http://www.eidn.com.au/energyerdcemulsions.htm
Emulsions of Hydrated Ethanol in Hydrocarbon Fuels By Apace Research Ltd EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Accountability Project Need In response to adverse environmental impacts from mass consumption of fossil petroleum fuels as well as international crude oil reserves being finite, most countries are attempting to find answers to meeting future demand for fuel for transport. Internationally there is growing acceptance that renewable ethanol fuel produced from biomass, with its associated environmental benefits, will be the transport fuel of choice for the future. In the United States, Brazil and Sweden there is already widespread use of ethanol fuel and/or ethanol/petroleum fuel blends, while in many other countries, including Australia, such blends are being introduced. Ethanol/petroleum fuel blends directly address vehicle emissions and transport fuel security of supply issues. In addition to reducing currently regulated vehicle emissions, the renewable ethanol content of these fuels can result in a net reduction in the emission of carbon dioxide. Use of ethanol/petroleum fuel blends initially in the existing vehicle fleet is essential to develop the technology and infrastructure necessary to support widescale production and use of ethanol fuel. This project addresses the need to optimise the physicochemical properties of ethanol/petroleum fuel blends, to ensure that the maximum possible environmental and economic benefits are derived from the use of such blends. Project Objectives The project objectives were in two main parts: Part (a) To optimise the chemistry of the copolymers comprising the DALCO emulsifier for use by fuel distributors in order to increase the specific activity of those copolymers and reduce the cost of hydrated ethanol/diesel fuel emulsion production. Part (b) To optimise the chemistry of the copolymers comprising the DALCO emulsifier initially for use by researchers and regulatory authorities to produce stable emulsions of hydrated ethanol in petrol in order to identify any advantageous physicochemical properties of such hydrated ethanol/petrol emulsions compared with the properties of conventional anhydrous ethanol/petrol solutions. Findings and Conclusions It is Concluded from the results of this project that the lowest cost method of manufacturing PEOPS copolymer, the major constituent of the DALCO emulsifier, produces a product with high specific activity. The indicated cost of the optimised DALCO emulsifier in commercial scale quantities is below $1,000 per tonne. At $1,000 per tonne, the emulsifier contributes approximately 1.3 cents to the per litre cost of hyd.ethanol/diesel emulsion. This cost is less than for previous DALCO formulations and is considered likely to prove economically viable. It is also concluded that potential problems in the commercial use of hyd.ethanol/diesel emulsion have been overcome by optimisation of the DALCO emulsifier. The DALCO emulsifier can also produce hyd.ethanol/petrol emulsion with potential advantageous physicochemical properties compared to anhyd.ethanol/petrol solution. Applications Emulsions of hydrated ethanol in petroleum fuels directly address vehicle exhaust emissions and transport fuel security of supply issues of growing international concern. Most importantly, the renewable ethanol content of these fuels can result in a net reduction in the emission of carbon dioxide. Exhaust emissions from diesel engines are a major contributor to air pollution in urban centres in both developed and developing countries. The negative impact of diesel engine exhaust emissions on air quality and human health are now widely recognised. In developed countries authorities such as the Environmental Protection Agencies (EPA's) are increasingly regulating diesel engine exhaust emissions through new emissions standards for diesel engines. Hydrated ethanol/diesel fuel emulsion, or "diesohol", represents a new and potentially cost effective option for significantly reducing particulate and NOx emissions from diesel engines, both in developed and developing countries. Internationally there is considerable potential for both short and long term applications of the diesohol technology. This is in large part due to diesohol being compatible with the existing fuel/vehicle infrastructure. Existing unmodified diesel engined vehicles can use diesohol interchangeably with diesel fuel. Moreover, diesohol is also compatible with and enhances any emissions reductions achieved by advances in diesel engine design and by the reformulation of diesel fuel. The hydrated ethanol/petrol emulsion researched in this project directly addresses issues relating to the use of ethanol/petrol blend in unmodified vehicles. Such an emulsion has a lower vapour pressure, greater water tolerance and, potentially, reduced NOx emission on combustion compared to the 10% anhydrous ethanol/petrol solution currently used internationally. If these advantageous physicochemical properties are confirmed there is potential to replace the use of anhydrous ethanol/petrol solution internationally. This article is a brief summary of a report originally prepared for the Energy Research and Development Corporation (ERDC). A full copy of the report is available from: Energy Strategies Pty Ltd Ph: 02 6260 6444 Fax: 02 6260 6555 ------------------------ Yahoo! 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