Cyril Suduwella Chairman Sugarcane Research Institute, Sri Lanka 1
Ethanol is the same alcohol found in Alcoholic Beverages. There have been decades of motor fuel application experience. Most Ethanol used for fuel is being blended into Gasoline at concentrations of 5 to 10 percent. 2
Industrial and Pharmaceuticals Beverages and liquor Blending with Petroleum 3
Why concerned aboutfuel Ethanol? Overview of the situation Fuel grade Ethanol Development Advantageous and Disadvantageous 4
Its potential for production from wide range of raw materials like vegetative, renewable source etc. High Octane but Non Toxic as compared to other octane boosters Readily degradable hence environmentally safer Production is primarily through cost effective by product cane malasses, farm waste, vegetable matter etc. 5
world make new initiatives to ease: uncertainties of Supply/ energy security. Economically viable alternative fuel for internal combustion automotive engines. Long term uncertainties in price/availability of fossil fuels. environmental & health concerns of fossil fuels 6
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Sea Level rise Freak weather patterns Changes of ph of the Ocean Health Effects of Green House Gases 10
UN has mandated that green house gas emissions(co 2, CH 4,N 2 O,HFCs, PFCs, SF 6 ) be reduced by 6% between 2008 2012 compared with 1990 levels. Alcohol fuels are clean burning, with reduced emissions of particulates & toxics.co 2 liberated is recycled completely through growth of feedstock,corn etc)& there is no net carbon dioxide addition to atmosphere. 11
Bio Fuel - any fuel that is derived from recently living biomass or their metabolic by products. As far as possible, its fuel characteristics should be similar to conventional specifications used in internal combustion engines. It should be competitive in price It should be renewable We should be able to produce it in commercially viable quantities & assured supplies It should not harm health & environment 12
A range of biofuels are being developed for vehicular transport. These include: Bioethanol Biobutanol Biodiesel Biogas Biohydrogen 13
There are records of many countries including France, Germany, Italy, England, India, Sweden & Brazil who used alcohol to run vehicles. But purely on economic considerations as higher alcohol prices or higher prices of feed stocks could not compete with low petroleum prices. Thus level of interest in using alcohol as a motor fuel has followed cycles of fuel shortages and or other concerns. 14
The use of Ethanol as a fuel for internal combustion engines either alone or in combination with other fuels In Brazil extremely efficient sugar industry, direct & indirect subsidies for well over three decades & New technologies have made ethanol and biodiesel much cheaper than petrol or diesel but not elsewhere. Even in the US with an extremely efficient wheat industry & technology, still bio ethanol is as twice expensive as Petroleum Fuels. Escalating prices of oil is bound to close the gap. 15
Raw material: Starch, Sugar, Cellulose Organism: Yeast vs Bacteria Process path way Process optimization Efficiency Sugar vs transport fuel 16
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In the first phase of the project, Brazil concentrated on establishing the quantity of alcohol to be mixed with gasoline and capacity building to produce anhydrous alcohol the second phase which began in 1979 was on introducing hydrous alcohol as fuel substitute. The government introduced a set of incentives to promote the construction of special engines designed to run on hydrous alcohol. Credit support to agriculture,industries were granted on a generous basis and consumption was promoted by fixing prices of hydrous alcohol somewhat lower than gasoline prices.in addition alcohol fuel car owners profited from tax exemptions. Other measures were: Market guarantee for ethanol Ethanol sold at 59% gasoline price at pump Subsidized loans of almost USD 2 bln for alcohol capacity building. The effect of this PROALCOOL programme was spectacular. By 1988, ethanol had a larger market share in the transportation 18 sector than
A surplus and cheap feed stock Matching Alcohol industry & competitive technology Dynamic & compelling policy for biofuel production e.g Brazil, EU, US etc. It may involve difficult political decisions like in Brazil. Resources for expansion :land area & capital. 19
Ethanol fuel has a Gasoline Gallon Equivalency value (GGE) 1.5 US Gallons 1.5 US Gal of Ethanol produces same energy equivalent to 1.0 Gal of Gasoline 20
30% more is required to produce a specific output as equivalent to gasoline Relatively low BPs and high vapour pressure could cause vapour locks. Heatingthe intake manifold may be necessary in cold weather or before the engine reaches operating temperatures due to high LH. All the alcohols are soluble in water and they attract water vapour. This will cause storing and transport difficulties. Less engine power is produced as the water content increases Alcohol has to be transported in browsers/rail cars etc to site as piping is not feasible due to high solvent power. Its corrosive nature can affect engine parts. Increase in Oxides of N up to 10%. 21
Car manufacturers have developed Flex-fuel alcohol vehicles having on-board fuel sensor which senses the % alcohol present in the fuel mixture and automatically adjust the injectors which supply the fuel to the cylinders for burning, altering the proportion of air which is required for combustion. Vehicles can operate on any combination from 100% alcohol to 80% gasoline and 20% alcohol blend,adjusting to any change within fraction of a second Flexible fuel vehicles are available from major auto manufacturers such as Chrysler, Ford,General Motors, Mazda,Volkswagen,Honda, Mitsubishi, Toyota, Renault, Peugeot,Citroen etc.and are covered by standard automakers' warranties. 22
There is renewed enthusiasm for biofuels in both developed & developing countries. world ethanol production is likely to achieve the highest annual growth rate Brazil, & US output is expected to grow rapidly. These two countries leave the rest of the world far behind. In the EU ethanol output is increasing by less than 7%. Asia too will achieve similar rates while less than 4% growth will be achieved in Africa & Oceania EU Commission s bio fuels directives have been signed into law. US has mandated by law fuel emission standards. It is phasing out of diesel, fuel additives such tetraethyl lead, MTBE, gasoline etc, All industrialized countries are following suit to meet the Kyoto commitments, bio fuels lead by alcohol fuels would seem to be heading for a bright future. 23
This has some superior qualities compared to ethanol & is similar to gasoline in fuel characteristics. Butanol can be burned "straight" in existing gasoline engines, produces more energy and is less corrosive and less water soluble than ethanol, and can be distributed via existing infrastructures. This is being perused by Du pont, British Petroleum, British sugar corporation etc Feed stock is converted to butyric acid first by Clostridium tyrobutyricum and butyric acid is converted to butanol by Clostridium acetobutylicum. Hydrogen too is evolved. The advantage is feed stock can be energy crops or even straw. Cellulose is the most abundant bio molecule on earth. 24
High Octane, hence operation at high compression ratio without knock. Smoother engine performance and cleaner combustion Compatible to existing fleet of Petrol vehicles with minor modifications. Non toxic nature Very low exhaust emissions of CO & HCs 25
Ethanol has a lower energy content than Gasoline Ethanol readily miscible with water, hence possible contamination with atmospheric moisture Higher NOX emissions in lower percentages of alcohol in Gasoline 26
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