Sunday, 1 December 2013

Ethanol as a fuel source


Industrial production of ethanol from sugar canes:
The industrial process involved in the production of ethanol form sugar cane-
also for a video representation of how ethanol is extracted :http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y8UrDvLBsJw
Milling:
1. The sugar cane is harvested and brought into the processing mill

2. The canes are now loaded onto a conveyor belt and are crushed into a fine powder and sugarcane juice

The powder:
3. Waste or also known as the cane fibre bagasse are burnt in order to heat up water to produce steam which in turns produces electricity for the process of making the ethanol

The sugarcane juice filtration:
4. The sugarcane pulp is then mixed with sulfuric acid. lime and thickener and heated up in order to produce the glucose molecules from its cellulose and sucrose in the cane
5.The mixture is then filtered to remove the impurities from the sucrose molasses which will be used to produce ethanol

Fermentation:
6. Acid is added to the sucrose molasses to kill bacteria and prevent it turning into yeasts
7. It is then transported to a fermentation chamber
8. A yeast called Saccharomyces cerevisiae is then added to the sucrose to help break down the sugar
9. Ethanol is produced (10%-14%) ethanol (90-86% water)

Distillation:
10. In order to achieve a more efficient amount of ethanol the mixture is then distilled
11. The water is removed from the mixture in order to give the ethanol a approximate 97% of ethanol and
  3% water
12. The process is repeated until all water dissipates and 100% ethanol is achieved


The need for an alternative fuel source which is based on research:
In modern day the popular use of fossil fuels such as petroleum, oil are quickly running out. These types of fuels are "non-renewable" meaning that the process of fossilization which produces them takes millions of years. They are not ideal for long-term energy usage.

It is very important that a new renewable and sustainable fuel is to be found by researchers in order for society to continue functioning. When non-renewable fuel is used up, there will be anarchy, to prevent this there is great importance on this scientific discovery. One of the few explored fuels are ethanol, solar, wind and many more.

Ethanol as an alternative car fuel, Why can it be used as a car fuel?:
Car fuel- petroleum functions as a fuel because it has a energy content which is converted by the car into power to accelerate.

Similarly, ethanol has a specific energy content. Ethanol fuels have a similar type energy content to petroleum which can be used as a fuel for the other. However, low level ethanol has a higher energy rating than unleaded gasoline, the disparity in energy level can cause problems to the engine. This is due to the different properties in corrosive, energy content, ignition temperature and burn characteristics. Therefore, only about 3-10% of ethanol is mixed together with gasoline in order to prevent any safety dangers. If ethanol was to be used as a central fuel a new engine needs to be designed for the fuel's specs.

Why ethanol is a renewable resource:
Ethanol is considered a renewable resource because of the nature of where it comes from.

                                        C2H5OH(I) + 3O2 -> 2CO2(g) + 3H2O (g)

The composition of ethanol as it is extracted contains oxygen, carbon,hydrogen all of which are abundant in the atmosphere and can be obtained easily.
Also, ethanol is extracted from plants, plants undergo photosynthesis and matures quickly on a weekly basis and can be farmed in great numbers. This means that the ethanol extracted from this source can be obtained and replaced in a relatively short amount of time compared to our much used fossil fuels
explosion of an ethanol train

Success of current usage of ethanol as a fuel:
Uses of ethanol
- fuel for cars
-perfumes
-explosives
-used to make ethyl ester which makes paint, coatings, adhesives, and nail polish remover-make beer, wine, liquor
-preservatives of medicines,drugs, food, flavorings

Success of ethanol as a fuel for cars and value in society:
Ethanol use for cars has been relatively successful. Most cars in the 21st century mixes up to 24% of ethanol as an 'extender' to its gasoline to reduce energy usage and to lower the green house effect. Specifically Australia has done its part in preserving the environment by adopting a 10% average of ethanol content in fuels for vehicles. Also, some automobiles are designed as E85 meaning they run on 85% of ethanol and 15% gasoline. Overall, ethanol plays a vital role in society as a stepping stone in order for us to find and use an alternative renewable energy resource in order to preserve the environment.

Advantages and disadvantages current use of ethanol as a fuel:

Advantages:
- Better performance due to more energy in fuel
-Reduce use of petroleum
-Renewable, can be replaced in the short term compared to ever decreasing fossil fuels
-Does not contribute to green house effect. The carbon and carbon monoxide content released by its burning is mostly reabsorbed by the plants as they photosynthesis it back to balance the emission.
-Less dangerous particles released into the atmosphere than fossil fuels
Disadvantages:
-Significantly higher in cost to obtain compared to petroleum
-Needs great amount of energy to produce
-Requires great amount of crops which are used to feed the population
-Requires large amount of fertile land
-Higher energy content means that automobile engines need to be redesigned to use

Advantages and disadvantages of potential use of ethanol as an alternative fuel:
Advantages:
-Reduces global warming over a long period
-Reduces diseases related to pollution
-Sustainable and ever lasting fuel
Disadvantages:
-Rising prices in fuels
-Rising prices in food

-Major waste problems to dispose wastes from making ethanol from crops
-All cars have to be redesigned for E85, major problem in disposing traditional motors

Assess the use of ethanol as an alternative fuel based on advantages and disadvantages:
From the disadvantages and advantages of ethanol as an alternative fuel it can be said that ethanol has its good sides and bad.

It is sustainable, promotes saving the environment and reduces health issues. However, because of the lack of technology to efficiently extract ethanol without affecting fuel prices, food prices, causing waste problems and redesigning of all automobiles ethanol is not an ideal alternative fuel resource.

Acknowledgements:
 Production of ethanol from sugar cane (HSC chemistry) - YouTube. 2013. 8. Production of ethanol from sugar cane (HSC chemistry) - YouTube. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y8UrDvLBsJw. [Accessed 01 December 2013].

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HSC Chemistry Production of Materials Booklet

Turning sugar cane into ethanol (accessible) - Shell Global. 2013. Turning sugar cane into ethanol (accessible) - Shell Global. [ONLINE] Available at:http://www.shell.com/global/environment-society/environment/climate-change/biofuels-alternative-energies-transport/biofuels/raizen/sugar-cane-to-ethanol-animation/accessible.html. [Accessed 01 December 2013

Ethanol as a Transportation Fuel. 2013. Ethanol as a Transportation Fuel. [ONLINE] Available at:http://www.consumerenergycenter.org/transportation/afvs/ethanol.html. [Accessed 01 December 2013]

The Uses of Ethanol. 2013. The Uses of Ethanol. [ONLINE] Available at:http://jcartella.tripod.com/id5.html. [Accessed 01 December 2013]

Advantages and Disadvantages of Ethanol as a Fuel - EasyChem - The Ultimate Resource for HSC Chemistry: Syllabus-Based Dot-Point Study Notes/Summaries, Past Exam Papers, and More. 2013. Advantages and Disadvantages of Ethanol as a Fuel - EasyChem - The Ultimate Resource for HSC Chemistry: Syllabus-Based Dot-Point Study Notes/Summaries, Past Exam Papers, and More. [ONLINE] Available at:http://www.easychem.com.au/production-of-materials/renewable-ethanol/advantages-and-disadvantages-of-ethanol-as-a-fuel. [Accessed 01 December 2013]

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