Interdisciplinary theoretical-experimental approach for an energy transition in countries in the region through the integration of ecological fuels and electric mobility

• Grant number: 24/01470-5
• Support Opportunities: Research Program on Global Climate Change - Regular Grants
• Start date: September 01, 2024
• End date: August 31, 2026
• Field of knowledge: Engineering - Mechanical Engineering - Thermal Engineering
• Principal Investigator: Pedro Teixeira Lacava
• Grantee: Pedro Teixeira Lacava
• Principal researcher abroad: Dario Alviso
• Institution abroad: Universidad Nacional de Asunción, Campus San Lorenzo, Paraguay
• Principal researcher abroad: Horacio Javier Aguerre
• Institution abroad: Centro Científico Tecnológico CONICET Santa Fe, Argentina
• Principal researcher abroad: Nicolás Maximiliano Bertero
• Institution abroad: Centro Científico Tecnológico CONICET Santa Fe, Argentina
• Principal researcher abroad: Patricio Hernán Pedreira
• Institution abroad: Instituto Tecnológico de Buenos Aires, Argentina
• Principal researcher abroad: Pedro Luis Curto Risso
• Institution abroad: Universidad de la República (UDELAR), Uruguay
• Principal researcher abroad: Santiago Daniel Martinez Boggio
• Institution abroad: Universidad de la República (UDELAR), Uruguay
• Host Institution: Divisão de Engenharia Aeronáutica (IEA). Instituto Tecnológico de Aeronáutica (ITA). Ministério da Defesa (Brasil). São José dos Campos , SP, Brazil
• Associated researchers: Fábio Jairo Dias ; Leila Ribeiro dos Santos

Abstract

The objective of this project involving Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, and Uruguay is to explore in a multidisciplinary way an energy transition in the field of sustainable mobility, with a focus on reducing the carbon footprint and dependence on fossil fuels, avoiding the use of food as fuel and recycling of industrial waste. Specifically, a multidisciplinary study will be carried out on the catalytic production and the possible implementation of e-fuels (composed of biofuels from biorefineries and methanol produced from the capture of H2 and CO2) in hybrid engines for light and cargo vehicles. The proposal considers two scenarios. The first, more immediate and analyzing an energy transition in the short term (5 years), will focus on the implementation of methanol as a fuel and its mixtures with gasoline and ethanol and use in conjunction with diesel, studying the combustion process through computational modeling and its testing on an engine bench. The second horizon, long term (10-15 years), will focus on the study of catalytic production, characterization, and implementation in internal combustion engines of valerian biofuels, which, depending on their hydrocarbon chain, may be compatible with the replacement of gasoline or diesel. Finally, the project also includes modeling the operation of non-hybrid and hybrid light and cargo vehicles and evaluating their performance in different driving cycles. In this context, hybrid vehicles emerge as prominent protagonists, using an intelligent combination of electrical and combustion technologies, producing a significant reduction in carbon emissions through renewable fuel use and increasing the vehicle's autonomy. This shift to more sustainable practices represents a crucial response to environmental challenges and opens the door to a cleaner, more efficient future for mobility and transport in the region. (AU)