Posts tagged: flex fuel technology

Maruti Suzuki has launched the country's first Flex Fuel running car, Wagon R Flex Fuel. Soon it will start being delivered to customers. However, details of its price and variant options are yet to be known. Flex fuel vehicles can also run on heavy blends of ethanol and petrol.

This flex fuel model, being launched in the mass market for the first time in India, can run on blends ranging from E20 to E85. By becoming an economical and eco-friendly option for the common people, it can prove to be a practical bridge technology along with electric cars. Let us know what is flex fuel and how will this technology be used?

What changed in Maruti Wagon R Felx Fuel

There has been no change in the exterior design of WagonR. Only flex fuel and biofuel badging has been given. The interior and features are also similar to the petrol version. It gets features like 7-inch touchscreen, Android Auto/Apple CarPlay, 6 airbags and power windows. It is based on 1.2-litre petrol engine, whose power is expected to be around 90 PS and torque 113 Nm. The company has not yet told about the mileage available with flex fuel.

What is flex fuel?

Flex fuel is an alternative fuel made by mixing regular petrol with renewable biofuel (mainly ethanol). Flex-fuel vehicles (FFV) can run on 100% petrol, 100% ethanol or any ratio of the two. In India it can start from E20 (20% ethanol) and go up to E85 (85% ethanol).

How does a flex fuel engine work?

Many hardware changes are made in flex fuel engines compared to normal petrol engines, because ethanol is more corrosive and has lower energy density. Some such changes take place in the engine-

• Anti-Corrosion Fuel System: The fuel tank, fuel line and other related parts are made from special anti-corrosive materials to avoid any harm due to the corrosive nature of ethanol.
• Large Fuel Injectors and Pumps: The amount of energy in ethanol is less than petrol, so the engine requires more fuel to give the same performance. For this reason, large capacity injectors and fuel pumps have been installed.
• Ethanol Sensor: A sensor installed inside the fuel tank detects the percentage of ethanol (ranging from 10% to 85%) and immediately sends this information to the ECU.
• Engine Control Unit (ECU): It automatically adjusts the air-fuel ratio, spark timing and fuel injection quantity as per the fuel mixture based on the information received from the sensors.
• Heated Fuel Lines: To burn ethanol easily in cold weather, special arrangements have been made to heat the fuel lines, so that starting and performance is not affected.
• Strong Engine Components: The internal parts of the engine like valve seats, piston rings and other important parts are made from special hardened material, so that there is no early wear or damage due to ethanol.

Why is ethanol so important?

Ethanol is going to be a necessity of the future in many ways. India is a big importer of crude oil. Ethanol blending will save foreign exchange. Farmers will benefit. Ethanol is made from sugarcane, maize etc., which will increase agricultural income. Pollution will also reduce, because tailpipe emissions from ethanol will reduce by 70-75%. Fuel can also become cheaper due to reduction in the quantity of petrol.