I am all for technologies that will increase the efficiency of transportation but I would be concerned about the possible health risk to adding aluminum nanoparticles to our fuels.

Studies show that smaller particles are more damaging to the lungs and repertory track and I am curious what danger, if any, these particles might pose if inhaled in low dosages.

I assume that the average particle size is too small to be effectively filtered out without excessive back-pressuring of the motor using technologies. Are there any suggested methods for removing these particles prior to exhaust?
-TR

I hoped we learned our mistakes in the past of putting lead in gasoline. This method should never see the light of day. The sad thing is that this may reach the market behind the public's knowledge because of powerful lobbyist in washington that serves' their own interest and profit at the expense of the publics' health.

I am not sure I like the idea of adding nano metal particles either. It's untested and could be disastrous for the lungs of children. We already are in an asthma epidemic. But there are already proven, non-toxic additives made up of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen esters that improve performance and mileage and reduce emissions.

first of all, neither aluminum nor aluminum oxide is magnetic. secondly, DPF's fitted as standard to modern diesel engines can already filter particles down to 50nm in size, so John you would not be forced to breathe it even if it were adopted. the fact that the effect was not affected by the change in particle size or material suggests that perhaps other, more benign materials would also have the same beneficial effect.

really, I am suprised at the Chicken-Little, Luddite-type response to this research (and that is all it is at present, a research paper).

Lulu: the link between aluminum and Alzheimer's Disease was debunked years ago. The original result turned out to be a laboratory artefact.

Rocket engineers have contemplated for years the addition of aluminum particles to liquid rocket propellants (kerosene, hydrogen, hydrazine). The stuff can cause modest increases in specific impulse and propellant density, both desirable effects.

really, I am suprised at the Chicken-Little, Luddite-type response

I've noticed a deplorable trend to poorly reasoned, shallow, nihilistic cynicism in these blogs. So you shouldn't be surprised.

Paul,

A lot of studies tried to reject correlation between toxic substance and direct effect to health. However, recent information also questioned the method of the process, the hidden motive of the study, the source of financing of the study, the correlation for long term effect and not just the short outcome, etc...

I am a medical doctor and I don't trust many of the new studies about drug developments mainly because most are funded by pharmaceutical companies that all they care is profit and even try to hide or downplay serious side effects.

Hi All,

I doubt this will go very far. Alumina (aluminum oxide) is the second hardest material known to man. So, the abrasion on the exhaust valves and exhaust components will be so bad, it will not be econonmic.

Oh, Aluminum and Alumina are both very non-magnetic. Other than filtering, the way to remove them from an exhaust fluid flow would be centrifucally. So, one would need something like a Dyson vacuum cleaner on the tail pipe.

And as another posters comment suggest, why not just burn corn nano-particles?

You're right, Aluminum is not a magnet. However, it can act like a diamagnet in the presence of alternating magnetic fields.

Ever see an aluminum ball or disk levitated by an AC-powered electric magnet?

Modern engines use extremely high fuel injection pressures (~2000 atmospheres) and extremely fine injection holes to achieve as much air-fuel mixture preparation as possible before compression ignition kicks in. This is results in smaller zones of rich mixture and therefore, reduced production of soot during the combustion phase. It also results in more rapid combustion and hence, higher RPM limits and rated power for passenger car diesel engines.

Ultrafine particles in the fuel are, however, a separate source of headaches. Over a number of years, they can cause erosion of the injector holes and the bearing surfaces of the high pressure fuel pump. These are among the most expensive components in the entire engine. Biodiesel (fatty acid methyl esters) naturally contains higher amounts of particulate matter and delivers lower lubricity than dinodiesel, one reason many manufacturers limit their warranty cover to B5 (except for Citroen PSA: B20).

Adding aluminum specs to diesel fuel might well improve ignition properties, but only at the expense of increased wear and tear on the fuel system. In addition, the flow-through DPFs now common on new European passenger cars would gradually seize up because metal oxides cannot be thermally purged. Using fuel or engine oil containing a metal-based additive is not recommended, as the DPF would have to be removed and mechanically cleaned or else replaced well before the vehicle reaches 10 years or 150,000 miles.

HDVs deal with engine-out PM using continuously regenerating traps (CRTs) which do not seize up. This is possible because the duty cycle of these vehicles operates the engine at high load much more frequently, increasing exhaust gas temperatures.

"change in nanoparticle material nor the nanoparticle size influenced the ignition"

Well why not add water?
It is proven many time that adding water impove the efficiency of ICE.
Water injection was extensiwly used in air plane engines during WWII.

the Capstone turbine was discus in one of the previous post. It is not as efficient as it look.
At list 30% less efficient then any othere solution.

Jay Tee is right on track. These results, observed on a hot plate in a laboratory, will almost certainly not translate well to existing automotive fuel systems. As for the environmental ramifications. DPF technology could probably be adapted to filter out the particles, but there are and probably always will be a whole lot of fuel burnt without the benefit of a DPF. Think generators, air compressors, construction equipment, all pre-DPF trucks and autos, not to mention diesel fuel that gets burned as heating oil. I personally dread the thought of particulate size metals and metal oxides floating around.