China
Africa
Explore chapters and articles related to this topic
Green Six Sigma and Green Transports
Published in Ron Basu, The Green Six Sigma Handbook, 2023
As indicated earlier, another method of moving towards meeting the net zero emissions target is the use of alternative biofuels. There are traces of carbon in alternative fuels, but it is argued that these fuels use carbons that are already present in the atmosphere. The common form of alternative biofuel is ethanol. Ethanol fuel is actually ethyl alcohol made from sugar cane, corn or beet sugar. Fiat was the first car company to introduce a passenger car running only on ethanol in Brazil in 1978. However, ethanol poses a few problems. First it is less efficient than gasoline. Ethanol needs 1.5 times the volume of gasoline to produce the same energy. Therefore, the cost per litre for both petrol and ethanol fuel is in the same range although it varies from one country to another. However, the major challenge is that the amount of land needed to grow sugar cane or corn to produce a sufficient quantity of biofuel is so vast that it could impact the biodiversity of our environment. In spite of these problems, scientists are optimistic about alternative fuels and are working on converting biomass, such as trees, and left-overs from other processes (e.g. paper making) into carbon-free fuels.
Common Sense Emergency Response
Published in Robert A. Burke, Common Sense Emergency Response, 2020
Ethanol fuel does have a few disadvantages; it has a lower energy density than gasoline, so a tank of ethanol fuel will not go as far as a tank of gasoline, and ethanol fuel can be more difficult to burn in very cold temperatures. Ethanol fuel is also used as an oxygenate additive to gasoline. In the past, the chemical MTBE was used for this purpose. MTBE is hazardous and very harmful to the environment. Ethanol fuel can provide the same function without the negative effects to the environment. Oxygenating gasoline boosts the octane quality, enhances combustion, and reduces carbon monoxide emissions. This practice sees more use during winter months than it does during the summer.
Renewable Energy
Published in Efstathios E. Michaelides, Energy, the Environment, and Sustainability, 2018
Biofuels are the liquid fuels derived from all forms of biomass including waste products. Of these, methanol (CH3OH, often called wood spirit) has been produced for centuries from the distillation of wood products, natural gas, and coal. Ethanol fuel (C2H5OH or alcohol) is produced primarily from the fermentation of sugar cane. A mixture of 10% ethanol and 90% gasoline by volume, denoted as E10, is the gasohol, which is used as a transportation fuel in several countries including the United States. The E10 mixture may be used in all spark-ignition engines without any modification to the internal combustion (IC) engines. A mixture containing 20% ethanol, the E20, has been introduced in several US states and countries, also without significant engine modification. Using a percentage of ethanol in the fuel mixture more than 25% requires modifications in the fuel supply system of the spark-ignition IC engines. A much richer in ethanol mixture, E85, is composed of 85% denatured12 ethanol. This fuel has been used in Brazil since the 1990s and was introduced in the EU, primarily in Sweden. Only cars and trucks fitted with the so-called flex-fueled engines may use the E85 fuel. Because the LHV of ethanol is 60% of the LHV of gasoline, the addition of ethanol in gasoline reduces the LHV (specific energy) of the fuel mixture. Cars running on a gasoline–ethanol mixture have lower mileage than similar cars running on pure gasoline. Figure 6.23 depicts the LHV of several common biofuels as well as common liquid fossil fuels used in the transportation sector. The lower LHV of ethanol and its mixtures is apparent in this figure. Because the fuels E10, E20, and E85 have 10%, 20%, and 85% ethanol, respectively, the LHV of these fuels is proportionately lower than that of gasoline.
Experimental study on the effects of ethanol blends on the combustion process, power performance and emission reduction of a motorcycle spark-ignition engine
Published in International Journal of Ambient Energy, 2022
Chang Sik Lee, Tuyen Pham Huu, Tuan Le Anh, Tuan Pham Minh, Luong Nguyen The, Tien Nguyen Duy, Khanh Nguyen Duc
Ethanol fuel is a relatively low-cost alternative fuel that emits fewer pollutants and has more availability than fossil gasoline. Overall, ethanol and ethanol blends are considered better for the environment than conventional gasoline. Automotive vehicles using ethanol and its blends discharge less carbon dioxide emissions and reduce hydrocarbon and nitrogen oxides emissions (Mourad and Mahmoud 2019; Nakata et al. 2006; Sakthivel, Subramanian, and Mathai 2018; İlhak et al. 2020; Alleman, McCormick, and Yanowitz 2015). Higher fraction ethanol blends, such as ethanol and E85, a blend of 85% ethanol and 15% gasoline, have fewer volatile components than conventional gasoline. Adding ethanol to gasoline, even in low percentages, such as E10 (10% ethanol and 90% gasoline), reduces emission levels compared with pure gasoline because of the higher oxygen content and heat of vaporisation of ethanol (Andersen et al. 2010; Stein, Anderson, and Wallington 2013). Therefore, the investigation and analysis of the evaporating characteristics of ethanol fuel are critical to emission reduction from an engine. Sharma and Agarwal (2017) investigated the effect of fuel injection pressures on particulate emissions from an alcohol gasoline mixture (gasohol) fuelled gasoline direct injection engine (GDI). The fuel injection pressure of alcohol blended fuel played a vital role in the fuel–air mixture preparation, HC, CO, NOx, and particulate emissions from a GDI engine. Additionally, they compared injection strategies for emission reduction and combustion performance of ethanol-blended fuel in a GDI engine. Similarly, Duan investigated the influence of injection strategy on the thermodynamic process and performance of a turbocharged CDI SI engine fuelled with ethanol and gasoline blend (Duan et al. 2018; Duan et al. 2020). Many studies of ethanol combustion in a conventional engine have been investigated in ethanol blends properties, combustion characteristics, engine performance, and emissions from the vehicles and engines (Balki, Sayin, and Canakci 2014; Dillon and Penoncello 2004; Persad and Ward 2010; Anderson et al. 2012; Balki and Sayin 2014). Some studies on ethanol usage in advanced combustion engines as homogeneous charge compression ignition (HCCI), reactivity controlled compression ignition (RCCI) were summarised in the research of Duan et al. (2021a). While other studies use novel methods such as stepwise weight assessment ratio analysis (SWARA), additive ratio assessment (ARAS), or Taguchi method to optimise the operating parameters of SI engine fuelled with gasoline and ethanol (Balki, Sayin, and Sarıkaya 2016; Balki et al. 2020) However, the evaluation of ethanol utilisation's practical use and feasibility in motorcycle engines has not been as widespread as research conducted for passenger vehicles.