Replace Petroleum Fuels Research Articles

Higher heating value (HHV) of vegetable oils, fats and biodiesels evaluation based on their pure fatty acids' HHV

Higher heating value (HHV) is an important property of a fuel, especially for vegetable oils, fats and their derivatives which are intended to replace petroleum fuels. There are lots of methods to evaluate the HHV of a fuel. In this paper, the HHV of vegetable oils, fats and their derivatives (biodiesels) is calculated by using the HHV of their pure fatty acids/methyl esters. The study reveals that, to be in a good agreement with the experimental values, the HHV of the neat compounds must be determined with the highest accuracy. With an error inferior to 2% by comparison to the experimental values, this work shows that the HHV of pure fatty acids or that of methyl esters can be judiciously used to calculate the HHV of the biofuels which they are the components.

Deoiledjatropha seed cake is a useful nutrient for pullulan production

BackgroundEver increasing demand for fossil fuels is a major factor for rapid depletion of these non-renewable energy resources, which has enhanced the interest of finding out alternative sources of energy. In recent years jatropha seed oil has been used extensively for production of bio-diesel and has shown significant potential to replace petroleum fuels at least partially. De-oiled jatropha seed cake (DOJSC) which comprises of approximately 55 to 65% of the biomass is a byproduct of bio-diesel industry. DOJSC contains toxic components like phorbol esters which restricts its utilization as animal feed. Thus along with the enhancement of biodiesel production from jatropha, there is an associated problem of handling this toxic byproduct. Utilization of DOJSC as a feed stock for production of biochemicals may be an attractive solution to the problem.Pullulan is an industrially important polysaccharide with several potential applications in food, pharmaceuticals and cosmetic industries. However, the major bottleneck for commercial utilization of pullulan is its high cost. A cost effective process for pullulan production may be developed using DOJSC as sole nutrient source which will in turn also help in utilization of the byproduct of bio-diesel industry.ResultsIn the present study, DOJSC has been used as a nutrient for production of pullulan, in place of conventional nutrients like yeast extract and peptone. Process optimization was done in shake flasks, and under optimized conditions (8% DOJSC, 15% dextrose, 28°C temperature, 200 rpm, 5% inoculum, 6.0 pH) 83.98 g/L pullulan was obtained. The process was further validated in a 5 L laboratory scale fermenter.ConclusionThis is the first report of using DOJSC as nutrient for production of an exopolysaccharide. Successful use of DOJSC as nutrient will help in finding significant application of this toxic byproduct of biodiesel industry. This in turn also have a significant impact on cost reduction and may lead to development of a cost effective green technology for pullulan production.

Trading greenhouse gas emission benefits from biofuel use in US transportation: Challenges and opportunities

Replacing petroleum fuels with biofuels such as ethanol and biodiesel has been shown to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. These GHG benefits can potentially be traded in the fledgling carbon markets, and methodologies for quantifying and trading are still being developed. We review the main challenges in developing such carbon trading frameworks and outline a proposed framework for the US, the main features of which include, lifecycle assessment of GHG benefits, a combination of project-specific and standard performance measures, and assigning GHG property rights to biofuel producers. At carbon prices of 10 $ t−1, estimated monetary benefits from such trading can be 4.5 M$ hm−3 and 17 M$ hm−3 of corn ethanol and cellulosic ethanol respectively.

Future Fuels for Internal Combustion Engines

Today the world is facing three critical problems: (1) high fuel prices, (2) climatic changes, and (3) air pollution. Experts suggest that current oil and gas reserves would suffice to last only a few more decades. Biorenewable liquids are the main substitutes to petroleum-based gasoline and diesel fuel. These fuels are important because they replace petroleum fuels; however, some still include a small amount of petroleum in the mixture. There are four alternate fuels that can be relatively easily used in conventional diesel engines: vegetable oil, biodiesel, Fischer-Tropsch liquids, and dimethyl ether. The main alternate fuels include (m)ethanol, liquefied petroleum gas, compressed natural gas, hydrogen, and electricity for operating gasoline-type vehicles. Bioethanol is an alternate fuel that is produced almost entirely from food crops. The primary feedstock of this fuel is corn. Biohydrogen is an environmentally friendly alternative automotive fuel that can be used in an internal combustion engine.

Biodiesel production from microalgae Botryococcus braunii

Increasing energy needs cause diminishing energy resources. This encourages the searchfor renewable energy sources to anticipate scarcity. One of the new energy source is microalgae.Microalgae have a high variation of species and have a great potential to be developed as foodand other chemical products. Microalgae has been developed as a potential source of biodieselto replace petroleum fuels derived from foss ils. Of several microalgae s pecies studied,Botryococcus braunii produces the largest oil content, i.e. 75% dry weight. This paper describessteps of producing oil from B. brauniiwhich includes preparation of microalgae biomass,biomass harvesting, and extraction of oil. Oil content of B. braunii is composed mostly ofhydrocarbons (± 15–76% by dry weight), called botryococcene. This type of hydrocarbon ispotential as an energy source of biodiesel.

A comparison of corn-based ethanol with cellulosic ethanol as replacements for petroleum-based fuels: a review

This study reviewed the literature on corn and cellulosic ethanol for their potential to replace petroleum fuels. Metrics include: energy yield, cropland requirements, and pollution reduction. The key findings are that an agreement exists among the literature that corn production yields are insufficient to warrant large-scale production. The required cropland is far in excess of the available corn cropland. Furthermore, the use of corn for ethanol fuel will lead to continued increases in food prices worldwide. When these findings are considered along with the marginal improvement in CO2 emissions and other pollutants, it is apparent that corn ethanol is not viable for replacing petroleum fuels. In contrast, this study found that cellulosic ethanol, which can be grown on marginal cropland, provides a much greater energy yield and a significantly greater pollution reduction. In summary, cellulosic ethanol could provide one alternative to petroleum fuels and is deserving of large-scale test experimentation to conclusively demonstrate viability.

Combustion Efficiency Impacts of Biofuels

The term biofuel is referred to as liquid fuels for the transport sector that are predominantly produced from biomass. Biofuels are important because they replace petroleum fuels. There are many benefits for the environment, economy, and consumers in using biofuels. The advantages of biofuels such as biodiesel, vegetable oil, bioethanol, biomethanol, and biomass pyrolysis oil as engine fuel are liquid nature-portability, ready availability, renewability, higher combustion efficiency, lower sulfur and aromatic content, and biodegradability. The biggest difference between biofuels and petroleum feedstocks is oxygen content. Biofuels have oxygen levels from 10–45% while petroleum has essentially none making the chemical properties of biofuels very different from petroleum. Oxygenates are just pre-used hydrocarbons having structure that provide a reasonable antiknock value. Also, as they contain oxygen, fuel combustion is more efficient, reducing hydrocarbons in exhaust gases. The only disadvantage is that oxygenated fuel has less energy content.

Overview of fuel properties of biomass fast pyrolysis oils

Fast pyrolysis of biomass is one of the most promising technologies for converting biomass to liquid fuels. As a result, this technology has gained extensive attention in the last two decades. The pyrolysis liquids, known as the bio-oils, have been regarded as promising candidates to replace petroleum fuels to be used in various thermal devices. However, bio-oils are totally different from petroleum fuels. Therefore, the successful utilization of bio-oils in terms of liquid fuels requires adequate understanding of their fuel properties. This review concentrates on the detailed fuel properties of bio-oils and discusses how these properties affect the utilization of bio-oils.

Present and Future Transportation Fuels

The alternate fuels are substitute fuel sources to petroleum. These fuels are important because they replace petroleum fuels; however, some still include a small amount of petroleum in the mixture. Almost all motor vehicles today are powered by either diesel or gasoline. Both fuels are mainly derived from petroleum. Diesel fuel consists of hydrocarbons with between 9 and 27 carbon atoms in a chain as well as a smaller amount of sulfur, nitrogen, oxygen, and metal compounds. There are four alternate fuels that can be relatively easily used in conventional diesel engines: vegetable oil, biodiesel, Fischer-Tropsch (F-T), and dimethyl ether (DME). Gasoline is a blend of hydrocarbons with some contaminants, including sulfur, nitrogen, oxygen, and certain metals. The four major constituent groups of gasoline are olefins, aromatics, paraffins, and napthenes. The main alternate fuels include alcohol, liquefied petroleum gas, compressed natural gas, hydrogen, and electricity for operation of gasoline-type vehicles. Blended with petrol at 10%, bioethanol can be used in vehicles without the need to change fuel or engine specifications.

Global Bio-Fuel Processing and Production Trends

Bio-fuels are important because they replace petroleum fuels. The production of biofuel feedstocks from agricultural and forestry sources has been considered for many years, particularly just after the 1970's “energy crisis”. A number of environmental and economic benefits are claimed for biofuels. Worldwide interest reflect convergence of developed and developing country perspectives on the role bio-fuels can play in energy for sustainable development. The increase in bio-fuels utilization has also been accompanied over the past 3–4 years with policy decisions that encourage future growth of these fuels. The United States and several European Union member states already pursue successful bio-fuel policy. This work presents a review of the thermochemical and biochemical methods that could be used to produce bio-fuels and the production trends of the products in the world.

Importance of rural bioenergy for developing countries

Abstract Energy resources will play an important role in the world’s future. Rural bioenergy is still the predominant form of energy used by people in the less developed countries, and bioenergy from biomass accounts for about 15% of the world’s primary energy consumption and about 38% of the primary energy consumption in developing countries. Furthermore, bioenergy often accounts for more than 90% of the total rural energy supplies in some developing countries. Earth life in rural areas of the world has changed dramatically over time. Industrial development in developing countries, coming at a time of low cost plentiful oil supplies, has resulted in greater reliance on the source of rural bioenergy than is true in the developed countries. In developed countries, there is a growing trend towards employing modern technologies and efficient bioenergy conversion using a range of biofuels, which are becoming cost wise competitive with fossil fuels. Currently, much attention has been a major focus on renewable alternatives in the developing countries. Renewable energy can be particularly appropriate for developing countries. In rural areas, particularly in remote locations, transmission and distribution of energy generated from fossil fuels can be difficult and expensive. Producing renewable energy locally can offer a viable alternative. Renewable energy can facilitate economic and social development in communities but only if the projects are intelligently designed and carefully planned with local input and cooperation. Particularly in poor rural areas, the costs of renewable energy projects will absorb a significant part of participants’ small incomes. Bio-fuels are important because they replace petroleum fuels. Biomass and biofuels can be used as a substitute for fossil fuels to generate heat, power and/or chemicals. Generally speaking, biofuels are generally considered as offering many benefits, including sustainability, reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, regional development, social structure and agriculture and security of supply.

Recent advances on the production and utilization trends of bio-fuels: A global perspective

Bio-fuels are important because they replace petroleum fuels. There are many benefits for the environment, economy and consumers in using bio-fuels. Bio-oil can be used as a substitute for fossil fuels to generate heat, power and/or chemicals. Upgrading of bio-oil to a transportation fuel is technically feasible, but needs further development. Bio-fuels are made from biomass through thermochemical processes such as pyrolysis, gasification, liquefaction and supercritical fluid extraction or biochemical. Biochemical conversion of biomass is completed through alcoholic fermentation to produce liquid fuels and anaerobic digestion or fermentation, resulting in biogas. In wood derived pyrolysis oil, specific oxygenated compounds are present in relatively large amounts. Basically, the recovery of pure compounds from the complex bio-oil is technically feasible but probably economically unattractive because of the high costs for recovery of the chemical and its low concentration in the oil.

Current Alternative Engine Fuels

In this study, methyl and ethyl alcohols, hydrogen, biodiesel, boron, natural gas, liquefied petroleum gas, p-series, electricity, and solar fuels were concluded as alternative engine fuels. Alternative engine fuels are competitive fuels to petroleum. These fuels are important because they replace petroleum fuels. There are many benefits the environment, economy and consumers in using alternative fuels.

Current Advances in Alternative Motor Fuels

The most popular alternative motor fuels are bioethanol, biodiesel, hydrogen and boron. There are also interests in methyl and ethyl alcohols, natural gas, liquefied petroleum gas, p-series, electricity, and solar fuels were concluded as alternative engine fuels. Alternative engine fuels are fuels competitive to petroleum. These fuels are important because they replace petroleum fuels. There are many benefits the environment, economy and consumers in using alternative fuels. There are also dependencies on production and lifting costs but these are not considered in detail here.

A technology for reduction of CO 2 emissions from the transportation sector

By sequestering byproduct carbon and replacing petroleum fuels with biomass-derived methanol, the Hydrocarb process can nullify the net effect of CO 2 emissions from motor vehicles. This paper gives a preliminary assessment of the process which indicates that substantially more fuel energy could be produced--and at lower cost--than other current options for mitigating CO 2 from mobile sources. The incremental cost of eliminating net CO 2 emissions is estimated at $0.05 per gallon (3.78 liters) of gasoline displaced by methanol. About 80 percent reduction should be achievable at no incremental cost.