Seminar Report on…

By,
Bhavsar Sachin S.(T.E.Mech)
Bakshe Nilesh P. (T.E.Mech)

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

Post: Shingnapur Tal.: Kpargaon
Dist. Ahmednagar 423 603

Email: sachinsbhavsar1@rediffmail.com
nileshpbakshe132@rediffmail.com
 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.

5.1 Increase thermal and overall efficiency if engine.

5.2 Less pollution.

5.3 Cheaper fuel.

5.4 Ethanol is farm product and hence easily available.

5.5 Ethanol is renewable source of fuel and hence no chance of energy

crises.

6 This seminar has three parts:

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

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

6.3 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).

6.4 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.

250

Volume of oil
200 discovered worldwide
every 5 years
150

100

50

0
1940 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010

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.
 1. 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.
 2. 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 Gasoline Ethanol
consumption 2000- (in million liters) (in million liters)
01 (in million liters) 15% 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.
 3. FUEL GRADE ETHANOL: PRODUCTION, SPECIFICATIONS
AND ECONOMICS PERSPECTIVES:

7 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 Content

Mass basis Volume basis
Water content, max. Mass % 1.25% w/w 1.0% v/v
Non volatile matter, max. mg/100ml 5 5
Chloride iron content (max.) PPM 40 32
Copper content, max. PPM 0.1 0.08
Acidity (as acetic acid, 0.007% w/w 56 PPM by volume.
CH3COOH), max.
Appearance Visibly free of suspended or precipitated
contaminant(clear & bright)
 Table 3. Specification of absolute alcohol as IS: 321-1964

Component Unit Content

Sp. Gravity at 15.6 0C, max. 0.796
Ethanol content at 15.6 0C, % volume 99.5
min.
Miscibility with water Miscible
Alkalinity Nil
Acidity % w/w 0.006
Residue on evaporation, % w/w 0.005
max.
Aldehyde content, max G/100 ml. 0.1
Copper (as Cu), max. G/100 ml.
Lead (max) G/100 ml.
Methyl alcohol content To satisfy the requirements
of test
Fuel oil ppm To satisfy the requirements
of test
Ketones, isopropyl, tertiary ppm To satisfy the requirements
butyl of test

 COST OF PRODUCTION

Table 4. The variable cost of production of absolute alcohol

Manufactured from rectified spirit or industrial alcohol

Utility Consumption per Unit rate (Rs.) Amount (Rs.)

1000 liters of AA
Rectified spirit 1067 liters 10.00 10670.00
Steam 1.8 MT 600.00 1080.00
Power 60 kWh 4.00 240.00
Cyclohexane 1.80 kg 85.00 153.00
Cooling water 4.0 Cu. M 4.00 16.00
Miscellaneous 100.00
TOTAL 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 GASOLINE

Chemical formula C 2 H 5 OH C 4 -C 1 2
Molecular wt. 46.07 113
Carbon 52.2 85-88
Hydrogen 13.1 12-15
Oxygen 34.7 nil

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

Ignition limits A/F (by wt.) 3.57 to 18 6 – 29
Flammability limit, (volume %
Lower
Higher 4.3 1.4
19 7.6
Octane no.
Research 108 91
Motor 92 82
(R + M)/2 100 87
Self ignition temp. ( 0 C) 420 300 – 450

Lower calorific value (Kcal/kg) 6400 10500

Latent heat of vaporization 204.0 70 – 100

(Kcal/kg)
Sp. Heat of liquid (Btu/lb. 0 F) 0.57 0.48

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

Raid vapor pressure at 38 0 C 0.17 0.88
(Bar)
Water solubility @ 70 0 F
Fuel in water, volume% 100 Negligible
Water in fuel , volume% 100 Negligible
Freezing pt., ( 0 C) -114 -40
Flash pt., ( 0 C) 12.8 -42.8
Sp. Gravity at 15 0 C 0.796 0.72 – 0.78
Viscosity at 15 0 C (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 Carburetor Increase the sizes of fuel jet
also required low A/F ratio

Cold starting 1 Carburetor 1. made arrangement to

Below 780 C, ethanol supply gasoline for few
will not vaporize second in cold starting.
sufficiently to form a
combustible mixture . 2 Carburetor intake 2. provide plug heater to
manifold heat intake air.

Ignition timing Distributor housing By turning Distributor

Since alcohol has high housing ignition timing
octane rating, the proper should be advanced
time for the ethanol engine
is to be advanced from
optimum gasoline setting.

Compression ratio Engine Increase the compression

Ethanol has high octane ratio
rating so compression ratio
should be high.

Fuel vaporization and Intake and exhaust Both manifold should be on

engine warm-up.
Ethanol requires about five
times as much heat to
vaporize the proper fuel –
air mixture as gasoline.
manifold 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

FFV Gasoline

8
7
Cents per mile

6
5
4
3
2
1
0
Fuel cost Maintanance cost Total cost

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.