Additive dosing for fuels

Since Euronorm 4, fuels must be environmentally friendly. Additives for fuels are an optimal solution. The main focus is on gasoline, whereby additives also play a role in kerosene for aircraft. Up to 150 different additives can be dosed to the fuels.

One of these additives is the flow aid vinyl acetate. It is often used for biofuels E5 or E10. Its ethanol content has an increased viscosity due to esterification. This must be considered especially in the case of external temperature influences. In winter, the viscosity of the fuel may become too high and vinyl acetate must be added to ensure the engine's running characteristics even in cold temperatures.

Another example of additives are anti-knocking agents. These reduce the knocking of a fuel-air mixture, which can occur in the event of premature ignition. The anti-knocking agent increases the amount of product necessary to ignite a fuel-air mixture and thus prevents premature ignition and thus the overheating and destruction of the engine.

A relatively new additive is urea, which is intended for low-emission diesel engines. The aqueous solution consists of a mixture of high-purity urea and demineralized water and can reduce the emission of nitrogen oxides in diesel engines by up to 90 percent. Nitrogen oxides are produced during combustion in the engine at high pressure, temperature, and an excess of oxygen.