (100% steam) and employed as catalysts for olefin catalyticcracking (OCC) of full‐range fluid catalytic cracking (FCC) gasoline. X‐ray diffraction, N2 physicaladsorption and NH3 temperature‐programmed desorption analysis indicated that, although significantimprovements to the hydrothermal stability of nano‐sized HZSM‐5 zeolites can be observedwhen adopting both phosphorus modification strategies, impregnation with trimethyl phosphatedisplays further enhancement of the hydrothermal stability. This is because higher structural crystallinityis retained, larger specific surface areas/micropore volumes form, and there are greaternumbers of surface acid sites. Reaction experiments conducted using a fixed‐bed micro‐reactor(catalyst/oil ratio = 4, time on stream = 4 s) showed OCC of full‐range FCC gasoline-under a fluidized‐bed reaction mode configuration-to be a viable solution for the olefin problem of FCC gasoline.This reaction significantly decreased the olefin content in the full‐range FCC gasoline feed, andspecifically heavy‐end olefins, by converting the olefins into value‐added C2–C4 olefins and aromatics.At the same time, sulfide content of the gasoline decreased via a non‐hydrodesulfurization process.Nano‐sized HZSM‐5 zeolites modified with trimethyl phosphate exhibited enhanced catalytic performance for OCC of full‐range FCC gasoline.

Effects of working parameters on gasoline engine exergy balance

To improve the energy utilization efficiency of internal combustion （IC） engine, exergy analysis was conducted on a passenger car gasoline engine. According to the thermodynamic theory of IC engine, in-cylinder exergy balance model was built. The working processes of gasoline engine were simulated by using the GT-power. In this way, the required parameters were calculated and then gasoline engine exergy balance was obtained by programming on computer. On this basis, the influences of various parameters on exergy balance were analyzed. Results show that, the proportions of various forms of exergy in gasoline engine from high to low are irreversible loss, effective work, exhaust gas exergy and heat transfer exergy. Effective exergy proportion fluctuates with cylinder volumetric efficiency at full load, while it always increases with break mean effective pressure （BMEP） at part load. Exhaust gas exergy proportion is more sensitive to speed, and it increases with speed increasing except at the highest speed. The lower proportion of heat transfer exergy appears at high speed and high load. Irreversible loss is mainly influenced by load. At part load, higher BMEP results in lower proportion of irreversible loss; at full load, the proportion of irreversible loss changes little except at the highest speed.

A Survey of Novel Processes to Produce Ultra Low Sulfur Gasoline

The restriction on sulfur level in gasoline has been increasingly tightened. The U.S.Tier 22222 regulation requires a reduction from average 340ppm to 30ppm from 2004 to 2008. Recently significant progress has been made in effective high sulfur removal, such as post treatment of FCC gasoline by selective hydrotreating, S Zorb sulfur removal technology, OATS process etc. The sulfur content of FCC gasoline can be deceased to less than 10ppm. With regard to gasoline pool composition in China, it is very important to look for effective desulfurization processes that are simple, straightforward, with less hydrogen consumption. Post-treatment of FCC gasoline is a preferred option. From the point of view of comprehensive utilization, alkylation, polymerization, isomerisation etc. can be added to desulfurization process to meet the requirement of ultra low sulfur, premium.