A

PAPER
PRESENTATION
ON
ALCOHOL- AN ALTERNATE
FUEL
FOR I.C. ENGINE
(TOPIC- ALTERNATE ENERGY)

PAPER PRESENTED BY,

MAYUR JAGTAP
YOGESHWAR MAHAJAN
E-mail: ymmahajan@engineer.com
 mayur_mechanical@yahoo.com
S.E. MECHANICAL

S.R.E.S. COLLEGE OF ENGG.

KOPARGAON

ABSTRACT
It has well been realized that the conventional fossil fuels used in internal
combustion engine are exhaustible. The present concern about the growing shortage of
conventional petroleum based fuels and the serious problems of environmental pollution
from such engine have necessitated the search for alternative fuels for I.C. engine.
Alcohol (Methanol & Ethanol) offer the most promising substitute for petroleum
as engine fuels at present. They are ideal as spark ignition engine fuels with their high
flame speeds and low exhaust emission. As compression ignition engine fuels they have
more significant handicaps.
It is hoped that methanol can become a practical alternative fuels for I.C. engine,
since it claims superiority in regard to thermal efficiency over gasoline. Further it is
found that it reduces considerably the harmful emission of hydrocarbon & oxides of
nitrogen their by minimizing the environmental pollution.
INTRODUCTION:
There is a growing realization that fossil are not inexhaustible. They
are depending at which there is clear indication that complete exhaustion is not very far
off. A liquid fuel having characteristics, physical and chemical, quite similar to gasoline
which can be produced, form renewable sources is the need of hour which can be
successfully adopted to the existing S.I. engine with no major modifications.
Among the fuels under consideration, methanol and ethanol are considered to be
the most promising. Methyl alcohol can be produced from coal, a relatively abundant
fossil fuel and Ethyl Alcohol can be produced by fermentation of plant material. Hence
these fuels can have highly reliable and long-lasting raw material sources.
Considerable work has been done to fine suitable bending agents. Which will
extend the life of existing oil reserves. Bends of ethanol in gasoline are commonly used
in vehicles designed to operate on gasoline, vehicle modification is required for pure
ethanol fueling because its properties are different from those of gasoline.

SOURCES AND PRODUCTION OF ALCOHOL

SOURCES:
Ethyl alcohol can be produced from nonrenewable sources and renewable
sources. Hydrocarbons are the only non-renewable sources for alcohol production. Since
hydrocarbons can be used directly as a source of energy, its conversion to alcohol for
energy purpose seems to be commercially uneconomical. Among renewable source,
through solar energy is a very attractive source for the future, its direct utilization has
some limitations. The enormous expenditure involved in collecting and storing and
seasonal variations are of the bottlenecks therefore the indirect use of solar energy by
converting the biomass into liquid fuel alcohol is gaining ground and biomass is a
renewable source. The various source of alcohol under biomass are sugar plants, starchy
material and cellulosic materials.
Sugar cane and sugar beet are very good example for sugar yielding plants.
Although sugar cane and sugar beet are more expensive at farm gates, it is easy to
convert them into ethyl alcohol. It is possible to ferment the sugar cane juice and sugar
beet directly for ethanol product. Molasses, the other product from sugar industry is the
most important source of alcohol production in India.
Cera grains, potatoes, cassava are examples for starch material. Cassava is high
energy food obtained low inputs & low effort. Biological solar energy conversion by
photosynthesis produces stopped energy in the from of biomass, and the production of
ethanol from cassava is one of the most efficient means of challenging solar energy to
liquid energy.
Alcohol has an advantage over gasoline is that it can be produced without using
up irreplaceable petroleum. Although our sources of petroleum now seem large, they
must inevitable be exhausted. As long as the sun shine and plants grow will be unique
because it possesses the attribute of person perennial renewal.

MANUFACTURE OF METHANOL:
Methanol can be produced from a wide range of abundancy available raw material
lignite or coal, municipal solid waste and specification grown biomass. Of course
methanol can also be produced from natural gas but there is no point in it because the
basic objective is to conserve petroleum gasses or liquids.

MANUFACTURE OF ETHANOL:
The process of production of ethanol from sugar or grain is well known. It
contrast with methanol production, the process does not require extreme temperature and
pressure and thus very small unit are possible. Basically, the process does not require
extreme temperature and pressure and thus very small units are possible. Basically, the
starch in grain is converted to sugar by means enzymes and the sugar is them fermented
with yeast to produce a dilute solution. Distillery is used to separate and purity alcohol to
maximum of about 190 proof.

COMPARISON OF ALCOHOL WITH HYDROCARBON AND

DIESELS
1. A Comparison of properties of Alcohols & Gasoline as Engine fuels
All the Alcohols were common features their molecular structure includes a OH,
or hydroxyl radical, which gives them certain characteristics are most apparent in the
alcohol of low modular weight, methanol & ethanol, because the Oh radicals
 predominates over their short hydrocarbons chains. They are most apparent in the
alcohols of high molecular weight, Grritory batyl as heavier alcohols, because their
longer hydrocarbon chain predominates over the OH radical.

Important properties of gasoline methanol & ethanol.

Sr.No. Property Gasoline Methanol Ethanol
1) Chemical formula mCnH2n CH3OH C2H5OH
2) Molecular weight 112 32.0 46.0
3) Composition by weight-%
(a) Carbon 84.0 37.5 52.0
(b) Hydrogen 16.0 12.5 13.0
(c) Oxygen nil 50.00 35.00
4) Specific gravity at 15.50c 0.7-0.75 0.796 0.794
5) Boiling point or range 0c 30.0 65.0 78.0
6) Latent heat of vaporization 70-100 264.0 204.0
Kcal/Kg
7) Lower calorific value Kcal/Kg 10,500 4700.0 6400.00
8) Octane numbers
(a) Research 91(regular) 114 111
(b) Motor 82(regular) 94 94
9) Cetane number 8.14 3 8

1) Air fuel ratio: Because of the fixed oxygen the quantity of air required of air required
for a stoichiometric combustion of the alcohols is considerably lower than that required
for petrol.
2) Chemistry of combustion: When the fuel and air react in an engine cylinder to
produce products of combustion, the products is different than the number of moles
reactant.
The ratio of moles of products to reactants for gasoline and alcohols isas follows:
Octane

1.058C8H18 + 12.5O2 + 47N2 8CO2 + 9H2O + 47N2

Methanol

1.061CH3OH + 1.5O2 + 5.65N2 CO2 + 2H2O + 5.65N2

Ethanol

1.065C2H5OH + 3O2 + 11.3N2 2CO2 + 3H2O + 11.3N2

Assuming all the fuels enter the engine completely evaporated, the fuel giving

largest number of moles of product per mole of reactant should produce greatest pressure
in the cylinder after combustion, all other factors being equal.
3) Calorific value: Because of its chemical structure the Alcohol molecule contains fixed
oxygen. This results in lower calorific value than that of petrol. To generate equal amount
of energy (43960/19680) =2.2 or more than double the weight of methanol compared to
gasoline is required, and (43960/26800)=1.64 greater weight of ethanol compared to
gasoline is required.
4) Octane Quality: The octane number of ethanol and methanol is higher than gasoline.
Hence higher compression ratios can be used alcohols resulting in higher thermal
efficiency. The difference between the research and motor octane number is commonly
taken as an indication of fuel sensitivity. By this measure alcohols are sensitive to charges
in engine conditions. Methanol displays a tendency to backfire which is an indication of
pre-ignition.

ENGINE PRERFORMANCE WITH PURE ALCOHOLS

For use of pure alcohols some engine modifications are necessary. The high
octane number alcohol fuels should be utilized by appropriate high engine compression
ratios in order to achieve maximum output and economy. The pure alcohol engines have
unsatisfactory cold starting and warm-up behavior. It can be improved by fuel additives
with a low boiling point.
Methanol Engines: Fig. A compares the performance of automotive petrol, diesel and
methanol engines. It shows that pure methanol has 20% greater output compared to that
of standard petrol engine due to higher compression ratio and the more efficient
thermodynamic process. The methanol has greater thermal efficiency as shown by lower
specific consumption. However the mass of fuel consumed is about 10% more at wide
open throttle due to lower calorific value of methanol as compared to petrol.
Ethanol Engines: Fig. B shows the comparison of petrol and ethyl alcohol engines
based on Ricardos experiments of a variable compression ratio single cylinder engine.
The increased mean effective pressure of ethanol at all mixture ratios is the most
noticeable difference between two fuels. This increase in mean effective pressure is due

principally to the greater volumetric efficiency. This results in high volumetric efficiency.
This results from latent heat of vaporization of ethanol and the greater mass of fuel per
unit mass of air. The intake manifold temperature is reduced, with the increase in the air
density and engine volumetric efficiency.
The figure shows that gasoline and ethanol have about the same lean mixture
limitation. Both fuels develop their maximum thermal efficiency with about 15% excess
air. With the mixture leaner than this, the burning velocity for both is reduced and offsets
other advantages of lean mixture.
The small increment of increased thermal efficiency of ethanol in relation to
gasoline is mainly due to evaporative cooling effect of the alcohol. This reduces the
specific heats of the gases as well as the heat losses.
Fig A: Wide open throttle characteristics of 4-Cylinder pure methanol engine

Fig B: Engine performance with ethyl alcohol & gasoline

ENGINE THERMAL EFFICIENCY:
The engine thermal efficiency about 3 percent greater than that with gasoline at
the same engine combustions due to faster burning and decreased heat transfer to the
cylinder walls with ethanol. Due to ethanols low heating value, however mass specific
fuel consumption was greater with ethanol with gasoline.
CARBON MONOXIDE (CO) EMISSIONS:
On the rich side mass specific CO emissions are about 20 percent lower for
ethanol then for gasoline, because lower burned gas temperature rate in the cycle reduced
equilibrium CO concentrations.

NITROGEN OXIDE (NOx) EMISSIONS:

NOx emissions are 30-50 percent lower with ethanol due to lower burned gas
temperature. Increasing compression ratio have is that effect on NOx emissions with rich
mixture.
To achieve maximum efficiency, ethanol engine should be operated as and of a
compression ratio as high as possible with this the constraints of customer acceptance and
engine durability. Exhaust emissions levels may be be unacceptable at these conditions,
therefore, exhaust emission must control as such as oxidizing catalytic converter to
reduce UBF, and CO emission and exhaust gas recirculation to reduce NOx emission
might be required.
 CONCLUSION
Alcohol can be produced from the non-renewable and renewable sources.
When we compare the performance of hydrocarbon fuels and alcohols, it is seen
that.
1) Differences in the stoichiometry and thermochemistry of hydrocarbons and
alcohols led to confirmation of the observed increase in output experienced with
methanol and ethanol when used as S.I. engine fuels.
2) Accompanying any increase in output is disproportionate rise in fuel
consumption.
3) A principal factor influencing the output is the relative volume of induced charge.

Ethanol, when uses as fuel for S.I. Engine gives higher thermal efficiency due
to faster burning and decreased heat transfer to the cylinder.
Alcohol serves as an excellent substitute fuel the S.I. engines without any major
engine.
 REFERENCES
[1] Mathur and Sharma, Internal Combustion Engines, Rev. Ed. 1994, pp.328-347
[2] Methu and Luthra, Fuels for S.I. Engine, National Seminar on Fuel efficiency,
New Delhi.
[3] Dr.Schweitser,Alternate fuels for I.C.Engine,Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore.