TotalEnergies develops a fuel to ensure endurance

The historic French oil tanker is preparing to launch a 100% renewable fuel, called Excellium Racing 100, used from next season in the World Championship.Endurance of the FIA ​​(WEC), whose 24 Hours of Le Mans 2022 and the European Le Mans Series (ELMS). For TotalEnergies, in the midst of industrial change as well as in terms of image with its new name, this is a very symbolic announcement which ensures the sustainability of its activities in competition, the traditional antechamber of the general public market. Because it is a real laboratory of life-size innovations, using the extreme constraints of racing conditions to test innovative solutions to their limits. A testing ground that takes on even more meaning with the new challenges posed by the energy and environmental transition. By 2050, TotalEnergies wants to become carbon neutral, which will require a profound reinvention.

Litter hunting

This new fuel comes from biomass, on an ethanol basis of 2^e generation, exploiting waste and residues mainly from marcs and lees from wine agriculture. The first generation, less virtuous, using beets or cereals grown for this purpose, is not exploited here. Its manufacturing process, called “ethanol to gasoline” (ETG), consists of the distillation and dehydration of ethanol molecules resulting from industrial fermentation to create hydrocarbons.

© François Flamand / DPPI

This base is then mixed with ETBE (Ethyl Tertio Butyl Ether), itself a derivative of ethanol mixed with isobutene (a molecule consisting solely of carbon and hydrogen atoms), produced by Feyzin refinery (Rhône) using raw materials also from the circular economy. TotalEnergies also adds several Excellium performance additives. Unlike biofuels like E85, the product does not include ethanol in its final formula, because it is an ingredient that is completely transformed. It has the great advantage of being completely compatible with conventional fuels of petroleum origin, because it has no difference in its chemical composition, and the quantity of energy it contains is equivalent.

This ETG technology is in its infancy and represents one of the promising solutions of the future, perfectly adaptable for the car of the average person. It is also part of the European community's desire to increase the proportion of use of biofuels. As consumption is not impacted, in the exhaust, this green fuel produces the same quantity of CO₂. But over the entire chain, compared to fossil fuels extracted from the ground and therefore released into the atmosphere, the overall balance of CO emissions₂ reduction of at least 65% on the analysis of the life cycle of the molecule, according to the European RED Regulation (renewable energy directive). On the other hand, no change in terms of direct pollutants, in the absence of post-treatment with a catalyst or a competing particle filter.

No specific engine adaptation

Among the many advantages of this solution, the Excellium Racing 100 does not require any specific change in the existing engines, other than a reprogramming of the mapping, as is traditionally the case in the off-season, at the time of fuel batch changes. The injection and ignition advance must indeed be reworked because of the difference in octane, a little lower here.

© Francois Flamand / DPPI

With this new fuel there is no increase in consumption as can be the case, for example, with E85. This point is particularly decisive in Endurance and, here, the duration of the stints will therefore remain unchanged. An advantage which already contributes to the interest of numerous championships which have been expressed to TotalEnergies. The product is now available, the first batch is ready and the engine manufacturers are receiving it. The first application in racing will be made in March 2022, at the opening of the season with the return of 1000 miles of Sebring (March 18), a historic race from several points of view…

Formulation – Constant innovation

The process of greening the fuels used in competition had already started this year with Excellium Endurance fuel, which contains 10% ethanol of renewable origin, composed of plant residues and a new type of compound (accounting for 5% of the total volume) based on bio-hydrocarbons from biomass, which benefit from better energy efficiency. The high octane number obtained makes it possible to optimize ignition and compression ratios of engines to improve efficiency and longevity. In terms of consumption, this allows a gain of 2,5 to 3%, while engine clogging is reduced.

The supply of fuel for an event like the 24 Hours of Le Mans represents no less than 280 liters distributed by TotalEnergies to the 000 participating cars. At the request of the ACO and the FIA, more than 62 fuel conformity analyzes in the garages of the various competitors are carried out, using a chromatograph to check the “fingerprint” of the fuel.