AUTOMOTIVE

TOPIC: ALTERNATIVE FUELS

SHARATH.A.N VEDHAMURTHY.H.K
5th semester, 5th semester,
Mechanical branch Mechanical branch.
.Sharath.mce@rediffmail.com suni_hk85@yahoo.co.in

MALNAD COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING ,HASSAN

Fuels play vital role in our daily life, nowadays human beings
are dependent more on exhaustible fuels such as petroleum products like
diesel, kerosene, petrol… Etc.
These fuels may be completely exhaustible in future; millions of
years are required for the formation of these fossil fuels, so to meet our
demands we have to depend on alternative fuels which are Eco friendly,
easily available, and renewable as far as possible.

The following are the alternative fuels

1) Bio-diesel
2) Ethanol
3) Wood pellets
4) Electricity
5) Propane [liquefied petroleum gas]
6) Fuel cells…Etc

There are many alternative fuels, which are renewable, but all of them cannot
be used to meet the demands, because of difficulties in maintenance,
availability, and economy….

The following are the alternative for the exhausting fuels,

1) LPG
2) BIO DIESEL
3) WOOD PELLETES
4) ELECTRICTY
the above alternative fuels are suitable for countries, which consists mainly
rural areas, because of ease of availability, low cost of production.
LIQUIFIED PETROLEUM GAS

AVALIBILITY:
LPG is made of a mixture of propane and other similar type of
hydrocarbon gases, most LPG in US comes from natural gas well head
processing. LPG is gas in atmospheric condition but it can be stored and
packed easily, LPG is clean, high octane numbered and abundantly available
alternative fuel.

APPLICATIONS:
89% OF LPG is used for domestic purposes (cooking purpose),
8% is used by industry. Usage of LPG is made legal in automobiles by
government on APRIL 24 2000. Nowadays LPG is used to run cars, 3
wheelers etc.

ADVANTAGES
BURNING of petrol, diesel and other fuels liberate sulphur
oxides, but LPG on burning does not liberate sulphur oxides in turn it does
not cause acid Rain, thus damages on old Monuments can be prevented.
LPG ensures clean burning until last drop is consumed,
therefore compared to petrol and diesel engine vehicles, power output
increases by 20% [because of carburetors].
Since LPG ensures clean burning the percentage of carbon di-
oxide liberated after combustion is 10% reduced compared to other fuels.
Thus it in turn helps in keeping global temperature less.
 Infrastructure to build LPG station is less because it does not
require expensive pipeline network for its distribution, it can be condensed,
packed and stored easily.
The main advantage is storing of LPG, the LPG when converted
to gas it expands 250 times, and such a large amount of energy is liberated.

*Engine vibration and noise level is less compared to other fuels.

It takes 1/3 times of volume of other fuels.
A survey has made on LPG and other fuels, its results is as follows

fuel price driving distance fuel cost/km

Petrol 28.6rs/lt 15km/lt 191 paisa
Diesel 16.6 11km/lt 151 paisa
LPG 22.73 25km/kg 91 paisa
No fuel is 100% efficient, it also has disadvantages but
compared to petroleum products such as petrol, diesel and other fuels it is
good option. LPG is suitable for cars, three wheelers and it is also Eco
friendly compared to other fuel, thus LPG is a good alternative fuel.

Bio-Diesel

Availability:
It is obtained from organic vegetable oils, although animal fats
can be included in recipe, the process of manufacturing bio-diesel is called
transesterification.

APPLICATIONS:
In this vegetable oil is mixed with diesel to reduce the pollution
and to obtain desirable properties hence the name bio-diesel.
This can be used to run automobiles such as cars, trucks, buses etc.
ADVANTAGES
*TO use bio-diesel no adjustments are required in any diesel motor vehicle
i.e., no extra modifications are required.

*The main use of bio-diesel is that it reduces the emission of carbon-

monoxide by 47%, when mixed with diesel in proper amount; thereby a
considerable reduction in highly toxic gas emission can be achieved.

*The burning of bio-diesel will not emit sulphur oxides, thus environmental
disorder ness can be prevented to greater extent.[damages on old
monuments can be prevented ]

*It is completely biodegradable, non carcinogenic, non allergic, since it is

manufactured from vegetable oils it will not cost much compared to other
fuels

*A survey made by Environmental Protection Agency [EPA], USA. The

following results are obtained by burning of 1 tonne of bio-diesel it saves 3
tonne of carbon dioxide liberation as compared to other fuels.
It also has some disadvantages, like usage of heavy [thick]
vegetable oil can cause fuel system failure. Therefore it is mixed with diesel
to overcome this disadvantage.
Carbon is built up on injector, but it is a suitable alternative fuel
for our country where dependency on diesel is more to run vehicles like
trucks cars, buses etc.

WOOD PELLETS
This is a renewable energy source; it is manufactured from
waste products such as sawdust of saw mills, scrap lumber and from furniture
plants. The pellets are manufactured under pressure, in to different shapes
and sizes.
APPLICATIONS AND ADVANTAGES:
Pellets manufactured from waste products are mainly used to
heat the homes.

*Pellets produces very little ash due to its high combustion ratio to residue,
there are special stoves designed to ensure clean burning of pellets.
*The carbon dioxide emitted after burning of pellets is less compared to other
fuels. Thus a global warming can be prevented, 95% of the pellets
manufactured is graded as premium.
*The premium wood pellets of 40Lb bag leaves 1 ounce of ash,
Pellets stoves are specially built in heat shields, which allow them to be
placed near to wall, and glass window is provided, which allows viewing fire.
Thus usage of pellets as an alternative fuel is best suited for our country
because pellets are manufactured from waste materials which are renewable
energy resources; therefore sustainable wood energy is produced; now
pellets are also manufactured from paper, cardboard and other waste
materials

More buyers are choosing over wood and coal stoves because
pellets are cleaner to handle and fuel doesn’t have to be added often. Pellets
are also more efficient and emit less air pollution than any other solid fuel,
they are considered as “Carbon neutral “, because fuel comes from trees,
which absorbs carbon dioxide as they grow, however they emit more air
borne particles then other. They can be vented directly outside without a
chimney.

Boilers are designed to burn hulled corn and pellets; it is

popular fuel in Midwest. Grass pellets are also used, they can be produced
locally, locally processed, low technology usage, small scale, while having
positive impact on rural communities grass pellets emits 90% less green
house gas then oil, coal and natural gas. Grass pellets could be easily
produced by farmers and burned in modified stoves built to burn wood pellets
or corn, burning grass pellets makes sense: after all it takes 70 days to grow
a crop of grass for pellets, but it takes 70 million years to make fossil fuels.
If the stoves are properly maintained and cleaned regularly then the stoves
last for many years and there is no risk of chimney blocking.
 Fig : Pellet stove to ensure
clean burning

Fig: Boiler

ELECTRICITY
Electricity is produced from power plants located throughout the
country transmitted to substations through high voltage transition systems,
Stepped down to lower voltages and carried to homes and business area
through distribution system.

The electricity is good alternative fuel because of its availability

and application. Electricity fueling cost for electric vehicles varies from place
to place, it also depends on time of use, type of generation of electricity,
availability etc. However electricity can be generated from hydro energy, solar
energy, wind energy etc.

APPLICATIONS:
 Electricity is daily required in homes, industries, in business
areas but now electricity has its wider application in automobiles as
alternative fuel.
Electric vehicles [EVs] such as electric train, buses, cars, three
wheelers run using electric power stored in batteries.

ADVANTAGES:
Electricity is available easily, the electric vehicles running using
electricity do not liberate toxic gases such as carbon monoxide, carbon
dioxide, sulphur oxides, and hence it is an Eco friendly.

*The cost to charge electric vehicles is less than the price of charging other
fuel vehicles.

*They are suitable for low speed, quite zero emission and can travel about
40Kmph.

*They do not require more service because they do not require oil for
lubrication and it possesses less moving parts, the batteries used long last for
3 to 6 years hence replacement of batteries is not a major problem.

*It does not require water pumps, radiators, fuel injectors, oil changing.

*The charging of batteries is easy because 95% of the electricity to charge

batteries can be used from domestic resources and from charging stations.

*It is safer because batteries are sealed, high voltage circuits are marked,
colour codes and pasted with warning.

Generally the cost of electricity is less compared to cost of

gasoline and other fuel to run a kilometer distance, initial cost of electric
vehicle is ranging from $15000 to $40000. Thus we have to depend more on
alternative fuels rather than non renewable, exhausting fuels.
 Fig: A low speed Electric vehicle

Fig: Application of electricity in buses and cars

Our government is providing incentives to vehicles running

using alternate fuels, these fuels helps us to reduce global warming, and to
maintain good environmental conditions. The alternative fuels such as wood
pellets are suitable for urban areas because of its easy availability, cost, and
maintenance. The fuels such as LPG, electricity is suitable for cars, buses,
trains . . . etc.

REFERENCES:
* ALTERNATIVE FUELS AND ENVIRONMENT
by FRANCIS
* HYBRID VEHICLES
by MICHLE