1. Utilizing Biobutanol as a Fuel Additives
Cristo Chandra
Mentor : Adeline Budiman M.Eng
Santa Laurensia Senior High School, Jalan Sutera Utama No. 1, Alam Sutera,
Tangerang Selatan, Banten
E-mail address: cristocl13@yahoo.co.id
A B S T R A C T
Currently, ethanol is widely used as a fuel additive, but the ethanol in gasoline produce less energy than
a pure gasoline.However, butanol, a four carbon chain alcohol has similar characteristic with ethanol or
gasoline, so it has the potential to replace ethanol as a fuel additives. The purpose of this study was to compare
the results of the energy and efficiency that can be generated from the fuel additive (ethanol or butanol).
Comparison of the results was tested by comparing the number of revolution of stirling engine which fueled
with the fuel with different additives, whereas in efficiency test, the data is in a qualitative form. The efficiency
measured by the octane number, which can be observed from the shape of flame produced by the combustion of
fuels. As a result, the fuel with additives butanol contains more energy and a higher octane value. This can occur
because butanol contain more carbon than ethanol so that more energy is produced. Additionally, butanol has a
structure that is more branched than ethanol which only two carbon bonds that have affinity higher, Thats the
reason why butanol have even higher value of octane which at the same time increase in the efficiency. It can be
concluded that the additive butanol contains more energy and more efficient use as a fuel additive.
Key Word: Butanol, Ethanol, Stirling Engine, Octane Number
INTRODUCTION
Fuel is the primary source of energy the world's
most widely used. But the price of oil continues to
rise due to its limited availability. It takes more
than one century for anaerobic bacteria decompose
the remains of organisms into petroleum. In
addition, the burning of fossil fuels also causes
pollution, not only CO2 but also CO gas is much
more dangerous than CO2 which still can be
processed by the plant.
In response to these problems, an alternative energy
sources to reduce pollution and fuel use need to be
developed. America and some other developing
countries have entered into the determination of the
use of fuel E10 (Ethanol 10%) which is used as a
fuel additive. Even in Brazil, they have already
regulated the use of E85 fuel (85% ethanol) which
aims to create a more complete combustion and
reducing CO emissions. But ethanol has its own
weaknesses, namely the energy produced by using
ethanol will be less, because the combustion
produced by ethanol only produces about 50% of
the energy of gasoline. Besides, not all cars can use
ethanol engine more than 10%, only flex-fuel cars
are able.
Butanol is also an alcohol group like ethanol but it
has more carbon bond. This makes butanol has
close properties to gasoline, and can be used in car
engines in general with more complete combustion.
Previously there have been studies of David Ramey
in developing fuel-butanol, but still not used due to
relying butanol fermentation process is difficult to
be produced in large quantities. Therefore, as a
potential alternative to reduce the use of petroleum,
butanol can be used as a fuel additive.
2. 4. Processing the Data
Comparison of energy
level
Comparison of
Octane number
3. Compare the octane number (efficiency)
Gasoline +
ethanol
Gasoline +
butanol
Gasoline
2. Compare the Energy level
Gasoline 90%+Butanol 10%
Gasoline 70%+Butanol 30%
Gasoline 90%+Butanol 10%
Gasoline 70%+Butanol 30%
1. Making the Fuels
Gasoline 90%+Butanol 10%
Gasoline 70%+Butanol 30%
Gasoline 90%+Ethanol 10%
Gasoline 70%+Ethanol 30%
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
NumberofRevolutionofStirling
Engine
Concentration of Fuel additives
Bensin +
Ethanol
Bensin +
Buthanol
OBJECTIVE
The main objectives for this research are:
1. Compare the energy produced from the
combustion of fuel with ethanol additives and
butanol additives
2. Compare the efficiency of the use of ethanol fuel
additives and butanol fuel additives.
METHODOLOGY
These are the steps done in the experiment, as
shown in the diagram below.
DATA AND DISCUSSION
Gasoline with ethanol additives gives fewer
revolution of stirling than pure gasoline, the
decreasing number of revolution is also followed
by the addition of ethanol concentration. The
difference in the number of rounds in 10% ethanol
to pure gasoline is equal to 8:45% while 30%
ethanol at 28.16%. It is proved that the use of
ethanol in the fuel produces less amount of energy
than pure gasoline.
In gasoline with additives butanol, the number of
revolution that produced is more than the gasoline
with ethanol additives. The difference in the
number of revolutions at 10% butanol with pure
gasoline is equal to 1.40% while 30% butanol by
9.86%. This shows that the difference in the
amount of energy than pure gasoline fuel with
gasoline fuel additive is less than 10% butanol.
When compared with the control variables, the two
types of fuel produces less energy than the control,
but if both of these additives compared, butanol
produces more energy than ethanol.
Graph comparison of energy between fuel
additives
Gasoline
+ Eth
Gasoline
+ Buth
Gasoline
only
only
3. Picture of Flame Visualization
In flame visualization, it appears that the fire
on pure gasoline fuel wider and spread. In
contrast to the use of ethanol and 30% butanl
which forms a more stable flame and focus
(forming a cone at the end of the fire) over the
course of 10 seconds. Whereas, for the
combustion of pure gasoline, generating a
large fire and sideways. Flame shape of
butanol and ethanol are both more stable, but
if we observed carefull, the flame made by
fuel with butanol is higher compared to the
flame of the ethanol additives. (ethanol = 8.5
cm, butanol = 10 cm).
Based on the research results Askin Bhasin, in
addition to having longer lifts off, making the
fire is more stable, high-octane fuel also has an
average altitude higher fire. This indicated that
butanol has a higher octane than ethanol.
CONCLUSION
Following the results, these conclusions can be
drawn:
1. Fuel additives made from butanol contains
more energy than the fuel additive made
from ethanol.
2. Fuel additives made from butanol more is
efficient than fuel additives made from
ethanol seen from the octane value.
REFERENCES
Internet
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3DY
Research
Ankush Bhasin, Method for determination of
octane rating by flame quenching experiments
2010
David.E. Ramey, Butanol: The Other
Alternative Fuel