G.CHAMAN

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ABSTRACT:-Global vehicle population has undergone profound growth over the past few decades. This upsurge in vehicle population has payed the foundation for several economical and environmental concerns. These predicaments have in turn compelled governments to impose regulations on emission levels and seek alternative fuel options. This led to the efforts to commercialize alternative fuels on a mass scale, though they have been in use since long. Today, charging up the demand for alternative fuels is the increasing concern for the environment, public health, national self-dependence for energy needs, and the non-sustainability of fossil fuels.
INTRODUCTION:-
ALTERNATE FUELS:- Alternative fuel, also known as non-conventional fuels, is any material or substance that can be used as a fuel, other than fossil fuels, or conventional fuels like petroleum (oil), coal, propane, hydrogen, and natural gas. The term "alternative fuels" usually refers to a source of which energy is renewable. Some well known alternative fuels include biodiesel, bioalcohol (methanol, ethanol, and butanol), chemically stored electricity (batteries and fuel cells), hydrogen, non-fossil methane, natural gas, vegetable oil and other biomass sources. You probably know that plant oil byproducts are nutritious and healthy. But did you know they can power a car? Find out how plant oils, as well as animal fats, are used to create the environmentally friendly fuel -- biodiesel. Now let us discuss how BIODIESEL works as alternative fuel.
BIODIESEL: - Biodiesel refers to a vegetable oil (or) animal fat based diesel fuel consisting long-chain of alkyl (methyl, ethyl) esters. Biodiesel is typically made by chemically reacting lipids (e.g., vegetable oil, animal fat) with an alcohol; this process is known as Transesterification Biodiesel is simple to use, biodegradable, nontoxic, and essentially free of sulfur and aromatics.
HISTORY: - Preparation of biodiesel from vegetable oil was conducted in the year 1853 by scientists E. Duffy and J. Patrick. But for the first time in 1893 on august 10th Rudolf Diesel ran his prime modal on its own power which is made by peanut oil. In remembrance of this event, August 10 has been declared "International Biodiesel Day". In a speech(in 1912) Diesel said, "the use of vegetable oils for engine fuels may seem insignificant today but such oils may become, in the course of time, as important as petroleum and the coal-tar products of the present time." Despite the widespread use of fossil petroleum-derived diesel fuels, interest in vegetable oils as fuels for internal combustion engines was reported in several countries during the 1920s and 1930s and later during World War II, many countries had tested and used vegetable oils as diesel fuels during this time. Research into the use of sunflower oil, and refining it to diesel fuel standards, was initiated in South Africa in 1979. By 1983, the process for producing fuel-quality, engine-tested biodiesel was completed and published internationally. Throughout the 1990s, plants were opened in many countries for the production of biodiesel fuel, and finally in 2008, ASTM published new Biodiesel Blend Specifications Standards.
PREPARATION OF BIODIESEL: - Biodiesel is commonly produced by the transesterification of the vegetable oil or animal fat feedstock. There are several methods for carrying out this transesterification reaction. Generally transesterification is the process of exchanging the organic group R" of an ester with the organic group R' of an alcohol. These reactions are often catalyzed by the addition of an acid or base.
Let us understand the preparations of biodiesel with a simple example- take five grams of pure sodium hydroxide and 220ml of methanol now mix this two thoroughly which finally give sodium meth oxide which is very dangerous. Take one liter of vegetable oil which is cholesterol free heat it up to 1300 c. Now carefully add sodium meth oxide to hot vegetable oil and shake the mixture vigorously for five minutes. After a half hour we can observe a colour change in the mixture there will be a dark layer at the bottom and a liter cover on the top that dark layer is glycerin and biodiesel will be at the top now collect the biodiesel carefully for getting pure biodiesel mix hot distilled water to the collected biodiesel then a white colour liquid called soap water is formed which is a waste product and can be removed by filtration. This is how biodiesel is prepared by the household products
Is biodiesel used as a pure fuel or is it blended with petroleum diesel?
Biodiesel can be used as a pure fuel or blended with petroleum in any percentage. B20 (a blend of 20 percent by volume biodiesel with 80 percent by volume petroleum diesel) has demonstrated significant environmental benefits with a minimum increase in cost for fleet operations
How do biodiesel emissions compare to petroleum diesel?
Biodiesel is the only alternative fuel to have fully completed the health effects testing requirements of the Clean Air Act. The use of biodiesel in a conventional diesel engine results in substantial reduction of unburned hydrocarbons, carbon monoxide, and particulate matter compared to emissions from diesel fuel. In addition, the exhaust emissions of sulfur oxides and sulfates (major components of acid rain) from biodiesel are essentially eliminated compared to diesel.
Of the major exhaust pollutants, both unburned hydrocarbons and nitrogen oxides are ozone or smog forming precursors. The use of biodiesel results in a substantial reduction of unburned hydrocarbons. Emissions of nitrogen oxides are either slightly reduced or slightly increased depending on the duty cycle of the engine and testing methods used. Based on engine testing, using the most stringent emissions testing protocols
required by EPA for certification of fuels or fuel additives in the US, the overall ozone forming potential of the speciated hydrocarbon emissions from biodiesel was nearly 50 percent less than that measured for diesel fuel.
PRODUCTION:-
Can we use biodiesel in an existing diesel engine?
Biodiesel can be operated in any diesel engine with little or no modification to the engine or the fuel system. Biodiesel has a solvent effect that may release deposits accumulated on tank walls and pipes from previous diesel fuel storage. The release of deposits may clog filters initially and precautions should be taken. Ensure that only fuel meeting the biodiesel specification is used.
APPLICATIONS:-Biodiesel is mainly used as a fuel for road transport, railways, air ways and as heating oil, biodiesel can also be used as a heating fuel in domestic and commercial boilers, a mix of heating oil and biofuel which is standardized and taxed slightly differently than diesel fuel used for transportation. It is sometimes known as "bioheat."
PROS:-Biodiesel has several key advantages:
• Biodiesel is environmentally friendly.
• It can help reduce dependency on foreign oil.
• It helps to lubricate the engine itself, decreasing engine wear.
• It can be used in almost any diesel with little or no engine modification.
• It is safer than conventional diesel.
CONS: - Of course, nothing is without penalty, and biodiesel does have its drawbacks. Some have to do with the fuel itself, and many have to do with the bigger picture.
->One of the problems with the fuel itself is the increase in NOx in biodiesel emissions. Often, in diesel fuel manufacturing, when you decrease the amount of particulate matter in the emissions, there is a corresponding increase in nitrogen oxides, which contribute to smog formation.
->Another problem is biodiesel's behavior as a solvent. Though this property is helpful, it's kind of a double-edged sword. Some older diesel vehicles (such as cars made before 1992) may experience clogging with higher concentrations of biodiesel
->In some engines, there can be slight decrease in fuel economy and power. On average, there is about a 10 percent reduction in power. In other words, it takes about 1.1 gallons of biodiesel to equal 1 gallon of standard diesel.
->The major drawbacks to biodiesel are connected to the bigger picture, namely the market and associated logistics. Of these, the most important is cost. According to the EPA, pure biodiesel (B100) can cost anywhere from $1.95 to $3.00 per gallon.
ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECT:- The surge of interest in biodiesels has highlighted a number of environmental effects associated with its use. These potentially include reductions in greenhouse gas emissions, deforestation, pollution and the rate of biodegradation