1. Aim/Objective of the research
Energy Content of Alcohol Fuels compared with blends of Gasoline and Kerosene.
Radda, A. Abubakar, Okwuanalu, C. David, Clifford Nwaeburu, Linus N. Okoro
American University of Nigeria, School of Arts and Sciences, Department of Petroleum Chemistry and Engineering.
Lamido Zubairu Way, Yola township Bye-pass, PMB 2250, Yola, Adamawa State, Nigeria.
Introduction
Results
Table 2: Records of heat of combustion using steel calorimeter
In the quest for alternative energy sources, much attention has been diverted towards the manufacture of alcohol fuels. The economics and energy content of these alcohol fuels should be really considered as it is the determining factor as to whether these fuels are better off than the already existing gasoline fuel.
Name of Alcohol
Methanol
Ethanol
1-Propanol
1-Butanol
2-Pentanol
Initial mass of fuel + container, g
91.55
90.5
90.65
89.45
92.8
Final mass of fuel + container, g
90.2
89.5
89.85
88.7 92
Mass of fuel burned, g
1.35 1
0.8
0.75
Mass of measuring cylinder, g
128.8
117.5
Mass of cylinder + water, g
226.8
226.3
215.8
216.1
215.6
Mass of water, g
97.96
97.51
98.3
98.65
98.1
Final temperature, t2, °C 44 42
Initial temperature, t1, °C 12 8 10 7
Temperature change ∆t, °C 32 34 35
Heat, q= Cp.m.∆t, MJ
13.1
13.85
13.14
13.19
14.45
Heat of combustion, in MJ/Kg
9.71
16.43
17.59
18.43
% efficiency
59.4
64.1
53.4
54.7
51.1
Aim/Objective of the research
The aim of this research was to investigate the energy content of alcohol fuels using different calorimeters in order to determine the percentage of heat present in alcohol fuels and blends. For this purpose, methanol, ethanol, 1-propanol, 1-butanol and 2-pentanol as well as gasoline blends of methanol and ethanol were critically looked into using both steel calorimeter and the bomb calorimeter.
Materials and methods
Table 2 shows the values of the masses of alcohol fuels used, the initial and final temperatures and the energy content of the fuels obtained after two trials obtained from steel calorimeter.
Using the steel, ice water was obtained, and temperature taken before and after heating to 40oC. The formula; Cp.m.∆T, was used to calculate the heat.
For the bomb calorimeter, the mass of fuel to be used was measured and inserted into the bomb calorimeter after all parameters of sample identification number, mass of the measured fuel have been keyed in. The bomb containing the fuel filled with oxygen and a firing wire, was allowed to automatically ignite and the result of the heating value is displayed in table 3 below.
Table 1: Materials
MATERIALS
MODEL/MANUFACTURER
Methanol
99.8% pure. Fluka, Sigma-Aldrich Labochemikalien GmbH
Ethanol
96% v/v. Fisher Scientific, UK
1-Propanol
99%. Fisher Scientific, UK
1-Butanol
99% extra pure. Acros Organics, New Jersey, USA.
2-Pentanol
99%+ pure. Acros Organics, New Jersey, USA.
Analytical balance
Adam PW 254
Bomb Calorimeter
ECO CAL2K
Graph 1: This shows the trend followed by the alcohol fuels as the number of carbons increase.
Table 4: Heat content of the alcohol fuels with gasoline blend
Alcohol Name
Methanol
Ethanol
Percentage blend of Alcohol, % 95 90 85 80
Percentage blend of gasoline, % 5 10 15 20
Mass of blend, g
0.325
0.316
 0.327
 0.323
0.324
Heat of Combustion, MJ/kg
21.09
21.73
21.95
31.03
31.37
31.42
31.61
From the table 4, it is obvious that the blend gives higher energy values than the pure alcohol fuels themselves. At the same time, the alcohols being biofuels go a long way reducing the carbon emission of the gasoline by the percentage with which it is blended.
Graph 3and 4: showing the trend of methanol and ethanol blended with gasoline. It is clear that the blend produces more energy than either the pure alcohol fuels or the gasoline.
Table 3: Records of heat of combustion using the bomb calorimeter
Table 3: Readings of mass of fuel used as well as the energy content of the various pure alcohol fuels used in the bomb calorimeter.
Name of Alcohol
Methanol
Ethanol
1-Propanol
1-Butanol
2-Pentanol
Mass of Alcohol Used, g
0.327
0.321
0.325
0.315
Heat of Combustion, MJ/Kg
16.36
21.6
30.75
32.13
36.1
Graph 2: Shows the trend in the heat of combustion of the alcohols using the bomb calorimeter.
Conclusion
A flexible Fuel Vehicle. The Ford Taurus pictured in here uses M85 (85 percent methanol and 15 percent gasoline). FFVs are specially designed to tolerate the corrosive nature of alcohols3.
It is clear that a lot has been done to determine the energy content of alcohol fuels in comparison to the widely known existing gasoline fuel. From the tables and graphs, it could be seen that, the alcohol fuels produce more energy than the gasoline. In the same manner,
Graph 5: This shows the comparison of the gasoline to that of a pure ethanol. It is quite obvious from the graph that, the ethanol gives a higher energy yield than the gasoline itself2.
Literature
blending the alcohol with certain percentage of the gasoline gives far more energy than the gasoline or pure alcohol itself. The most important of its features is the fact that it could be burned in the hundreds of thousands and millions of vehicles existing around the globe with very little or no modifications and with very little emissions1. Alcohol fuels could be said to be a cleaner and greener source of energy.
1. Blume, D. (2007). Alcohol Can Be a Gas- Fueling an Ethanol Revolution for the 21st Century. Califonia: International Institute for Ecological Agriculture. 2:
2. Smith, J.L and Workman J.P. Alcohol for Motor Fuels. Accessed: 30th September, 2010
3. Transportation Energy: The Alcohols; ethanol and methanol.
This research was supported by the American University of Nigeria, School of Arts and Sciences and supervised by Dr. Linus N.Okoro of the department of Petroleum chemistry and Engineering.