1. Using alternative
fuel in automobiles
biodiesel as example
Prepared by
Mohammed Al-Jubouri

2. Biodiesel
is a domestically produced, renewable fuel that can be
manufactured from new and used vegetable oils, animal
fats, and recycled restaurant grease. Biodiesel’s physical
properties are similar to those of petroleum diesel, but it
is a cleaner-burning alternative. Using biodiesel in place
of petroleum diesel significantly reduces emissions of
toxic air pollutants.
Biodiesel can be blended and used in many different
concentrations, including B100 (pure biodiesel), B20
(20% biodiesel, 80% petroleum diesel), B5 (5%
biodiesel, 95% petroleum diesel), and B2 (2% biodiesel,
98% petroleum diesel). B20 is a common biodiesel blend
in the United States.

3. Making Biodiesel
There are three main ways to make biodiesel for a modern diesel
engine. Vegetable oil can be mixed with another fuel, straight
vegetable oil (SVO) can be used, or cooking grease can be
converted.
 The first choice, the mixing of vegetable oil with other
fuels may sound easy, but it is not that simplistic. The
purpose of mixing the oil is to lower the viscosity, making
the oil thinner and allowing it to flow more freely through
the fuel system. The combinations vary from mix to mix
depending on how much fossil fuel one wants to save.
Despite the advantage of less fossil fuel used, most
diesel engines have precise fuel requirements that may
not be met by the mixes.

4.  The second choice is making biodiesel using
straight vegetable oil, or SVO. To do this, one would have to
take a single-tank SVO system, replace the injectors and glow
plugs, and add fuel heating. A two tank SVO system can also
be used, which allows the oil to pre-heat and become thinner.
With this system, the vehicle starts and stops using regular
diesel and then switches to the SVO when it is hot enough.

5.  The third choice is to convert used cooking grease. Used
cooking grease can be acquired through a local restaurant for free and
put into a processing system. The grease is put into a cleansing
unit, which heats the grease and separates the waste from the oil.
Once the grease is cleaned, certain chemicals must be added in
order to finalize the biodiesel process. A typical kit can cost from
$1,500 to $3,000, ranging in sizes of about 40 to 160 gallons per
batch. The pay back period for the price of the units is phenomenal
considering the price of diesel is about $2.00 per gallon and the
price to make your own biodiesel is about $0.70 per gallon. Kits and
instructions on making your own biodiesel can be found through the
link described in the references section. A diagram of the steps of
making biodiesel is shown below in Figure 1.

8. Type of biodiesel fuel
B20
is the most commonly used biodiesel blend in the United States
because it provides a good balance between
material compatibility, performance, emission benefits, and costs. B20
is also the minimum blend level allowed for compliance with the
Energy Policy Act of 1992 (EPAct), which requires the use of
renewable fuels and/or alternative fuel vehicles (AFVs) by certain
covered fleets.
 B100
or higher blend levels such as B50 require special handling and may
require equipment modifications. . However, because the level of
special care needed is high, the National Renewable Energy
Laboratory (NREL) and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) do
not recommend the use of high-level biodiesel blends

9. basic advantages of biodiesel fuel
• Renewable
– carbon neutral
• Biodegradable
– benefits environment
• Domestically grown
– reducing imported oils
• Low emissions
– except maybe NOx
• No engine modifications required
– except replacing some fuel lines for older engines
• Safer
– less flammable
• Non-toxi

10. Emissions Benefits from Using Biodiesel
The production and use of biodiesel creates 78% less carbon dioxide
emissions than conventional diesel fuel.Carbon dioxide is a
greenhouse gas that contributes to global warming by preventing
some of the sun’s radiation from escaping the Earth. Burning
biodiesel fuel also effectively eliminates sulfur oxide and sulfate
emissions, which are major contributors to acid rain. That’s
because,unlike petroleum-based diesel fuel,biodiesel is free of
sulfur impurities. Combustion of biodiesel additionally provides a
56% reduction in hydrocarbon emissions and yields significant
reductions in carbon monoxide and soot particles compared to
petroleumbased diesel fuel. Also, biodiesel can reduce the
carcinogenic properties of diesel fuel by 94%.

13. Air Quality
Engines manufactured in 2010 and later have to meet the
same emissions standards whether running on biodiesel,
diesel, or any alternative s a means of converting
nitrogen oxides fuel. Selective catalytic reduction (SCR)
( technology, which reduces nitrogen oxide) (NOx) emissions to
near zero levels, makes this possible. These engines are
some of the cleanest engines on the road, and the
emissions from diesel fuel are comparable to those from
biodiesel and are very low.
 Selective catalytic reduction (SCR): is a means of converting nitrogen
oxides, also referred to as NOx with the aid of a catalyst into diatomic
nitrogen, N2, and water, H2O. A gaseous reductant, typically
anhydrous ammonia, aqueous ammonia or urea

14. Using biodiesel reduces greenhouse gas
emissions because carbon dioxide released
from biodiesel combustion is offset by the
carbon dioxide absorbed while growing the
soybeans or other feedstock. B100 use reduces
carbon dioxide emissions by more than 75%
compared with petroleum diesel. Using B20
reduces carbon dioxide emissions by 15%.
 Greenhouse gas(GHG):) is a gas in an atmosphere that absorbs and
emits radiation within the thermal infrared range. This process is the
fundamental cause of the greenhouse effect

15. Engine Operation
Biodiesel improves fuel lubricity and raises the cetane
number of the fuel. Diesel engines depend on the
lubricity of the fuel to keep moving parts from wearing
prematurely. One unintended side effect of the federal
regulations, which have gradually reduced allowable fuel
sulfur to only 15 ppm and lowered aromatics content,
has been to reduce the lubricity of petroleum diesel. To
address this, the ASTM D975 diesel fuel specification
was modified to add a lubricity requirement (a maximum
wear scar diameter on the high-frequency reciprocating
rig [HFRR] test of 520 microns). Biodiesel can increase
fuel lubricity to diesel fuels at blend levels as low as 1%.

16. Safety
Biodiesel causes far less damage than
petroleum diesel if spilled or released to
the environment. It is safer than petroleum
diesel because it is less combustible. The
flashpoint for biodiesel is higher than
130°C, compared with about 52°C for
petroleum diesel. Biodiesel is safe to
handle, store, and transport

17. Diesel Vehicles Using Biodiesel
Biodiesel and conventional diesel vehicles are one
in the same. Although light-, medium-, and
heavy-duty diesel vehicles are not technically
"alternative fuel" vehicles, many are capable of
running on biodiesel. Biodiesel, which is most
often used as a blend with regular diesel fuel,
can be used in many diesel vehicles without any
engine modification. The most common
biodiesel blend is B20, which is 20% biodiesel
and 80% conventional diesel. B5 (5% biodiesel,
95% diesel) is also commonly used in fleets.

18. • Biodiesel improves fuel lubricity and raises the
cetane number of the fuel. Diesel engines
depend on the lubricity of the fuel to keep
moving parts from wearing prematurely. Federal
regulations have gradually reduced allowable
fuel sulfur to only 15 parts per million, which has
often resulted in lowered aromatics content in
diesel fuel. One advantage of biodiesel is that it
can impart adequate lubricity to diesel fuels at
blend levels as low as 1%

19. Advantages
Biodiesel has many major advantages, and some minor disadvantages.
B100can reduce CO2emissions by 78% and lower the carcinogenic
properties of diesel fuel by 94% [1].According to the EPA, biodiesel
degrades at a rate four times faster than conventional diesel fuel. Biodiesel
could also lower U.S. dependence on imported oil and increase our energy
security. It also contributes to an engine’s ease of movement. It acts as a
solvent, which helps to loosen deposits from the insides of an engine that
may normally cause clogs. It is estimated that a biodiesel blend of just 1%
could increase fuel lubricity by as much as 65% [2]. Biodiesel is also safer, it
is non-toxic (about 10 times less toxic than table salt) and has a higher
flashpoint than conventional diesel. Because it burns at a higher
temperature, it is less likely to accidentally combust. This makes movement
and storage regulations easier to accommodate. Table 1 compares
emissions of B100 with B20biodiesel

20. Biodiesel and Human Health
Some PM and hydrocarbon(HC)emissions from
diesel fuel combustion are toxic or carcinogenic.
Using B100 can eliminate as
much as 90% of these air toxics. B20 reduces air
toxics by 20% to 40%. The positive effects of
biodiesel on air
toxics have been shown in numerous studies

21. Disadvantages
Biodiesel has a few drawbacks. One problem is the increase in Nox in biodiesel
emissions. Often, in diesel fuel manufacturing, when you decrease the
amount of particulate matter in the emissions there isa corresponding
increase in nitrogen oxides, which contribute to smog formation. Currently,
there are technologies being researched to reduce this problem. Some older
diesel vehicles may experience clogging with higher concentrations of
biodiesel. Since biodiesel has the ability to loosen deposits built up in the
engine, it is a good idea to replace the fuel pump and also the fuel lines
when using biodiesel for the first time. Though many manufacturers have
included biodiesel in their warranties, the potential for problems could still
exist. Most biodiesels are manufactured at B5and B20, which are low
concentrations of biofuel to diesel. Most automobile manufacturers
guarantee this mixture will work with no modification to the engine
whatsoever.

22. Thank you for attention
Facebook:
Mohammed Al-Jubouri