APaper on

By,

Garud Prashant K.(B.E.Mech)

Gursal Ranjeet G. (B.E.Mech)

Email: redcar2004@indiatimes.com

S.R.E.S. College of Engineering Kpargaon

Post: Shingnapur Tal.: Kpargaon

Dist. Ahmednagar 423 603

ABSTRACTS:

In this seminar we have discussed about the alternative fuel (ethanol) from rural area.

1. Day by day demand of fuel is increasing tremendously and sources of fuel are reducing, especially petroleum fuels.

2. Petroleum fuels are non renewable and the rate of increase of demand of fuel is very high than rate of supply of fuel.

3. Also petroleum products make the major problem of environmental pollution. So there is need of an alternative fuel.

4. India is country of rural area and many kind of fuel like Bio gas, ethanol, methanol, natural gas (CNG), etc. can be produced in rural areas which serve as good alternative fuel.

5. Ethanol is one of the more economical and efficient fuels. With the use of ethanol fuel we get benefit in following manner.

Increase thermal and overall efficiency if engine.

Less pollution.

Cheaper fuel.

Ethanol is farm product and hence easily available.

Ethanol is renewable source of fuel and hence no chance of energy crises.

6. This seminar has three parts:

A. In first part ethanol fuel and its history is dealt in detail, including its manufacturing, availability, costing, advantages, etc.

B. Second stage is of engine modification for adapting to use ethanol.

C. In last stage case study is also given which is being used in US.

* This is very important aspect in reducing import of fuel (petrol).

1.1 1. INTRODUCTION:

India is country of villages. Indian economy is mainly based on agricultural products and their related services. All of us are aware that in future the world will suffer from the shortage of conventional fuel like coal, petroleum and its products. Over the last five years the world used 27 billion barrels of oil each year, while annual discoveries amounted only 3 billion barrels. Following chart shows the oil discovered worldwide every five years.

Figure 1

Trend in volume of oil discovered worldwide as per international energy agency’s assessment

In India, we can get alternative fuel like ethanol, biogas, C.N.G., methanol, etc. from rural area. In this seminar, we have only discus about the ethanol as alternative fuel because ethanol solve all above problems.

Recently, on 15th April 2001, Govt. of India has made the beginning with the pilot project at Miraj (Maharashtra) to examine the feasibility of blending ethanol in petrol. Other two plants have also been commissioned at Manmad in Maharashtar and Bareilly in U.P. as soon as the results of pilot projects are available; Govt. plans to extend the program of 5 % ethanol mix of petrol to the entire country. This timely action of Govt. of India has given a new hope that India too can gradually implement alcohol fuel technology for automobiles –first as a blend in petrol and subsequently as a sole fuel for petrol vehicles.

2. ETHANOL : THE FUEL OF FUTURE

In 1925, Henry Ford in an interview with the New York Times called ethyl alcohol ethanol –“the fuel of the future.” Ford said, “The fuel of future is going to come from apples, weeds, sawdust- almost anything. There is fuel in every bit of vegetable matter that can be fermented.” Ford was on solid ground. When he began making Model-Ts-in 1908, he made sure they could be adjusted to run on pure alcohol.

Fig. no.2 Henry Ford designed his earliest

production vehicle to run on ethanol.

Another burst of interest came in the 1920s when auto manufacturers needed an octane booster for new high compression engines. General motor’s Charles Kettering and Thomas Midgely seriously considered ethanol. But Midgely soon invented high-octane leaded gasoline, and the GM pioneers reversed themselves, with disastrous effects for generation of lead-poisoned, brain-damaged children.

The oil crisis of the early 1970s gave ethanol fuel a new lease of life. It set off ethanol’s third wave and built the modern industry we know today. The road has had some bumps, through, including hostility from major oil and auto companies for the first 10 years, and the 1980s collapse of oil prices that drove around half of ethanol producers in U.S. out of business. In the 1990s ethanol makers regained ground after 1990 Clean Air Act Amendments in U.S. enforcing ethanol as a prime fuel –oxygenate. After a series of such close calls, the industry has needed survived to the first decade of the 21st century. Now, driven by environmental concerns and technological improvements, it stands poised to fulfill its promise. For ethanol, the future is now.

3. ETHANOL PROSPECTS AND CHALLENGES :

A. Ethanol as transport fuel :-

Used in existing gasoline engine as 10% - 85% ethanol blend.

Country experiences: USA, Brazil, Canada, and Sweeden.

USA: Benefited from improved rural economy, reduction in air pollution, and lower oil dependence.

Brazil: Benefited from in-country potential, reduction in air pollution and lower oil dependence.

B. Prospects of using ethanol in India:-

Energy security, trade balance and risk reduction.

Environmental benefits (reducing CO, HC & VOCs)

Economic benefits (in-country capacity utilization, scope for industry expansion, additional market outlet)

Boosting the agriculture sector

C. Ethanol status in India:-

Installed capacity > 3,000 million liter per annum but producing <50% of installed capacity.

Currently meeting the demand of the chemical industries.

No present utilization in the transport sector.

Trial under Govt. sponsored projects.

D. Benefits of using ethanol:-

I. Immediate Benefits:-

Utilize industrial installed capacity – improving the economy of the industry.

Reduce use of gasoline.

Reduce local pollution (e.g. in urban cities)

Provide business opportunities.

Help building base for larger program.

Table 1. Gasoline substitution potential

Cities Estimated consumption 2000-01 (in million liters)

Gasoline

(in million liters) 15%

Ethanol

(in million liters) 85%

Delhi 750 37.5 637.5

Calcutta 200 10 170

Mumbai 180 9 153

Bangalore 220 11.0 187

TOTAL 1350 67.5 1147.5

II. Long term benefits:-

Expand ethanol market

Increase production capacities (e.g., from sugarcane juice, sweet sorghum, biomass, etc.)

Provide business opportunities for auto manufactures, parts suppliers, vehicle conversion companies and fuel suppliers.

Helping emerge a new market.

E. Challenges: who needs to take action

A Govt. policy with implementation plan and incentives needed.

Oil industries –accepting bio-ethanol, auto industries- marketing FFVs

Implementing certification and regulatory procedure.

Creating public awareness.

4. FUEL GRADE ETHANOL: PRODUCTION, SPECIFICATIONS AND ECONOMICS PERSPECTIVES:

1. Ethanol is produce by two routes:-

a. Synthetic route :-By chemical reactions of petroleum substance. Ethanol produced by this route

contains a lot of propanol.

b. Fermentation route:-Fermentation of sugar bearing or starchy substrates using yeast. The

resultant fermented wash contains ethanol with other impurities.

Rectified spirit is produced by distillation of fermented wash containing ethanol. Rectified spirit has usually about 95% by volume ethanol, balance being water, and some trace impurities. This is because ethanol forms zoetrope with water at around 95% v/v concentration and hence it cannot be separated from water above that point by simple distillation.

Fuel grade ethanol or absolute alcohol is produced by dehydration of rectified spirit or industrial alcohol.

Commercially available technologies for dehydration of rectified spirit are:1. Molecular sieve technology 2. Evaporation (Membrane tech.)3. A zoetropic distillation

PROOF AND PERCENT:-The “proof” measure is double the percentage volume of pure alcohol.

Thus 190-proof ethanol contains 95% alcohol by volume, balance being water and some trace impurities.

As per I.S. std. absolute alcohol should be 199 –proof i.e. its ethanol content must be 99.5% by volume.

Table 2. Specifications of fuel-grade ethanol as per ASTM D 4806

Component Unit ContentMass basis Volume basis

Water content, max. Mass % 1.25% w/w 1.0% v/vNon volatile matter, max. mg/100ml 5 5Chloride iron content (max.) PPM 40 32Copper content, max. PPM 0.1 0.08Acidity (as acetic acid, CH3COOH), max.

0.007% w/w 56 PPM by volume.

Appearance Visibly free of suspended or precipitated contaminant(clear & bright)

Table 3. Specification of absolute alcohol as IS: 321-1964

Component Unit ContentSp. Gravity at 15.6 0C, max. 0.796Ethanol content at 15.6 0C, min.

% volume 99.5

Miscibility with water Miscible Alkalinity NilAcidity % w/w 0.006Residue on evaporation, max.

% w/w 0.005

Aldehyde content, max G/100 ml. 0.1Copper (as Cu), max. G/100 ml.Lead (max) G/100 ml.Methyl alcohol content To satisfy the requirements

of testFuel oil ppm To satisfy the requirements

of testKetones, isopropyl, tertiary butyl

ppm To satisfy the requirements of test

COST OF PRODUCTION

Table 4. The variable cost of production of absolute alcoholManufactured from rectified spirit or industrial alcohol

Utility Consumption per 1000 liters of AA

Unit rate (Rs.) Amount (Rs.)

Rectified spirit 1067 liters 10.00 10670.00Steam 1.8 MT 600.00 1080.00Power 60 kWh 4.00 240.00Cyclohexane 1.80 kg 85.00 153.00Cooling water 4.0 Cu. M 4.00 16.00Miscellaneous 100.00TOTAL 12259.00

i.e.: Approx. Rs. 12.26 liters of absolute alcohol.

5. COMPARISON OF PROPERTIES OF ETHANOL AND GASOLINE AS ENGINE FUEL:

There are two primary ways that can be used as a transportation fuel:

1. Blend of up to 10% ethanol with gasoline as a fuel extender without requiring any modification to the vehicle.

2. Used directly as a fuel with 15% gasoline known as “Ethanol-85” industry FFV or modified vehicle.

Reason for adding 15% gasoline in ethanol:- Straight ethanol is not normally used in automobile engine expect in

Racing Cars. Its lower calorific value, higher viscosity and surface tension, greater solvent power, etc. restrict its use as a complete motor vehicle fuel. Moreover the nearly invisible flame of pure ethanol may be a source of danger for extinguishing fire in case of inadvertent accident. Hence it is customary to add about 15% of petrol to make the flame luminous for easy visibility. These small percentages of gasoline added in ethanol inhance starting in cold weather and also act as denaturant. In order to make fuel- ethanol unsuitable to drink; it should be denatured by adding another substance. For fuel – ethanol, unleaded petrol is an approved denaturant.

Air fuel ratio:-

GASOLINE :-

C8H17 + 12.25 O2 + 3.76N2) 8CO2 + 8.5H2O + 46.06N2

A/F = (12.25*4.76) mol air X 29 kg air/mol = 14.96 kg air Mol fuel 113 kg fuel/mole kg fuel

ETHANOL (200 proof):

C2H5OH + 3(O2 + 3.76N2) 2CO2 + 2H2O + 11.28N2

A/F = (3 X 4.76) mol air X 29 kg air/mol = 9.01 kg air Mol fuel 46 kg fuel/mol kg fuel

Because of the presence of oxygen the quantity of air required for combustion of ethanol is considerably lower than that required for petrol.For Ethanol-85 fuel, stochiometric A/F is taken as 10:1.

6. IMPORTANT PROPERTIES OF ETHANOL AND GASOLINE:

Table no. 5

PROPERTY ETHANOL GASOLINEChemical formula C 2H 5OH C 4-C 1 2

Molecular wt. Carbon HydrogenOxygen

46.0752.213.134.7

11385-8812-15

nil

Stoichiometric A/F (by wt.) 9.01:1 14.96 : 1

Ignition l imits A/F (by wt.) 3.57 to 18 6 – 29

Flammability l imit, (volume %LowerHigher 4.3

191.47.6

Octane no.ResearchMotor(R + M)/2

10892

100

918287

Self ignition temp. ( 0C) 420 300 – 450

Lower calorific value (Kcal/kg) 6400 10500

Latent heat of vaporization (Kcal/kg)

204.0 70 – 100

Sp. Heat of l iquid (Btu/lb. 0F) 0.57 0.48

Boiling pt. or range ( 0C) 78 30 – 240

Raid vapor pressure at 38 0C (Bar)

0.17 0.88

Water solubility @ 70 0FFuel in water, volume%Water in fuel , volume%

100100

NegligibleNegligible

Freezing pt. , ( 0C) -114 -40Flash pt. , ( 0C) 12.8 -42.8Sp. Gravity at 15 0C 0.796 0.72 – 0.78

Viscosity at 15 0C (centi-poise ) 1.19 0.37 – 0.44

7. USE OF ETHANOL IN AUTOMOBILES

Table no. 6. Modification required in engine to use ethanol instead of gasoline.

Problems Part Modification

Ethanol has high viscosity also required low A/F ratio

Carburetor Increase the sizes of fuel jet

Cold startingBelow 780C , ethanol will not vaporize

suff iciently to form a combustible mixture .

1 Carburetor 1. made arrangement to supply gasoline for few second in cold starting.

2 Carburetor intake manifold

2. provide plug heater to heat intake air.

Ignition timingSince alcohol has high

octane rating, the proper time for the ethanol engine

is to be advanced from optimum gasoline setting.

Distributor housing By turning Distributor housing ignition timing

should be advanced

Compression ratioEthanol has high octane

rating so compression ratio should be high.

Engine Increase the compression ratio

Fuel vaporization and engine warm-up.

Ethanol requires about five times as much heat to

vaporize the proper fuel –air mixture as gasoline.

Intake and exhaust manifold

Both manifold should be on the same side of cylinder to

allow heat flow from exhaust to intake manifold

8. CASE STUDY: FORD TAURUS:

Performance of FFV:

In 1996, the Govt. of state of Ohio, USA established a project to demonstrate the effectiveness of ethanol as an alternative to gasoline in fleet operations. The state incorporated a no of flexible-fuel vehicles (FFVs) into its fleet. All vehicles in the study were 1996 model year Ford Taurus. Results from this project are described bellow:

Acceleration:-

Three tests performed (1) elapsed time from a standstill to 60 mph at wide open throttle, loaded and unloaded; (2) elapsed time from 40 to 60 mph wide open throttle (passing simulation); (3) elapsed time and max. speed at a quarter mile. Values are the average of six measurements.

Table no. 7 Acceleration performance of FFV and gasoline Model of FORD Taurus

Acceleration FFV Ethanol-85 Gasoline model

0-60 mph loaded (sec.) 12.7 13.7

0-60 mph unloaded (sec.) 9.9 10.5

40-60 mph (sec.) 5.2 5.6

¼ mile time (sec) 17.6 17.9

¼ mile speed (mph) 80.1 78.4

Acceleration test revealed an average of 6% improvement for the FFV tested on Ethanol-85 compared to the test on gasoline.

Fuel economy and vehicle range:

The average fuel economy for the FFVs was just over 23 miles per gallon (mpg), which is lower than the average of 24.6 mpg for gasoline vehicles. We expect this result because the energy constant of Ethanol-85 is lower than that of gasoline.

Ford opted to ensure that its FFVs and gasoline Tauruses had a similar range by installing a slightly large fuel tank in FFVs.

Operating cost:

The operating cost considered in this study incuded the fuel used and maintenance costs.

In evaluating the fuel use cost for the FFVs, gasoline and Ethanol-85 cost had to be taken in to account, because the vehicles used both fuel. On the cent per mile basis, fuel cost for the FFVs was about 15% higher than for gasoline, at 6.55 cent per mile compare to 5.01 cent per mile for the gasoline vehicles.

Maintenance cost included parts, labor, and other (recycling, parts disposal, engine oil, and so forth). The only major difference in service between the FFVs and gasoline vehicle is that, FFVs required special low-ash engine oil. Overall, maintenance cost for this fleet of study vehicles were low.

However, for the FFVs they were nearly 13% higher than for the gasoline vehicles. This was due almost entirely to the cost of the special oil used in FFVs

Chart no. 2 Operating cost of FFV (case study: Ford Taurus)

Table no. 8 Operating cost of FFV and gasoline model of FORD TAURUS

OPERATING COST TOTAL ($ PER 1000 miles)

Gasoline FFV

Fuel usage 50.09 65.54

Maintenance 7.69 8.81

Total 57.78 74.35

CONCLUSION:

From this seminar, we conclude that ethanol is the best preferred alternative for gasoline in every aspect. By using ethanol we can develop economical and efficient vehicle and industrial plants.

One of the greatest advantages of alternative fuel from rural area is that they are renewable and environmental friendly.