Assessment of E-Fuels Applicability as Gasoline Replacement in a Small Two-Stroke Engine

The push for reducing greenhouse gas emissions has extended to various sectors, including outdoor power equipment. While electrification is a promising solution for low-power gardening tools, the substitution of small two-stroke engines becomes critical for applications requiring higher power and range. Biofuels and e-fuels produced from renewable sources present a viable short-term alternative, leveraging existing engine technologies to minimize dependence on fossil fuels. However, the ability of current engines to operate with these fuels while maintaining performance and emission levels without modifications requires thorough evaluation. This study investigates the feasibility of using e-fuels as sustainable alternatives to gasoline in small two-stroke engines. Preliminary computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations were conducted to evaluate the performance of the e-fuel after defining a proper fuel surrogate. Experimental tests were then carried out to assess combustion characteristics, engine performance, and pollutant emissions substituting a commercial E10 gasoline with the synthetic counterpart. The results demonstrate that e-fuels achieve comparable performance and emissions profiles to gasoline, indicating their potential as drop-in replacements for conventional fuels in existing engine technologies. These findings highlight the practicality and promise of e-fuels in advancing sustainable solutions for outdoor power equipment.