Background Information:
A
bio-fuel is a renewable fuel, often derived from plants such as corn, algae,
soybeans, sugar, waste, and animal fats. Bio-fuels have been around since the start of the
20th century or more specifically, when Henry Ford's Model T's began to become
produced on a large scale.
They were fueled with ethanol and peanut oil, much like other early diesel
engines. As discoveries of
huge petroleum deposits kept on the rise, gasoline and diesel became cheap and
widely available, thus rendering bio-fuels forgotten. However in 1970, the Clean Air Act was issued
by the Environmental Protection Association. This resulted in a major shift in the government's
role in air pollution control.
The legislation authorized limitations on emissions from both stationary and
mobile sources. In addition, with the recent rise in oil
prices along with concern for the planet's atmosphere, bio-fuels have regained
their popularity.
Widely known fossil fuels such as gasoline and
diesel fuel are actually ancient bio-fuels. Because of the fact that they are made from
decomposed plants and animals that have been buried in the ground for millions
of years, they are classified as fossil fuels. Bio-fuels are similar in the way that they are made
from plants grown today.
Much of gasoline in the United States is blended with the bio-fuel known as
ethanol. Ethanol is the
similar to the alcohol found in wine and other alcoholic beverages, but is
different in the way that it is made from corn that is heavily processed. There are a plethora of ways
bio-fuels can be made, but they are generally made through the processes of
chemical reactions, fermentation, and exposure to extreme heat, resulting in
the breaking down of starches, sugars, and other molecules in plants. The leftover products are
then refined to produce a fuel that can be used by machines.
There
have been many studies proving the benefits of substituting fossil fuels such
as petroleum with bio-fuels just as biodiesel and ethanol. Because they are derived
from organic materials, bio-fuels are biodegradable and are naturally renewable. The world's reliance upon
fossil fuels will be significantly reduced, and therefore global warming as
well as carbon emissions will be slowed. However, with the pros of bio-fuels come the cons.
The
usage of bio-fuels is simple.
Cars do not need special equipment nor modifications in their engines. The biodiesel may be
combined with conventional petroleum diesel at any point in time. However despite these
benefits, it would take time for bio-fuels to be readily accessible due to the
lack of pumps at existing filling stations. Moreover, the increased need of growing crops to
meet the demand of wide scale bio-fuel production may lead to the usage of
forests, wild habitats, and agricultural lands. Although bio-fuels are a renewable source, the process of growing the crops, making fertilizers
and pesticides, and processing the plants into fuel consumes a lot of energy. The process consumes so much energy that there is debate about whether
ethanol from corn actually provides more energy than is required to grow and
process it. Also, because much of the energy used in production comes from coal and
natural gas, bio-fuels don't replace as much oil as they use. Despite its disadvantages, bio-fuels hold much potential to becoming
the future of gasoline fuel.
Purpose:
The objective of the research
facility I am currently working in is comprised of two parts. The first part of
the objective consists of collecting the furl gas from the combustion process
with minimum disturbance to the flame and analyzing the emissions. The second
part of the objective involves measuring temperature profiles for ethanol,
methanol, propanol, and chicken fat bio-fuel at different fuel to air ratios.
Hypothesis:
By being able to control the
combustion zone as well as the fuel to air ratios, the emissions of certain
gasses such as nitrogen oxide and carbon dioxide may be analyzed in a better
and more efficient way.
Materials:
·
Remotely controlled emissions
probe stand
- Ball and screw kit
-Stepper motors
-Rods and ball
bearings
·
Combustion chamber
-Combustor
-Exterior,
interior window frames
-
Combustor flange
·
Delivery system
-
Swagelok needle valve
-
Digital flow meter
·
Fuels
- Kerosene
-Bio-Diesel
-Ethanol
-Propanol
-Methanol
-Octane
-
Animal fat bio-fuel
·
Testo 350-S/ -XL Flue Gas
Analyzer
·
Syringe Fuel Pump
Procedure:
Confidential. My mentor has asked
me not to release any information upon the procedure until he receives
permission to do so.
Data/ Results:
Project has not concluded.
Above: Diagram of setup for the
analyzing of combustions.
Above: Difference between gasoline,
diesel, and HCCI engines.
Above: Difference in energy content
of different fuels.
