Kanagawa University announced on July 12, 2006 that an academic and industrial project team lead by Prof. Kazuo Tajima has developed a new fuel, "Super Emulsion Fuel." Vehicle testing conducted in June 2006 has shown that the new fuel meets the soon-to-be introduced emission regulations, the university. The new fuel also gave 10 to 15 percent better mileage.

The new emission regulations, scheduled to be phased in starting on October 1, 2006, are some of the most stringent in the world, requiring a 25 to 43 percent improvement in nitrogen oxides (Nox), a 15 to 50 percent improvement in particulate matter (PM) and a 33 to 60 percent improvement in hydrocarbon (HC) emissions over existing regulations.

As its name implies, the newly developed emulsion fuel is a mixture of water and oil. The team developed a three-phase emulsification process that uses surfactants and differs from conventional methods. This method utilizes the weak molecular attraction (van der Waals force) between hydrophilic nano-particles and can be applied to many oil types to generate fuels of high stability.

http://www.kanagawa-u.ac.jp/13/pressrelease/pdf/060727.pdf

Posted: 2006/09/27 11:59:06 AM
Japanese version

TAG Energy , Technology , University/Research institute