When the European Union published updated legislation for a ban on emissions-producing vehicles by 2035, it left the tiniest of loopholes in there for vehicles running on carbon-neutral synthetic fuel. The German government sought to include the loophole in light of the Volkswagen Group, specifically Porsche, developing carbon-neutral synthetic fuel. The loophole was included, but only if the combustion engine in question could be made to run only when it detected synthetic fuel. If normal fuel was introduced to the system, the engine would have to automatically stop operating.
According to a patent filed with the German Patent and Trade Mark Office (DPMA), Porsche has now found a way to do this, using an odor sensor that could detect odorant additives in the synthetic fuel.
Simple Solution Solves Complex Problem
The problem Porsche and other OEMs faced with Europe’s requirement for e-fuel-sensing engines is that synthetic fuel is chemically identical to regular gasoline. The difference in carbon emissions is that e-fuels are man-made hydrocarbons using carbon captured from the environment. When the e-fuel is burned, it emits no more carbon dioxide than was already present in the atmosphere prior to its carbon capture.
But if these fuels are chemically identical to existing fossil fuels, telling the two apart becomes problematic. After all, one of the major intentions behind synthetic fuels is that they should be able to be used across all cars, old and new, without any modifications being necessary.
A Nose For Synthetic Fuel
Porsche’s system uses two odor sensors (redundancy is king in such systems) that can detect a fragrance additive in the fuel itself, which would not impact the fuel quality in any way. Porsche claims this would be cost-effective, but also functional in detecting diluted fossil fuel as “fossil fuels can be quickly detected due to the rapidly decreasing concentration of the fragrance.”
Porsche envisions such a sensor could be added to the fuel supply lines, as such placement would make it easy to retrofit these sensors into even older Porsche models. Failing which, it could alternatively be placed in the fuel distribution system, or even in the fuel filler hose, immediately detecting fossil fuel.
Because of the simplicity of this solution, it would not only be cost-effective, but it could be implemented quickly, easily, and on cars both new and old, providing the perfect means of saving combustion for generations to come.
