ALTERNATIVE FUELS:

A COMPARATIVE STUDY

Atienza, Wilson T
Castillo, Mary
Grace D.
Recio, Celine Joy P.
ChE 2102
 ABSTRACT
The global demand for energy is projected to rise due to
increasing urbanization, better living standards and population
growth. At a time when society is becoming increasingly aware
of the declining reserves of fossil fuels beside the environmental
concerns, it has become apparent that alternative fuels are
destined to make a substantial contribution to the future energy
demands of the domestic and industrial economies.
 INTRODUCTIO
N
In the present time, most of the Filipinos
owned at least one vehicle that is used for
transportation. Vehicles are also frequently
used in public transportation such as
jeepneys, vans, and busses. From early
2000’s up until now, there is an increase in
the production of vehicle in every city. The
increasing number of vehicles led to the
increasing usage of non-renewable
resources that are used for engines of those
vehicles. 
 INTRODUCTIO
N
The fluctuations of the fuel price and the
vulnerability of crude oil sources have increased
the interest of aviation industry in alternate energy
sources. Most alternative fuels have great potential
to decrease the amount of carbon dioxide released
into the atmosphere. The effect that a fuel has on
carbon emissions depends on several factors,
including the way it burns, the material from which
it is manufactured, and the amount of fuel it takes
to produce or refine it.
Fuels

Fuel is a substance that is burned to

provide nuclear energy, heat or power.
Materials like coal, wood, oil, or gas
can provide heat when burned. The
energy released is generally in the
form of chemical energy or heat
energy. This heat energy that fuels
release is used for various purposes
such as cooking, in heaters, for many
industrial and manufacturing purposes.
Characteristics of Conventional Fuels

The composition and

properties of gasoline, Can be vary in color: Diesel fuel is a
petrol is a chemical, from fairly clear to mixture of
derived from crude oil, dark brown or black.
for use in spark-ignition hydrocarbons— with
Heavier oils are often
internal combustion boiling points
the darkest in color.
engines. Conventional
This comprises between 150 and 380
gasoline is primarily a
blended mixture of more different types of ° C that are made
than 200 different hydrocarbons, and from petroleum.
hydrocarbon liquids, natural gas is often There are three
ranging from those found to be greatly major classes of
containing 4 carbon dissolved in the water.
atoms to those hydrocarbons in
It is composed of a petroleum crude oils:
containing 11 or 12
mixture of different
carbon atoms. It has an paraffinic,
initial boiling point at hydrocarbons and
atmospheric pressure of may have different naphthenic and
approximately 35 ° C (95 chemical and physical aromatic
° F) and a final boiling properties, depending hydrocarbons.
Characteristics of Alternative Fuels
BIODIESEL
Come from different sources,
such as vegetable oil and
animal fat, have become
common over the last few
years.
Consequently,biofuels,
like biodiesel, are considered
to be more environmentally
friendly than petrodiesel. Only
the NOx emission from the
combustion of biodiesel has
been confirmed to be greater
than that of petro-diesel
BIOETHANOL OR Compressed
HYDROGEN
Natural Gas
Basically a mixture of
Bioethanol is a
methane gas that has been
renewable biofuel that is
compressed to high
also oxygenated (35%
pressure. CNG is typically
oxygen), thus providing
stored in high-pressure
the potential to reduce
cylinders of varying form
automobile emissions.
and size. Many common
Bioethanol can be used
cylinders are made of
directly in vehicles and
steel, while high-pressure
behaves in a manner
type are made of
similar to conventional
lightweight materials such
fuels.
as composites and
Bioethanol suffers from
aluminium
another drawback in that
The use of CNG as a car
it can degrade certain
fuel was discovered back
elastomers and corrode
in Italy in the early 1930s,
certain metals inside the
but the first retro that had
car, which means that
undergone some
continuous replacement
Comparison of Alternative Fuels
Pollutant Emissions of Alternative Fuels
• The pollutant emissions given in g/km
(CO, SO2, NOx, CO2) which arise from
the combustion of each fuel are shown in
the following graphs below.

• Based on the data shown in figure 1, it

resulted that the CO emissions during
bioethanol (E85) is at the highest point
with 0.84 g/km while the lowest CO
emissions occur during CNG
(0.0225g/km) combustion. The
combustion of biodiesel Fig. 2 SO2 emissions by individual kinds of fuel; source: researc
produces
0.27g/km and LPG, which gains the
second to the highest CO emissions,
produces 0.41 g/km
• The comparison of the sulfur
dioxide (SO2) emissions during
combustion was shown in figure 2.
Bioethanol (E85) combustion is at
peak with 0.078 g/km. Biodiesel,
CNG and LPG emissions are
negligible

Fig. 2 SO2 emissions by individual kinds of fuel; source: researche

• Figure 3 shows the amount of
nitrogen oxide emissions during
combustion. CNG combustion 0.4
produced the highest amount of 0.3
E85
pollutants with 0.303 g/km. In the
Biodiesel
combustion of bioethanol (E85) 0.2
CNG
(0.073 g/km) and biodiesel (0.079 0.1
LPG
g/km), there is a comparable
0
amount of emissions produced. Emissions (g/ km)
LPG combustion produced the
lowest amount of nitrogen oxide Fig. 3 NO emissions by individual kinds of fuel;
x
pollutants.
source: researchers
 
• The comparison of carbon 300
dioxide (CO2) emissions during 250
combustion was shown in figure 200 E85
4. Bioethanol (E85) combustion 150 Biodiesel
produced the highest point of 100 CNG
CO2 emission with 251.1 g/km 50 LPG
0
followed by LPG with 211 g/km. Emissions (g/ km)
The Carbon dioxide emission of
CNG drops at 99.75 g/km. The Fig. 4 CO2 emissions by individual kinds
combustion of biodiesel
produced the lowest amount of of fuel; source: researchers
emitted carbon dioxide with  
0.039 g/km. Biodiesel is the
most environmentally friendly
in terms of CO2 emissions
 Energy Efficiency

• Figure 5 shows the energy 60

efficiency of each fuel. From 50
the four chosen fuels, the 40 E85
30
highest calorific value is for 20
Biodiesel
CNG with 55 MJ/kg while 10 CNG
lowest calorific value is for 0 LPG
bioethanol (E85) with 28.60 Energy Efficiency
(MJ/ kg)
MJ/kg. Biodiesel and LPG
are about on the same level
of calorific value. Fig. 5 Energy efficiency by individual kinds of
fuel; source: researchers
 
 Conclusion
CONCLUSION
Based on the data in the comparison of individual fuels, it is concluded
that for the users, those that do not require retrofitting of storage
(bioethanol and biodiesel) are more preferable. From this point of
view, ethanol (bioethanol) combustion is the most preferable one. The
only investment required is the mounting of the unit for the
combustion of the mixture. As for the fuel consumption, LPG is the
most economical one due the lowest price of this fuel in comparison
with other fuels.
THANK YOU