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This article is about Butanol from biomass used as a fuel. For other alcohols used as fuels, see Alcohol fuel. Although Fossil fuels have become the dominant Energy resource for the modern world Alcohol has been used as a fuel throughout history

Butanol may be used as a fuel in an internal combustion engine. Butanol or butyl alcohol (sometimes also called biobutanol when produced biologically is a Primary alcohol with a 4 Carbon structure and the Molecular Fuel is any material that is burned or altered in order to obtain energy The internal combustion engine is an engine in which the Combustion of Fuel and an Oxidizer (typically air occurs in a confined space called a Because its longer hydrocarbon chain causes it to be fairly nonpolar, it is more similar to gasoline than is ethanol. In Organic chemistry, a hydrocarbon is an Organic compound consisting entirely of Hydrogen and Carbon. Butanol has been demonstrated to work in some vehicles designed for use with gasoline without any modification. [1] It can be produced from biomass (as "biobutanol") as well as fossil fuels (as "petrobutanol"); both biobutanol and petrobutanol have the same chemical properties. Biomass refers to living and recently dead Biological material that can be used as fuel or for industrial production Fossil fuels or mineral fuels are fossil source Fuels that is Hydrocarbons found within the top layer of the Earth’s crust.

Contents

Production of butanol from biomass

Main article: Energy crop

Butanol from biomass is called biobutanol. An energy crop is a Plant grown as a low cost and low maintenance Harvest used to make Biofuels or directly exploited for its energy content It can be produced by fermentation of biomass by the A.B.E. process. Fermentation is the process of deriving energy from the oxidation of organic compounds such as carbohydrates using an endogenous electron acceptor which is Clostridium acetobutylicum, included in the genus Clostridium, is a commercially valuable Bacterium. The process uses the bacterium Clostridium acetobutylicum, also known as the Weizmann organism. The Bacteria ( singular: bacterium) are a large group of unicellular Microorganisms Typically a few Micrometres in length bacteria have Clostridium acetobutylicum, included in the genus Clostridium, is a commercially valuable Bacterium. It was Chaim Weizmann who first used this bacteria for the production of acetone from starch (with the main use of acetone being the making of Cordite) in 1916. Chaim Azriel Weizmann ( Hebrew: חיים עזריאל ויצמן – November 27, 1874 &ndash November 9, 1952) was a Zionist Acetone (also known as propanone, dimethyl ketone, 2-propanone, propan-2-one and β-ketopropane) is a colorless mobile flammable Starch, CAS # 9005-25-8 Chemical formula (C6H10O5n is a Polysaccharide Acetone (also known as propanone, dimethyl ketone, 2-propanone, propan-2-one and β-ketopropane) is a colorless mobile flammable Cordite is a family of smokeless propellants developed and produced in the United Kingdom from 1889 to replace Gunpowder as a military propellant Year 1916 ( MCMXVI) was a Leap year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Leap year The butanol was a by-product of this fermentation (twice as much butanol was produced). The process also creates a recoverable amount of H2 and a number of other by-products: acetic, lactic and propionic acids, acetone, isopropanol and ethanol. Hydrogen (ˈhaɪdrədʒən is the Chemical element with Atomic number 1 A by-product is a secondary or incidental product deriving from a Manufacturing process a Chemical reaction or a biochemical pathway and is not the primary product Acetic acid, also known as ethanoic acid, is an organic chemical compound, giving Vinegar its sour taste Lactic acid ( IUPAC Systematic name: 2-hydroxypropanoic acid) also known as milk acid, is a Chemical compound that plays a role Propionic acid (systematically named propanoic acid) is a naturally-occurring Carboxylic acid with Chemical formula C[[Hydrogen H]]3CH2C Acetone (also known as propanone, dimethyl ketone, 2-propanone, propan-2-one and β-ketopropane) is a colorless mobile flammable Isopropyl alcohol (also isopropanol, iso, isopro, Rubbing alcohol, or the abbreviation IPA) is a common name for

The difference from ethanol production is primarily in the fermentation of the feedstock and minor changes in distillation. Distillation is a method of separating Mixtures based on differences in their volatilities in a boiling liquid mixture The feedstocks are the same as for ethanol: energy crops such as sugar beets, sugar cane, corn grain, wheat and cassava as well as agricultural byproducts such as straw and corn stalks (reference needed). An energy crop is a Plant grown as a low cost and low maintenance Harvest used to make Biofuels or directly exploited for its energy content Sugar beet ( Beta vulgaris L a member of the Chenopodiaceae family is a plant whose root contains a high concentration of Sucrose. Sugarcane ( Saccharum) is a genus of 6 to 37 species (depending on taxonomic interpretation of tall perennial grasses (family Poaceae tribe Andropogoneae Maize (ˈmeɪz ( Zea mays L. ssp mays) known as corn in some countries is a cereal grain domesticated in Mesoamerica Wheat ( Triticum spp is a worldwide cultivated grass from the Levant area of the Middle East. The cassava, yuca, manioc, or mandioca ( Manihot esculenta) is a woody Shrub of the Euphorbiaceae (spurge family native Straw is an agricultural By-product, the dry stalk of a Cereal plant after the Grain or Seed has been removed Straw is an agricultural By-product, the dry stalk of a Cereal plant after the Grain or Seed has been removed Maize (ˈmeɪz ( Zea mays L. ssp mays) known as corn in some countries is a cereal grain domesticated in Mesoamerica In Botany, a peduncle is a stalk supporting an Inflorescence, or after Fecundation a fruit According to DuPont, existing bioethanol plants can cost-effectively be retrofitted to biobutanol production. E I du Pont de Nemours and Company (,) is an American chemical company that was founded in July 1802 as a Gunpowder mill by Eleuthère Irénée [2]

Algae butanol

Main articles: Algae fuel and Diatom

Biobutanol can be made entirely with solar energy, from algae (called Solalgal Fuel) or diatoms. See also Algology Algae fuel, also called algal fuel, oilgae, algaeoleum or third generation biofuel, is a Biofuel Diatoms ( Greek: (dia = "through" + (temnein = "to cut" i Algae ( sing. alga are a large and diverse group of simple typically Autotrophic organisms ranging from Unicellular to Multicellular forms Diatoms ( Greek: (dia = "through" + (temnein = "to cut" i [3]

Centia process

Centia is based on a three-step thermal, catalytic, and reforming process that has the potential to turn virtually any lipidic compound—e. g. , vegetable oils, oils from animal fat and oils from algae—into 1-for-1 replacements for petroleum jet fuel, diesel, and gasoline. The three steps are:[4]

Distribution

Butanol better tolerates water contamination and is less corrosive than ethanol and more suitable for distribution through existing pipelines for gasoline. Pipeline transport is the transportation of goods through a pipe. [2] In blends with diesel or gasoline, butanol is less likely to separate from this fuel than ethanol if the fuel is contaminated with water. Diesel or Diesel fuel (ˈdiːzəl in general is any Fuel used in Diesel engines The most common is a specific fractional distillate of petroleum [2] There is also a vapor pressure co-blend synergy with butanol and gasoline containing ethanol, which facilitates ethanol blending. Vapor pressure (also known as equilibrium vapor pressure or saturation vapor pressure) is the Pressure of a Vapor in equilibrium This facilitates storage and distribution of blended fuels. [2][5][6]

Properties of common fuels

Fuel Energy
density		 Air-fuel
ratio		 Specific
energy		 Heat of
vaporization		 RON MON
Gasoline and biogasoline 32 MJ/L 14. Fuel is any material that is burned or altered in order to obtain energy Energy density is the amount of Energy stored in a given system or region of space per unit Volume, or per unit Mass, depending on the context although Energy density is the amount of Energy stored in a given system or region of space per unit Volume, or per unit Mass, depending on the context although Air-fuel ratio ( AFR) is the mass ratio of air to fuel present during combustion Air-fuel ratio ( AFR) is the mass ratio of air to fuel present during combustion Specific energy is defined as the Energy per unit Mass: J/kg or in basic SI units m2/s2 Specific energy is defined as the Energy per unit Mass: J/kg or in basic SI units m2/s2 The enthalpy of vaporization, (symbol \Delta{}_{v}H also known as the heat of vaporization or heat of evaporation, is the Energy required The enthalpy of vaporization, (symbol \Delta{}_{v}H also known as the heat of vaporization or heat of evaporation, is the Energy required The octane rating is a measure of the resistance of Gasoline and other Fuels to Detonation ( Engine knocking) in spark-ignition The octane rating is a measure of the resistance of Gasoline and other Fuels to Detonation ( Engine knocking) in spark-ignition Biogasoline are Hydrocarbons produced from Biomass such as Algae, and containing between 5 ( Hexane) and 12 ( Heptanone) carbon atoms 6 2. 9 MJ/kg air 0. 36 MJ/kg   91–99   81–89
Butanol fuel 29. 2 MJ/L 11. 2 3. 2 MJ/kg air 0. 43 MJ/kg   96   78
Ethanol fuel 19. Ethanol fuel is Ethanol (ethyl alcohol the same type of Alcohol found in Alcoholic beverages. 6 MJ/L   9. 0 3. 0 MJ/kg air 0. 92 MJ/kg 129   102
Methanol 16 MJ/L   6. Methanol, also known as methyl alcohol, carbinol, wood alcohol, wood naphtha or wood spirits, is a Chemical compound 5 3. 1 MJ/kg air 1. 2 MJ/kg 136 104

Energy content and effects on fuel economy

Switching a gasoline engine over to butanol would in theory result in a fuel consumption penalty of about 10%[7] but butanol's effect on mileage is yet to be determined by a scientific study. While the energy density for any mixture of gasoline and butanol can be calculated, tests with other alcohol fuels have demonstrated that the effect on fuel economy is not proportional to the change in energy density. [8]

Octane rating

The octane rating of n-butanol is similar to that of gasoline but lower than that of ethanol and methanol. The octane rating is a measure of the resistance of Gasoline and other Fuels to Detonation ( Engine knocking) in spark-ignition n-Butanol has a RON (Research Octane number) of 96 and a MON (Motor octane number) of 78 while t-butanol has octane ratings of 105 RON and 89 MON. The octane rating is a measure of the resistance of Gasoline and other Fuels to Detonation ( Engine knocking) in spark-ignition The octane rating is a measure of the resistance of Gasoline and other Fuels to Detonation ( Engine knocking) in spark-ignition [9] t-Butanol is used as an additive in gasoline but cannot be used as a fuel in its pure form because its relatively high melting point of 25. tert -Butanol, or 2-methyl-2-propanol (colourless liquid or white solid depending on the ambient temperature is the simplest Tertiary alcohol. 5 °C causes it to gel and freeze near room temperature.

A fuel with a higher octane rating is less prone to knocking (extremely rapid and spontaneous combustion by compression) and the control system of any modern car engine can take advantage of this by adjusting the ignition timing. Knocking (also called knock, detonation or spark knock, pinking in UK English or pinging in US English in spark-ignition This will improve energy efficiency, leading to a better fuel economy than the comparisons of energy content different fuels indicate. By increasing the compression ratio, further gains in fuel economy, power and torque can be achieved. Conversely, a fuel with lower octane rating is more prone to knocking and will lower efficiency. Knocking can also cause engine damage. [10]

Air-fuel ratio

Alcohol fuels, including butanol and ethanol, are partially oxidized and therefore need to run at richer mixtures than gasoline. Standard gasoline engines in cars can adjust the air-fuel ratio to accommodate variations in the fuel, but only within certain limits depending on model. If the limit is exceeded by running the engine on pure butanol or a gasoline blend with a high percentage of butanol, the engine will run lean, something which can damage it. Compared to ethanol, butanol can be mixed in higher ratios with gasoline for use in existing cars without the need for retrofit as the air-fuel ratio and energy content are closer to that of gasoline. [5][6]

Specific energy

Alcohol fuels have less energy per unit weight and unit volume than gasoline. To make it possible to compare the net energy released per cycle a measure called the fuels specific energy is sometimes used. It is defined as the energy released per air fuel ratio. The net energy released per cycle is higher for butanol than ethanol or methanol and about 10% higher than for gasoline.

Viscosity

Substance Kinematic
viscosity
at 20°C
Butanol 3. 64 cSt
Ethanol 1. 52 cSt
Methanol 0. 64 cSt
Gasoline 0. 4–0. 8 cSt
Diesel >3 cSt
Water 1. 0 cSt

The viscosity of alcohols increase with longer carbon chains. For this reason, butanol is used as an alternative to shorter alcohols when a more viscous solvent is desired. The kinematic viscosity of butanol is several times higher than that of gasoline and about as viscous as high quality diesel fuel. [11]

Heat of vaporization

The fuel in an engine has to be vaporized before it will burn. Insufficient vaporization is a known problem with alcohol fuels during cold starts in cold weather. As the latent heat of vaporization of butanol is less than half of that of ethanol, an engine running on butanol should be easier to start in cold weather than one running on ethanol or methanol. [5]

Potential problems with the use of butanol fuel

The potential problems with the use of butanol are similar to those of ethanol:

As an advantage, butanol production from biomass could be more efficient (i. e. unit engine motive power delivered per unit solar energy consumed) than ethanol or methanol routes. Also, some bacteria that produce butanol are able to digest cellulose, not just starch and sugars.

Possible butanol fuel mixtures

Standards for the blending of ethanol and methanol in gasoline exist in many countries, including the EU, the US and Brazil. Approximate equivalent butanol blends can be calculated from the relations between the stochiometric fuel-air ratio of butanol, ethanol and gasoline. Common ethanol fuel mixtures for fuel sold as gasoline currently range from 5% to 10%. Ethanol (ethyl Alcohol) and Methanol (methyl alcohol are two types of Alcohol fuels. The share of butanol can be 60% greater than the equivalent ethanol share, which gives a range from 8% to 32%. "Equivalent" in this case refers only to the vehicle's ability to adjust to the fuel. Other properties such as energy density, viscosity and heat of vaporisation will vary and may further limit the percentage of butanol that can be blended with gasoline.

Current use of butanol in vehicles

Currently no production vehicle is known to be approved by the manufacturer for use with 100% butanol, though any model that is able to run 10% ethanol blends should be able to use butanol without any problems.

David Ramey drove from Blacklick, Ohio to San Diego, California using butanol in an unmodified 1992 Buick Park Avenue. [1][12] Although further long term testing must be done, it is highly likely that most late model cars can run on 100% butanol safely with no modifications. Justification for this conclusion is based on data for RON in comparison of n-Butanol with Gasoline. Also, modern ECU-injected motorcar piston engines are designed to be flexible enough to deliver good performance with 91-RON fuels, which n-Butanol exceeds in RON rating.

Research challenges

The key research challenge that must be resolved is that butanol production inhibits microbial growth even at low concentrations. The result is that the product of the fermentation is less than 2% butanol. The overwhelming majority of the fermentation broth is water, so an energy-intensive distillation step is required for purification. This may be acceptable if the goal is to produce butanol for use as a solvent, but if butanol is to gain traction as a motor fuel, energy inputs into the process need to be minimized. [13]

The Swiss company Butalco GmbH uses a special technology to modify yeasts in order to produce butanol instead of ethanol. Yeasts as production organisms for butanol have decisive advantages compared to bacteria. [14]

See also

External links

Notes

  1. ^ a b ButylFuel, LLC. Retrieved on 2008-01-29. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Events 904 - Sergius III comes out of retirement to take over the papacy from the deposed Antipope Christopher.
  2. ^ a b c d DuPont Fact Sheet on Biobutanol (PDF).
  3. ^ Fossil Freedom - Home Page
  4. ^ Centia Biofuels Process Produces Bio-gasoline Similar to Conventional Unleaded Gasoline. Green Car Congress (9 January 2008). Retrieved on 2008-01-29. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Events 904 - Sergius III comes out of retirement to take over the papacy from the deposed Antipope Christopher.
  5. ^ a b c J. L. Smith; J. P. Workman (December 20, 2007). Alcohol for Motor Fuels. Colorado State University. Colorado State University is a public institution of higher learning located in Fort Collins, Colorado in the United States. Retrieved on 2008-01-29. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Events 904 - Sergius III comes out of retirement to take over the papacy from the deposed Antipope Christopher.
  6. ^ a b Randall Chase (6/23/2006). "DuPont, BP join to make butanol; they say it outperforms ethanol as a fuel additive". Associated Press. The Associated Press ( AP) is an American News agency. The AP is a Cooperative owned by its contributing Newspapers radio Retrieved on 2008-01-29. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Events 904 - Sergius III comes out of retirement to take over the papacy from the deposed Antipope Christopher.
  7. ^ Calculated from the difference in energy densities listed above
  8. ^ ethanol.org (PDF).
  9. ^ UNEP.org-Properties of oxygenates (PDF).
  10. ^ {cite web |url = http://www.motorera.com/dictionary/EN.HTM |title = DICTIONARY OF AUTOMOTIVE TERMS - "En" (scroll way down to "engine knock")~~~~ |accessdate=2008-03-21}}
  11. ^ Engineering Toolbox
  12. ^ Boosting Biomass-to...Butanol?. Green Car Congress (20 July 2005). Retrieved on 2008-01-29. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Events 904 - Sergius III comes out of retirement to take over the papacy from the deposed Antipope Christopher.
  13. ^ R-Squared Energy Blog.
  14. ^ BUTALCO: Bio-based Innovations. Butalco GmbH (2007). Retrieved on 2008-01-29. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Events 904 - Sergius III comes out of retirement to take over the papacy from the deposed Antipope Christopher.

References

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