Alternative Fuel
Alternative Fuel
Alternative Fuel
Alternative fuels, known as non-conventional and advanced fuels, are any materials
or substances that can be used as fuels, other than conventional fuels like; fossil
fuels (petroleum (oil), coal, and natural gas), as well as nuclear materials such
as uranium and thorium, as well as artificial radioisotope fuels that are made in nuclear
reactors.
Some well-known
alternative fuels include biodiesel, bioalcohol (methanol, ethanol, butanol), refuse-
derived fuel, chemically stored electricity (batteries and fuel cells), hydrogen, non-
fossil methane, non-fossil natural gas, vegetable oil, propane and
other biomasssources.
THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN ALTERNATIVE AND RENEWABLE ENERGY
Although alternative energy and renewable energy both work to cut down on
carbon emissions, there is a stark difference between the two. For starters,
alternative energy is not infinite in supply like renewable energy, which, as the
name suggests, is always available, similar to solar energy. At Sol-Up America,
located in sunny Las Vegas, Nevada, we specialize in renewable energy as
represented solar pv arrays installed on residential and commercial buildings
throughout the valley.
Firstly, renewable energy comes from a source that is naturally occurring and
replenishes naturally without the interference of human intervention. Examples of
renewable energy include biomass resources, solar energy, wind energy,
geothermal and hydro resources. The most abundant of these resources is solar
energy. If you think about it, it makes sense. The sun is always shining at some
point everywhere on Earth, making it the most abundant to harness. Solar power
also has the least negative effects on the atmosphere, wildlife and the
environment.
Alternative energy does not include solar power, but includes resources like
natural gas (often obtained from fracking or the injection of pressure in
subterranean rock crevices), natural gas cogeneration, fuel cells or any waste
energy that does not naturally replenish but emits lower carbon emissions. Oil is
not considered an alternative energy resource as it is the leading cause of
carbon emissions and does not naturally replenish. Earth’s oil reserves will
eventually diminish; albeit, it may take centuries.
2. To reduce pollutions
6. More chaoices
9. Fuel Economy.
10.More Convenience
At the completion of this module, the technician will understand: • the combustive properties of
hydrogen that relate to its use as a combustive fuel • the air/fuel ratio of hydrogen fuel mixtures and
how it compares to other fuels • the types of pre-ignition problems encountered in a hydrogen internal
combustion engine and their solutions • the type of ignition systems that may be used with hydrogen
internal combustion engines • crankcase ventilation issues that pertain to hydrogen use in an internal
combustion engine • the thermal efficiency of hydrogen internal combustion engines • the type of
emissions associated with hydrogen internal combustion engines • the power output of hydrogen
internal combustion engines • the effect of mixing hydrogen with other hydrocarbon fuels
What Are the Disadvantages of Fossil Fuels: 1. Fossil fuels are a finite resource.
Cooking
o Liquefaction
This breaks the cell walls of the starch. The free starch will gelatinise as the
temperature increases, forming a thick mash. As the mash reaches the
enzyme's optimum temperature, the enzyme chemically breaks down the
starch to complex sugars (dextrin).
When this liquefaction stage is complete, the mash appears soupy, as it did
before gelatinisation.
holding the pH and temperature (50 - 60°C) in the optimum range and
stirring constantly until saccharification is complete, which is determined
by testing for sugar content.
Q-Describe the thermochemical conversion process in a gasifier.
Among the contaminants removed during clean-up are tars, acid gas,
ammonia, alkali metals, and other particulates.
PYROLYSIS
Bio-Oil Cleanup
There are four types of conversion technologies currently available, each appropriate for specific biomass? types
and resulting in specific energy products:
1. Thermal conversion is the use of heat, with or without the presence of oxygen, to convert biomass materials or
feedstocks into other forms of energy. Thermal conversion technolgies include direct combustion, pyrolysis ?, and
torrefaction.
2. Thermochemical conversion is the application of heat and chemical processes in the production of energy
products from biomass. A key thermochemical conversion process if gasification?.
3. Biochemical conversion involves use of enzymes, bacteria or other microorganisms to break down biomass into
liquid fuels, and includes anaerobic digestion, and fermentation.
4. Chemical conversion involves use of chemical agents to convert biomass into liquid fuels.
(1) the "traditional domestic" use in developing countries (fuelwood, charcoal and agricultural residues) for
household cooking (e.g. the "three stone fire"), lighting and space-heating. In this role-the efficiency of
conversion of the biomass to useful energy generally lies between 5% and 15%.
(2) the "traditional industrial" use of biomass for the processing of tobacco, tea, pig iron, bricks & tiles, etc,
where the biomass feedstock is often regarded as a "free" energy source. There is generally little
incentive to use the biomass efficiently so conversion of the feedstock to useful energy commonly occurs
at an efficiency of 15% or less.
(3) "Modern industrial." Industries are experimenting with technologically advanced thermal conversion
technologies which are itemised below. Expected conversion efficiencies are between 30 and 55%.
(4) newer "chemical conversion" technologies ("fuel cell") which are capable of by-passing the entropy-
dictated Carnot limit which describes the maximum theoretical conversion efficiencies of thermal units.
(5) "biological conversion" techniques, including anaerobic digestion for biogas production and
fermentation for alcohol.
The heating value of the gas produced by any type of gasifier depends at least in part on the moisture
content of the feedstock.
Moisture content can be determined on a dry basis as well as on a wet basis. In this chapter the moisture
content (M.C.) on a dry basis will be used.
and:
High moisture contents reduce the thermal efficiency since heat is used to drive off the water and
consequently this energy is not available for the reduction reactions and for converting thermal energy
into chemical bound energy in the gas. Therefore high moisture contents result in low gas heating values.
When the gas is used for direct combustion purposes, low heating values can be tolerated and the use of
feedstocks with moisture contents (dry basis) of up to 40 - 50 percent is feasible, especially when using
updraught gasifiers.
In downdraught gasifiers high moisture contents give rise not only to low gas heating values, but also to
low temperatures in the oxidation zone, and this can lead to insufficient tar converting capability if the gas
is used for engine applications.
Availability of Biofuels: Humans have been burning fossil fuel for over a century and a half
now. In that time, we have become rather good at finding, extracting, and refining the crude product from which these
fuels are made. Unfortunately, no matter how good we are finding and extracting fossil fuels, their supply is limited by the
length of time it takes for them to form. Sooner or later, supplies will begin to dwindle and price will begin to climb.
Eventually, fossil fuels will disappear altogether. Current estimates suggest that there are between 50 and 150 years of
fossil fuels remaining. The longer as demand is based on remaining at current energy used levels. The shorter estimate is
based on the more realistic expansion of our energy needs in the coming decades.
1.Availability and Production of Biofuels: Unlike fossil fuels, biofuels are a renewable
energy source. Because biofuels are derived from a plant matter (and occasionally
animal matter) that can be harvested annually, or the case of algae monthly, biofuels
are theoretically unlimited. Unfortunately, they do below the surface of the appearance
of unlimited scalability is a more complicated picture. Restrictions are traded more
deaths in the article on the drawbacks of biofuels, but a brief consideration reveals that
the major limiting factor in biofuel feedstock production is a threat to the food supply.
Biochemical processes, like anaerobic digestion, can also produce clean energy in the form of biogas
which can be converted to power and heat using a gas engine. Anaerobic digestion is the natural
biological process which stabilizes organic waste in the absence of air and transforms it into
biofertilizer and biogas. Anaerobic digestion is a reliable technology for the treatment of wet, organic
waste. Organic waste from various sources is biochemically degraded in highly controlled, oxygen-free
conditions circumstances resulting in the production of biogas which can be used to produce both
electricity and heat.
In addition, a variety of fuels can be produced from waste resources including liquid fuels, such as
ethanol, methanol, biodiesel, Fischer-Tropsch diesel, and gaseous fuels, such as hydrogen and
methane. The resource base for biofuel production is composed of a wide variety of forestry and
agricultural resources, industrial processing residues, and municipal solid and urban wood residues.
Globally, biofuels are most commonly used to power vehicles, heat homes, and for cooking.
Physico-chemical Conversion
The physico-chemical technology involves various processes to improve physical and chemical
properties of solid waste. The combustible fraction of the waste is converted into high-energy fuel
pellets which may be used in steam generation. The waste is first dried to bring down the high
moisture levels. Sand, grit, and other incombustible matter are then mechanically separated before
the waste is compacted and converted into pellets or RDF. Fuel pellets have several distinct
advantages over coal and wood because it is cleaner, free from incombustibles, has lower ash and
moisture contents, is of uniform size, cost-effective, and eco-friendly.
As a quick note, I'm honestly surprised at all of these gasifier answers that focus on automotive
applications. This is, by far, the least practical gasification application, the least common, and
probably the most dangerous. The applications are proven, but they were used only in truly
desperate times when no other fuels were available, and resulted in highly underpowered,
inefficient vehicles.
I'm going to focus on where gasifiers are really used: the chemical processing industry.
There are two general ways people approach this. I'm going to try to avoid writing a textbook
here, so remember that I'm oversimplifying:
.The idea of using acetylene gas in the internal combustion engine such that it reduces the
demand of the petroleum products that is going to be extinct in near future. It includes about the
emissions of harmful gases that can be reduced by the use of acetylene instead of petroleum
products. Various fuels have been tested on IC engines for their suitability as alternate fuels.
Expect few alcohols, CNG and LPG, not many fuels have been found to be matched with IC
Engines requirements .
Thus this project is an attempt for the use of an alternative resource such that it can prove to be
useful for the peoples in near future.As we are well informed about the extinction of fossile fuels
and its deteriorating effect on environment causing
1. Global warming
2. Ozone depletion
3. Respiratory ailments
3.Acid rain
The engine operated much leaner when fuelled with acetylene than with gasoline. With
acetylene, the engine operated at equivalence ratios as lean as 0·53 and 0·43 for compression
ratios of 4 and 6, respectively. However, the operating range was very limited. Knock-induced
preignition occurred either with compression ratios above 6 or with mixtures richer than 0·69
equivalence ratio.
Air filter: Air filters come in all sorts of different shapes and sizes and are there to
prevent potentially damaging particles entering the engine. Smaller holes in the filter
protect the engine better, but also restrict air flow. Clever design can improve the
passage of air without compromising the engine, so at the very least you should replace
the standard air filter with a higher performance version. Many filter upgrades are
disposable so you’ll need to stock up on a few for when you next service your car, some
are reusable but will need cleaning periodically – make sure you follow the instructions
to get the most out of your purchase.
Pipes: Fluid dynamics is an fascinating science, but also fairly inaccessible to most
people. To sum up in a sentence, gas flows better in specially designed pipes. Think of
the transition when pouring a bottle of water from the glug glug action to the nice fast
flowing stream, this is what you need to achieve with the air going into the engine. Even
with your nice new air filter fitted, you’ll still be limited by the inlet pipe design.
Exhaust: Now that the air is entering the engine in a nice smooth stream you’ll need to
make sure it comes out the other end just as fast. Fitting the biggest exhaust pipe you
can find may make your car sound great, but this can actually compromise the
performance. Engines require a certain amount of back-pressure to function well, so it’s
a matter of getting the balance right.
Dual fuel operation: The cylinder charge of dual fuel engines (converted existing diesel engines or
simply diesel derived
engines) is usually made up of two fuels with distinct ignition temperatures and different physical
states, typically one liquid and one gaseous. This gives a combustion process different from those
of conventional diesel or spark ignition engines, and gives the dual fuel engine some particular
operating characteristics which need to be taken into account when working with such engines.
The dual fuel combustion process: The combustion process in dual fuel engines is somewhat more
complicated than that of
conventional engines since a combination of premixed and diffusion combustion occur in this mode
of engine operation. The contribution and characteristics of each type of combustion depends on
several parameters, including fuel properties, injector characteristics, and combustion chamber
design, as well as operational variables such as the engine load, speed, manifold air pressure and
temperature, and the amount of each fuel present in the combustion chamber.
The combustion process in a dual fuel engine can be divided into three distinct sub-processes:
combustion of the gaseous fuel which is in the vicinity of the pilot fuel cores; and
combustion of the gaseous fuel due to flame propagation into the premixed lean charge.
The equivalence ratio of the cylinder charge varies spatially from point to point within the
combustion chamber, in particular considering that a fast homogenisation of the mixture of natural
gas and liquid fuel in most cases has no time to be ideal. At low loads, the air-gas mixtures may be
so lean that it causes flame propagation interruptions, resulting in incomplete combustion. This will
lead to loss of fuel through the exhaust, contributing to a reduction in fuel efficiency and high levels
Detonation: Detonation occurs during the combustion process when the burnt gas zone, which is
pressurising
and heating the unburned part of the cylinder charge ahead of the flame front, does so at a such
rate that the unburned fuel achieves its auto-ignition temperature before the arrival of the actual
flame front. The result is that the unburned charge volume ignites spontaneously over the entire
Pre-ignition: Another dangerous and damaging phenomenon of pre-mixed engine operation is the
pre-ignition
of the cylinder charge. This phenomenon results from the igniting of the cylinder charge through
contact with a high temperature surface prior to the desired ignition timing (i.e. at the time of pilot
fuel injection, or spark discharge in a spark ignited engine). Pre-ignition is particularly dangerous
since ignition can occur during the compression stroke, leading to excessive mechanical stress
and damages in the crank system, piston rings, bearings, etc., as well as increased thermal stress
and detrimental effects on cylinder lubrication due to very high in-cylinder gas temperatures.
3. Engine conversion: TecnoVeritas has performed engine conversions worldwide since 1999,
including a range of engine
makes, sizes, and different fuels including dual fuel and multi fuel using diesel oil, heavy fuel oil,
natural gas, producer gas, and hydrogen. A range of in-house developed technology solutions for
engine monitoring, control, and operational optimisation have been developed. The following
sections present a case study of two Wärtsilä 9L32 diesel engines converted to dual fuel operation
on heavy fuel oil and natural gas, and describe technological solutions chosen as well as
Q-Define and discuss critically the “EV” and“HEVs”. Discuss, how additives are
useful in enhancing engine performance ?
Electric vehicle: An electric vehicle, also called an EV, uses one or more electric motors or traction
motors for propulsion. An electric vehicle may be powered through a collector system by electricity from off-
vehicle sources, or may be self-contained with a battery, solar panels or an electric generator to convert fuel to
electricity.[1] EVs include, but are not limited to, road and rail vehicles, surface and underwater vessels, electric
aircraft and electric spacecraft.
EVs first came into existence in the mid-19th century, when electricity was among the preferred methods for
motor vehicle propulsion, providing a level of comfort and ease of operation that could not be achieved by the
gasoline cars of the time. Modern internal combustion engines have been the dominant propulsion method
for motor vehicles for almost 100 years, but electric power has remained commonplace in other vehicle types,
such as trains and smaller vehicles of all types.
In the 21st century, EVs saw a resurgence due to technological developments, and an increased focus
on renewable energy. Government incentives to increase adoptions were introduced, including in the United
States and the European Unio
hybrid electric vehicle: A hybrid electric vehicle (HEV) is a type of hybrid vehicle that combines a
conventional internal combustion engine (ICE) system with an electric propulsion system (hybrid vehicle
drivetrain). The presence of the electric powertrain is intended to achieve either better fuel economy than
a conventional vehicle or better performance. There is a variety of HEV types, and the degree to which each
functions as an electric vehicle (EV) also varies. The most common form of HEV is the hybrid electric car,
although hybrid electric trucks (pickups and tractors) and buses also exist.
Modern HEVs make use of efficiency-improving technologies such as regenerative brakes which convert the
vehicle's kinetic energy to electric energy to charge the battery. Some varieties of HEV use their internal
combustion engine to generate electricity by spinning an electrical generator to either recharge their batteries
or to directly power the electric drive motors; this combination is known as a motor–generator. Many
HEVs reduce idle emissions by shutting down the ICE at idle and restarting it when needed; this is known as
a start-stop system. A hybrid-electric produces less emissions from its ICE than a comparably sized gasoline
car, since an HEV's gasoline engine is usually smaller than a comparably sized, pure gasoline-burning, vehicle
and if not used to directly drive the car, can be geared to run at maximum efficiency, further improving fuel
economy. (Natural gas and propane fuels produce fewer emissions.)
“Keeping a diesel fuel system lubricated is critical to ensuring that friction and wear
within high-pressure components, such as the fuel pump, is kept at a minimum to
ensure longevity and efficient operation,” she says. “Our fuel additive solutions can be
tailored to address specific challenges associated with variable fuel quality and a variety
of engine configurations.”
Diesel fuel additives address a wide range of issues that can have profound effects on
vehicle performance, regardless of whether the vehicle is a light-duty pickup, a Class 8
truck or off-road equipment.
“In some cases additives are required for an engine to operate properly,” says Greg
Mathes, a product manager for Lubrizol, which offers a wide array of performance diesel
additives designed to meet and exceed diesel fuel specifications. “In other cases, the
additive provides extra benefits above and beyond that of normal unadditized diesel
fuel.”
Q- What are basic conversion systems forvehicles ? Explain any one of them in
detail with neat diagrams including safety aspects.
An electric vehicle conversion is the modification of a conventional internal combustion engine (ICE) driven
vehicle to battery electric propulsion, creating a battery electric vehicle. Much of the information in this article is
also applicable to the design and construction of electric vehicles from materials and components, as is
commonly done by hobbyists assembling kit cars with ICE engine
Electric Vehicle Conversion Index
1. Technologies
2. Powertrain
3. Battery disposition, security, and wiring
4. Auxiliary systems and control
5. Chassies, suspension, and running gear
6. High power electrical
7. Controls, interlocks, indicators, and alarms
8. Conversion of concrete vehicles
9. Resources
Unit body rust: Rust problems in a vehicle can be expensive and difficult to correct. Recent
vehicles have been substantially improved in their corrosion resistance, using zinc plated metal
and full dip priming. Older vehicles do not have this quality of build and may be subject to rust.
This is especially important in unit body construction, where thin sheet metal provides the
primary structure of the vehicle. This is another reason to convert a light truck - almost all are
built with a sturdy frame to which the battery load may be transferred.
Tires and wheels: A selection of wheel and tire combination must respect both the
weight and intended use of the vehicle and its expected loads. A low rolling resistance
is desirable, obtained usually by choosing an appropriate belted radial passenger car
tire. For light trucks this means using a tire intended for a rather heavy sedan, rather
than one designed for a light truck, assuming that the vehicle is intended to be used on
improved roads.
Suspension: The additional weight of the batteries will cause compression of the
springs which in most vehicles will change the suspension geometry. This will also
reduce the space available for suspension travel. Such compression might be rarely
encountered in an ICE vehicle as it corresponds to the maximum load. In an electric
vehicle this load will be present at all times, so the suspension travel and geometry
should be restored by various modifications.
Ground clearance: It may be desired to restore normal ground clearance, especially
important if the batteries are between the frame rails of a truck or similar vehicle. Under other
circumstances such as the creation of a sports electric vehicle a low ground clearance may be
desirable as it can reduce aerodynamic drag and reduce rollover tendencies. A low ground
clearance may also be considered as a styling element.
Spring rate and spring force: Spring force is the amount of force applied by the spring at
is normally loaded condition. If weight is added to the vehicle the springs will compress
until the necessary force is obtained or the suspension "bottoms out", by resting on the
"snubber pads" that prevent metal–to–metal contact at full travel.
Spring rate is the additional force applied by the spring for each unit measure of spring
compression. Additional spring rate is used to prevent excess compression of the
suspension due to road bumps and to reduce the tendency of the vehicle to lean in
turns
Shock absorber damping rate: When the spring rate is increased then the damping
rate applied by the shock absorbers should also be increased. If the suspension
modifications are by use of coil-over or air adjustable shocks then the appropriate
damping may be obtained by proper equipment selection. Some high end shock
absorbers allow the damping rate to be adjusted statically (by mechanical adjustments
on the shock absorber).
1.vegetable oils: Vegetable oils, or vegetable fats, are fats extracted from plants. Like
fats from other sources each is composed mostly of triglycerides.[1] Vegetable oil often
refers only to vegetable fats that are liquid at room temperature.[2][3] With exceptions
such as olive oiland palm oil, vegetable oils are extracted from seeds.
On food packaging, the term "vegetable oil" is often used in ingredients lists instead of
specifying the exact plant being used, especially when the oil used is less desirable to
the consumer or if a mix is used, such as palm, canola, soybean, and safflower oils,
(whereas coconut oil and olive oil may be perceived as more desirable).
2. Biodiesel: Biodiesel is an alternative fuel similar to conventional or ‘fossil’ diesel.
Biodiesel can be produced from straight vegetable oil, animal oil/fats, tallow and waste
cooking oil. The process used to convert these oils to Biodiesel is called
transesterification. This process is described in more detail below. The largest possible
source of suitable oil comes from oil crops such as rapeseed, palm or soybean. In the
UK rapeseed represents the greatest potential for biodiesel production. Most biodiesel
produced at present is produced from waste vegetable oil sourced from restaurants,
chip shops, industrial food producers such as Birdseye etc. Though oil straight from the
agricultural industry represents the greatest potential source it is not being produced
commercially simply because the raw oil is too expensive.
3.Di-methyle ether: DME and bioDME have a number of uses in products and are most
commonly used as a replacement for propane in liquid petroleum gas (LPG), but can also be
used as a replacement for diesel fuel in transportation. Diesel fuel contains more energy per
gallon than the gasoline that we use in most passenger cars, and where pure methanol would not
be able to power a diesel engine as effectively, DME can.
Today, DME is primarily produced by converting hydrocarbons via gasification to synthesis gas
(syngas). Synthesis gas is then converted into methanol in the presence of catalyst (usually
copper-based), with subsequent methanol dehydration in the presence of a different catalyst (for
example, silica-alumina) resulting in the production of DME.
Besides being able to be produced from a number of renewable and sustainable resources, DME
also holds advantage over traditional diesel fuel because of its high cetane number – which
measures the combustion quality of diesel fuel during compression ignition. By combusting
more thoroughly, an engine tailored to run on DME can achieve higher efficiencies, better
mileage and emissions reductions.
pyro oils: Pyrolysis oil, sometimes also known as biocrude or bio-oil, is a synthetic
fuel under investigation as substitute for petroleum. It is obtained by heating
dried biomass without oxygen in a reactor at a temperature of about 500 °C with
subsequent cooling. Pyrolytic oil (or bio-oil) is a kind of tar and normally contains levels
of oxygen too high to be considered a hydrocarbon. This high oxygen content results in
non-volatility, corrosiveness, immiscibity with fossil fuels, thermal instability, and a
tendency to polymerize when exposed to air.[1]As such, it is distinctly different from
petroleum products. Removing oxygen from biooil or nitrogen from algal biooil is called
upgrading.
compressed natural gas: methane stored at high pressure) is a fuel which can be
used in place of gasoline (petrol), Diesel fuel and propane/LPG. CNG combustion
produces fewer undesirable gases than the fuels mentioned above. It is safer than other
fuels in the event of a spill, because natural gas is lighter than air and disperses quickly
when released. CNG may be found above oil deposits, or may be collected from
landfills or wastewater treatment plants where it is known as biogas.
CNG is made by compressing natural gas (which is mainly composed of methane, CH4),
to less than 1 percent of the volume it occupies at standard atmospheric pressure. It is
stored and distributed in hard containers at a pressure of 20–25 MPa (2,900–3,600 psi),
usually in cylindrical or spherical shapes.
producer gas: Producer gas is fuel gas that is manufactured from material such as
coal, as opposed to natural gas. In this respect it is similar to other types of
"manufactured" gas, such as coal gas, coke oven gas, water gas and carburetted water
gas. Producer gas was used primarily as an industrial fuel for iron and steel
manufacturing, such as firing coke ovens and blast furnaces, cement and ceramic kilns,
or for mechanical power through gas engines. It was characteristically low in heating
value but cheap to make, so that large amounts could be made and burnt .
Solid Fuels
Solid-fuel heating remains a small but significant component of the heating mix in
Ireland. Government policy will play a part in incentivising switching to cleaner, less
carbon intensive heating fuels. Boosting fuel diversity is challenging and will require
intensive coordination between the energy, transport and environment sectors .
3.Coke: Coke is a fuel with few impurities and a high carbon content, usually made
from coal. It is the solid carbonaceous material derived from destructive distillation of
low-ash, low-sulfur bituminous coal. Cokes made from coal are grey, hard, and porous.
While coke can be formed naturally, the commonly used form is man-made. The form
known as petroleum coke, or pet coke, is derived from oil refinery coker units or other
cracking processes