engineering chemistry

1. Biofuels

2. With the advert of the Industrial Revolution, the use of energy in
the form of fossil fuels began, this occurred in stages, from the
exploration of coal deposits to the exploitation of oil and
natural gas
But, how long can we depend on this declining fossil fuels to run
our car engine, to light our kitchen stove
?? .. Not long that's for sure !!
Introducti
on

3. What is the Alternative ?

4. Why Biofuels ?? Are They
Green???
Use of Biofuels makes the environment clean:
• by regulating carbon dioxide rates in the environment
• by maintaining carbon cycle
• by making a way to reduce global warming
For example, a crop of plants
used to produce a barrel of
biofuel will absorb exactly the
same amount of carbon dioxide
as emitted from burning the
barrel produced.

5. What are Biofuels ?
•Biofuels are fossil fuel substitutes that can be made from a range of
agricultural crops and other sources of biomass.
•Any hydrocarbon fuel that is produced from organic matter (living or
once living material) in a short period of time – days, weeks, or even
months, is considered as biofuel.
•They are considered as an alternative source of energy
Importance:
1. Energy security - increasing oil prices, need for alternative source of
energy
2. To decrease greenhouse gas emission
3. To promote rural development

9. Classification of Biofuels

10. BIOFUELS GENERATIONS:
FIRST GENERATION BIOFUEL
• Biofuel made from sugar,
starchy crops, vegetable oil or
animal fat using conventional
technology.
• The starch from the basic
feedstock's is fermented into
Bioethanol, or the vegetable
oil through chemical process
to Biodiesel.
Sunlight
PLANTS
SUGARS
ENZYMES
BIOFUELS

12. Sugarcan
e as
Biofuel
Sugarcane is one of the most
efficient photosynthesizers in the
plant kingdom, able to convert up
to 20% of incident solar energy into
biomass.

13. Sugarcane  Ethanol

14. BIOETHANOL
BIOMETHANOL
Preferred over Ethanol – better
mixed with Biodiesel.
But TOXIC !
Alcohol made by fermentation – mostly
from carbohydrates produced in
Sugar/starch crops
-Corn/Sugarcane and cellulose biomass
-- used as fuel in its pure form
---high Octane
increase of an
number – leads to
engines compression
ratio for increased thermal efficiency.

15. Ethanol from
corn !
Source: Enzyme Use for Corn Fuel Ethanol Production, Novozymes, July 2007

16. Biodie
sel
Biodiesel is an ester based oxygenated fuel derived from natural, renewable
biological sources like vegetable oil ( Mustard oil)
Biodiesel operates in compression ignition engines like petroleum diesel thereby
requiring no essential engine modification.
Unlike fossil diesel, pure biodiesel is biodegradable, non-toxic and essentially free of
sulphur and aromatics.

18. Biodiesel Feedstock's
They are made by the Transesterification of vegetable oils
•In the US, soybeans provide the most common feedstock
•In Europe, rapeseed [canola] provides the most common feedstock
Other Common Feedstock's
•Sunflower oil is commonly used in France and Eastern Europe
•Palm Oil is common in Malaysia
•Used cooking oil is quickly becoming a common feedstock

19. Emerging Feedstock's
•Plants that can thrive under adverse conditions: Jatropha curcas
•Hydroxylated FattyAcid Triglycerides: Castor Oil and Lesquerella Oil
•Short-chain FattyAcid Triglycerides: Cuphea Viscosissima
•Microalgae that produce Lipids

21. • In 2007 , McDonalds of UK announced
that it would start producing Biodiesel
from the waste oil byproducts of its
restaurants. The fuel will be used to run its
fleet.
• Railway usage – in 2007 Disneyland began
running the park trains on B98 Biodiesel
blends (98% Biodiesel).

22. • Virgin Boeing 747 jumbo jet
• The plane used a biofuel blend of Babassu oil –
extracted from the nuts of babassu tree , and
coconut oil.
• Both products are more commonly found in
cosmetics – lip balm and shaving cream.
• The Czechoslovakian-made aircraft is rated to fly
on a variety of fuels including heating oil, making
it the preferred platform for testing Biodiesel in jet
engines.

23. • Poorly made Biofuel can cause engine problems – cause nitrogen oxide
emission.
• Transportation and storage requires special managements – cause increase in
total cost.
• Biodiesel is less suitable for use in low-temperatures than petro-diesel
• Slightly more expensive to produce (production cost high on large scale)
Main concerns:
• Some countries have limited water sources (cultivation)
• Asuitable climate is needed to grow most crops.
• Crops grown for biodiesel use land for food crops.

25. Biogas plant :-
 Mixture of gases containing methane, carbon dioxide, hydrogen and
hydrogen sulphide.
 It is produced by anaerobic degradation of animal waste.
 Anaerobic degradation means break down of organic matter by
bacteria in the absence of oxygen.
 The biogas plant has a large underground tank made of bricks and
cement.
 The lower part is the digester and the upper part has a dome with a
gas outlet.

26.  Animal dung is mixed with water in the mixing tank and the slurry is
sent into the digester.
 The gas is taken out through the gas outlet and used for heating and
lighting purposes.
 The slurry left behind is rich in nitrogen and phosphorus and is used
as manure for crops.
 From cattle dung alone we can produce biogas of a magnitude of
22,500 MW annually.
 A sixty cubic feet gobar gas plant can serve the needs of one
average family.
 This gas contains 55 – 70 percent methane, which is inflammable
and it is generally used as cooking gas and for generation of
electricity.

27. Advantages of Biogas
 Clean, non-polluting and cheap
 Direct supply of gas from tank.
 No maintenance cost
 Does not cause any health hazard.
 provides us both the fuel and the manure.

28. Think FOOD and FUEL