Potential Alternative Fuels Research Articles

Biodiesel Fuel Production from Vegetable Oils via Supercritical Ethanol Transesterification

This paper reviews the production and characterization of biodiesel fuel from vegetable oils as well as the experimental work carried out via supercritical ethanol transesterification. Biodiesel, which can be used as an alternative diesel fuel, is made from renewable biological sources such as vegetable oil and animal fats. More than 100 years ago, a brilliant inventor named Rudolph Diesel designed the original diesel engine to run on vegetable oil. There are more than 350 oil-bearing crops identified, among which only sunflower, safflower, soybean, cottonseed, rapeseed, and peanut oils are considered as potential alternative fuels for diesel engines. The major problem associated with the use of pure vegetable oils as fuels for diesel engines are caused by high fuel viscosity in compression ignition. Dilution, micro-emulsification, pyrolysis, and transesterification are the four techniques applied to solve the problems encountered with the high fuel viscosity. Dilution of oils with solvents and microemulsions of vegetable oils lowers the viscosity, and some engine performance problems still exist. The purpose of the transesterification process is to lower the viscosity of the oil. The transesterfication of triglycerides by methanol, ethanol, propanol, and butanol has proved to be the most promising process.

Transport energy in Australia Policy problems, issues and alternatives

The thesis held by the Australian government that the projected shortfall in indigenous crude oil supply can be met by enhanced exploration and/or demand conservation is appraised in the light of current economic incentives for exploration and the motorist's sentiment towards demand conservation. The paper establishes that the thesis is false, and that Australia is faced with a massive transport fuel import bill unless it finds alternative energy forms. The paper identifies potential alternative transport fuels that could be made available from indigenous energy resources. Whatever alternative fuel is to be used, it would need to conform to a variety of economic, social are environmental criteria before it would be accepted. The paper raises a set of general criteria with which to appraise various alternative transport fuels. Given that the use of petroleum products is environmentally degrading, the various alternative transport fuels are primarily assessed on environmental criteria. The paper finds that on environmental criteria only ethanol and natural gas have merit as suitable alternative fuels; however, with the addition of social and economic criteria it is natural gas which could provide a solution to the problem of the projected indigenous crude oil shortfall. Such a solution may, in fact, enhance the quality of life for Australians, especially those living in urban areas with deteriorating air quality.

The Use of Ion Chromatography in the Evaluation of Densified Refuse-Derived Fuel as a Potential Alternative Fuel

Turning waste to energy has become an attractive alternative to landfills for the treatment of municipal solid waste. One concern in this process is the release of pollutants during combustion. The binder-enhanced densified refuse-derived fuel (dRDF) pellets can satisfy the requirements of environmental acceptance, chemical and biological stability, and long-term storage. The acid gas emissions from combusting high-sulfur coal decrease when dRDF pellets are added, as analyzed by ion chromatography. The results imply the possibility of substituting dRDF pellets for sulfurrich coal as a fuel and substantiate the effectiveness of the binder, Ca(OH)2, for decreasing the emissions of SOx.

Future fuels for generating sets

A combination of the need to conserve world oil reserves and the availability of potential alternative fuels in certain areas of the world has led a leading dieselengine manufacturer into an extensive research programme aimed at modifying its engines