Newcastle University Biofuels Assignment By Roberto Sacoto M. Msc. Mechanical Eng.

Student Number: 120395769 The lower heating value of bioethanol is less than petrol. This means that if bioethanol is substituted for petrol and nothing is changed in the engine then more bioethanol will be required for a given power out put. In reality bioethanol has a higher octane rating and this means that engines running on bioethanol can operate at higher compression ratios. An engine is required to produce 100kW of power. Two engines are used for this duty. The first is a petrol engine with a compression ratio of 10:1. The second uses a blend containing 50 mass% bioethanol and petrol and has a compression ratio of 12:1. Treating both engines as air standard Otto cycles, using the data given at the end of the question and in the lecture notes and stating any other assumptions that you make, answer the following questions: (a) Which engine has the lower fuel consumption on a mass flow of fuel basis? (b) Which engine emits less CO2? Data Ratio of heat capacities for air = Molar mass of ethanol = 0.046 kg mol-1 Molar mass of petrol = 0.114 kg mol-1

Internal combustion of the Otto engine (Otto Cycle) The figure 1 shows the Otto cycle, which consists in a Volume- Pressure Diagram, where the phases of the cycle are presented.

Figure 1. The ideal Otto cycle http://web.mit.edu/16.unified/www/SPRING/propulsion/notes/node25.html, access on 21/01/2014

To explain the graphic above, from 1-2 indicates the feeding of fuel gases in to the engine, where is not heat exchange (adiabatic phase), from 2-3 is the compression phase (Heat input = QH), on 3 combustion is produced by the spark, from 3-4 power stroke (expansion), from 4-5 the gases escape (Heat output = QL), and finally 5-1 scape of remaining exhaust gases. For this cycle, the next 3 equations are obtained: Efficiency of an ideal Otto cycle (1) Where, = thermal efficiency of the engine = power produced for engine = Is the heat input
Source: http://web.mit.edu/16.unified/www/SPRING/propulsion/notes/node25.html, access on 21/01/2014

Also in terms of compression ratio, the efficiency of an ideal Otto cycle is:
( )

(2)

Where, = thermal efficiency of the engine compression ratio of the engine ratio of heat capacities for air
Source: http://web.mit.edu/16.unified/www/SPRING/propulsion/notes/node25.html, access on 21/01/2014

The last equation needed is the mass flow related with the Heat input divided by the variation of enthalpy (fuels heat of vaporisation): (3) Where, = flow mass of fuel = Is the heat input = Enthalpy variation (fuels heat of vaporisation)
Source: http://web.mit.edu/16.unified/www/SPRING/propulsion/notes/node25.html, access on 21/01/2014

Development (a) Which engine has the lower fuel consumption on a mass flow of fuel basis? Engine number 1 (Petrol) Using equation (2) the thermal efficiency of the engine, is calculated next:

) is calculated:

Then, using equation (1), the heat input

QH =163934.43 Js-1
Finally, applying the equation (3), and knowing that lecture notes), the mass flow of the fuel is calculated: of petrol= 330 (from

Engine number 2 (50%Bioethanol/50%Petrol) 50%Petrol ( )

Then,

of petrol= 330

(from lecture notes)

50%Bioethanol ( )

Thus,

of bioethanol = 842

(from lecture notes),

Hence, Total Fuel consumption = (0.5 x 0.185) + (0.5 x 0.47) = 0.327 The firs conclusion is that the engine number 2 (50%Bioethanol/50%Petrol) has the lower fuel consumption on a mass flow of fuel basis = 0.327 (b) Which engine emits less CO2? Engine number 1 (Petrol) Petrol Fuel combustion reaction: C8H18 + 12.5O2 emission of CO2 for the engine number 1. Assuming 100% fuel is burned 8CO2 + 9H2O (From lecture notes) Then, from the lecture notes, using the molar balances equation, is calculated the

Fout = ( ) Fout = ( )

) ( ) = 34.8

Engine number 2 (50%Bioethanol/50%Petrol) Petrol Fuel combustion reaction: C8H18 + 12.5O2 notes) Then, using the same method from above, the emission of CO2 is calculated: 8CO2 + 9H2O (From lecture notes) 2CO2 + 3H2O (From lecture Bioethanol Fuel combustion reaction: C2H5OH + 3O2

Fout = *( )

)+

*( )

) + = 20.5

Finally, the second conclusion is that engine 2 has less emission of CO 2 = 20.5 , which means that this engine is more efficient and less contaminant than engine number 1. However, Bioethanol is still difficult to produce and very expensive.

References
Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The Internal combustion engine (Otto Cycle) http://web.mit.edu/16.unified/www/SPRING/propulsion/notes/node25.html, access on 21/01/2014