Whenever topics about environmental pollution arise, the automobile industry stands out as a leading producer of greenhouse gases. The daily use of vehicles for transportation means increased air pollution from car exhaust fumes. These emissions have a negative effect on humans and the ecosystem at large. Although there have been global efforts to implement legal restrictions against the exhaust-gas releases, consumers remain adamant. As a result, the diesel engine (CI) features among the highest in green gas emissions because of this exhaust fumes (Resitoglu, Keskin, & Altinski, 2015). However, customers continue to prefer it because of its high efficiency and low costs. It is durable and reliable for high power or heavy-duty engine performance. The exploration of biodiesel as an alternative source of energy shows dismal reception from the business world. It shows similarities in physical properties with petroleum diesel and it even has an advantage as greener production. Based on my background in engineering, I set out to understand the business viability of biodiesel as a renewable energy needs for Australia. This report highlights this fact giving recommendations for future studies. Through secondary data research, I tabled the following findings.
Biodiesel is an excellent alternative source of fuel generated from feedstock, extraction as well as production methods. An attempt to use it in a diesel engine shows that it has high lubricity and combustion that normal diesel. Research in the fuel economy is keen on finding an alternative to the diesel engine fuel (Annalamalai & Jaichandar, 2011).
However, there are concerns about its ultimate performance under certain conditions such as cold weather. An insight into fuel related attributes is crucial because it reveal the ability of biodiesel properties in terms of power, thermal efficiency, fuel consumption and emissions. The biodiesel properties, qualities and potentials raise challenges of its economic viability thereby raising concerns about its future use (Silitonga, Mekhilef, Masjuki, Mahlia, & Badruddin, 2012).
The diesel engine is an internal combustion engine, which depends on high temperature and compression. Also referred to as the compression-ignition (CI) the engine loses air during the internal and external combustion processes. Commonly used in automobile industry, the engine is also applicable in locomotives, electricity generation plants and heavy equipment machinery.
Factors contributing to the performance includes efficiency, high performance and low cost production. The CI engine is also simplified and more economical. This makes it a household name in the manufacturing sector and big locomotive machines such as ships, trains, cars and trucks (Woodford, 2017). However, the CI is one of the leading in air and sound pollution and diesel cars release high carbon emissions to the environment.
As a professional in the Engineering field, my agenda is to find sustainable sollutions for the contemporary world (Hasham, 2017). Energy concerns in the transport sector and electricity generation as a major cause of pollution in Australia is the inspiration behind this project. Biodiesel provides a concrete solution because of low emissions from combustion energy. It is also secure, reliable nor sustainable. Like other developed nations, Australia releases carbon emissions to the environment at a high rate. This places its people at a risk. I sought to find out the effectiveness of measures such as individual cuts on unheathy energy and alternative sources of energy.
I wanted to prove whether the optimization of biodiesel as an alternative source supports a sustainable supply chain. My plan was to confirm whether production needs to make use of the optimization models for its production processes. Using influencing factors such as cost reduction, advanced combustion, improved control and integration I sought how to improve on the CI engine perfomance (Devaradjane & Venkatraman, 2011).
The aim of this research is to investigate the economic viability of biodiesel by looking at its use in the CI engines. The secondary data analysis looks into sustainability and cost effective production of biodiesel for its maximum benefits. An analysis of the optimization models reveals its benefits across different industries.
Its objectives are as follows:
Research into the history of the biofuel production shows an increased demand in the 21st Century (Guo, Song, & Buhain, 2015). This is based on the high demand for alternative sources of energy to In Australia the use of biodiesel as an alternative fuel in the trans meet the increasing demand for electricity and transport energy. Although the production of alternative enery sources started with a focus on bioenergy, research into its production has increased to include other alternatives like bioethanol, biofuel gas and bio oil. Progress in the energy sector includes the engineering element of the combustion mechanism. This was a major factor in the production of liquid biofuels manufactured from biomass residues or wastes (Nigam & Singh, 2011). In this study, Nigam and Sigh acknowledge the challenge in commercial production of the biofuel on a large scale creating the need for further research.
Azad, Rasul, Sharma, & Hazrat (2015) reviews its use in Australias transport sector which is the highest consumer of energy at 24%. The discussion makes suggestions for the use of second generation fuels as better placed to fill the gap in fuel energy for the transport system. This is because of the improved supply chains in the production of the contemporary biofuels. Research into the sustainability of biofuel points to the link between biofuel and food prices stating that biofuel production does not threaten agricultural production (Ajanovic, 2011).
Biodiesel optimization defines the supply chain as well as its peformance mechanism. A study into the control parameters of a combustion model shows the importance of using optimization models in the diesel engine (Ogai & Wahono, 2014). The model based approach helps to develop a control mechanism that ensures the manipulation of the required parameters for the most effective optimization technique. The study further recognizes that the combustion engine is the central power system of a vehicle. Therefore a focus on the improved perfomance of the engine reduces carbon emission and fuel consumption factors. This incudes its water cooling system, turbocharger, inection and speed parameters. A comparative study between the rate of combustion and biodiesel emissions reveals the importance of an effective and efficient internal CI engine for the biofuel and the fue based one. This study explains why most producers opt for a blend of the two depending on the blend ratio. The analysis states that the higher the blend ration, the higher the consumption, but the low the energy power of the biodiesel. Consequently, this tecnique also lowers the carbon emmissions. The study recomneds the use of small percentages of biodiesel in the fuel powered engines as a way to reduce emissins and reap from the advanatges of bio fuels.
Ozener, Yuksek, Ergenc, & Ozkan (2014) study the ability of biodiesel blends of the B10, B20 and B50 to test its combustion, perfomance and carbon emission capabilities. The study uses a direct injection single cylinder and measures the fuel consumption rate, exhaust temperature and pollutant emissions. The results reveals significant reduction in carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide emissions of between 28%-46% and 1.46-5.03% respectively. It also showed a lower carbon dioxide heatig value in the biodiesel mechanisms. The mechanism also reduced the ignition delay and premixed peak to prove the ability of biodiesel’s to feature indipendenty as an alternative energy to the fuel. Experiments on the ethanol-biodiesel ( BE) has proved successful in Europe and it works best through a direct injection diesel engine (Zhu, Cheung, Zhang, & Huang, 2011). This means combustion, engine perfomance and engine perfomance interconnect. Mixing te blends and expsoing them to different operation levels shows changes for researchers to narrow down on the most efficient approach.
For intensified biodiesel production, Singaram, Jachuck, & Lodha (2012) carried out an experiment to investigate the use of a rotating tube reactor ( RTR) in the contiinnous production of biodiesel fuel. The study pointed out that this would increase temperatures for better delivery and rotational speed. This is a solution for the lower heat disadvantage of biodiesel as an altenative fuel. On the factors affecting biodiesel engine perfomance, an expereimental study shows differences in engine emisions and perfomance between the biodiesel and petrol-diesel engines (Pullen & Saeed, 2014). In the findings biofuel contaminants such as water and vegetable oil do not have a considerable effect on the perfomance of the engine. However, the biodiesel had notable reduction in engine power.
Devaradjane & Venkatraman (2011) investigates the strengths and weaknesses of biodesel and fuel technology using a computer based analysis. From the study, the computerised modelling achieves optimization through the operating factors. These are the compression ration, injection pressure and injection timing. They enhance perfomance in a CI engine model. Scientifists have also found out that biodiesel supports different features such as the combined blend with diesel fuel in heating systems and lubricating oil (Iluz, Dubinsky, Fixler, & Abu-Ghosh, 2015). However, these arguments point out that biodiesel tends to cost more because it needs a planting and harvesting process. The study also identtified the need for future improvements in biodiesel infrastructure and filters.
The availability of land use is one of the major threats faced by biofuel production. Kocar & Civas, (2013) idetifiy energy farming as an emerging trend in the economic field. This involves the production of crops specifically for biofuel. This is a sustainable process that developed countries can use for natural energy sources. Therefore, biofuel has technical and quality challenges to overcome. The bioeconomy challenges include policy framework, economic opportunities and supply chain management among others (Lane, 2013)
This research project involved a data collection process using secondary data from contemporary data within the last 7 years. These are manly research journals in the energy industry targeting research findings and reviews on biodiesel and the CI model. It covered topics on the economic benefits of biodiesel, its integration with fuel varieties, production and the cost factors. The qualitative data studies used focused on quantitative analysis in order to understand the viability of using biodiesel in the transport industry. The table below shows the quality of data collected.
|
Article Category |
Date |
Number of articles |
|
Quantitative Studies |
2011, 2015, 2017 |
10 |
|
Qualitative Research |
2011, 2012, 2016 |
13 |
|
Scientific Research |
2011, 2012, 2017 |
5 |
|
Article Reviews |
2013, 2017 |
3 |
Table 1: Table showing research materials in their categories
The qualitative data explored research on the factors affecting the performance of biodiesel in the heavy-duty mechanisms. The quantitative analysis shows the rate of adoption of the biodiesel in Australia, a fuel economy with adverse effects on the environment (Hasham, 2017). It also focused on the relationship between the combustion engine and biodiesel blends (Ogai & Wahono, 2014). The principles used in drawing conclusions about biodiesel advantages and challenges focused on a model approach on the compatibility of biodiesel with different engines capabilities (Iluz, Dubinsky, Fixler, & Abu-Ghosh, 2015). To support these arguments, a comparative analysis featured in highlighting gaps identified by computerized analysis of the blend method (Lane, 2013). This analysis looked at reviews and studies in the energy sector, engineering, government, organizational and business records for an analysis on the effectiveness of biodiesel in CI engines.
In order to simplify the data I had to get a plan on how to collect background information for study. Although there were challenges in validating the information, I was able to gather information within a short time as shown in the plan in table 2. This is a reliable baseline study for deeper research on the topic because it contains reviews and scientific publications (Bryan & Bell, 2015).
Research Plan
|
Task |
Start Date |
Duration ( Days) |
End Date |
|
Selection of Topic |
25/08/2017 |
3 |
28/08/2017 |
|
Data collection |
26/08/2017 |
7 |
1/8/2017 |
|
Literature Review |
1/09/2017 |
4 |
5/09/2017 |
|
Research Methodology |
6/09/2017 |
2 |
7/09/2017 |
|
Techniques |
8/09/2017 |
1 |
8/09/2017 |
|
Data Analysis |
9/092017 |
6 |
15/09/2017 |
|
Interpretation |
17/09/2017 |
5 |
20/09/2017 |
|
Presentation |
23/09/2017 |
1 |
23/09/2017 |
Table 2: Data collection table for Chant Chart
From the secondary data analysis it is evident that biodiesel is a sustainable means of fuel production. (Babazadeh, Razmi, Pishvae, & Rabbani, 2017). I also found out that there are challenges about its effective implementation in industries such as transport and manufacturing because of the cost implications (Mohammadshirazi, Akram, Raflee, & Bagheri, 2014). The CI engine model in the study has mechanisms, which may not be cost effective for biodiesel. This is because of its high power performance as a combustion engine. Biodiesels low temperature and energy element is a major hindrance to its ultimate performance. When used alone, biodiesel is expensive. Part of this cost comes from its supply chain process and production. This brings to question the need for innovative mechanisms that combine both fuel and biodiesel capabilities for an effective and energy efficient mechanism that performs. The second-generation bio fuels are promising and have these capabilities.
The combustion engine needs to use the biodiesel blend of improved fuels for reduced exhaustion and better performance (Devaradjane & Venkatraman, 2011). The model-based assessment revealed that reduced carbon is evident in the biodiesel fuel supply. That is why its use in the CI lowers direct emission from the engine thereby addressing its utilization in the CI. The quantitative analyses defines the combustion cycle and percentage inputs for the best biofuel blends. This determines the effectiveness of the engines performance. From the data, higher blends have better performance outcomes. Its cycle-by-cycle (CB) changes show the ability of the fuel to accept the variations and operate under specific conditions (Pullen & Saeed, 2014). It also reveals the power differences in the biodiesel and fuel energy performance despite the reduced rate of carbon emissions. The use of multiple injections mechanisms in the combustion engine affects the costs and engine speed as well as thermal efficiency to point out the biodiesel limitations.
Biodiesel is a sustainable mode of fuel production because of its availability in natural form. Obtained from soybeans and vegetable oils, it is also available in ethanol plants and vegetable oils. As a motor oil, it works in form of a blend of fuel diesel and bio diesel. Its renewable oil comes from vegetable oil, yellow grease and petroleum. Biodiesel efficiency includes its combustion temperature, heat loss and reinjection strategies. Different conditions indicate varied responses hence changes in cost and performance (Hoelman, Broch, Robins, Ceniceros, & Natarajan, 2012). Australia still lags behind in biodiesel Innovation but China leads in creating alternative solutions as shown in the chart below. This is a call to action because there is a connection between sustainability and economic development.
In a biodiesel, economy a continuous process of change is necessary for advanced applications of biodiesel innovations. In order to overcome the cost and performance challenges of the biodiesel, it is necessary to measure its capabilities. Figure 4 above shows high cost variations for soy biodiesel compared to wholesale fuel costs. This point to the production costs of this renewable energy source. Biodiesel has advantages including the reduction of carbon emissions which surpass its production costs in the contemporary biodiesel market. This is a plus for Australia where demand for renewable energy is high. The table below shows the classification of second generation biofuel that is used to blend with diesel.
|
Type of Biofuel |
Specific |
Production process |
|
Bioethanol |
Cellulosic Ethanol |
Hydrolysis and fermentation |
|
Synthetic |
Biomass-to-liquids ( BTL) Bioethanol Butanol and mixed |
Gasification/Synthesis |
|
Methane |
Bio-synthetic natural gas ( SNG) |
Gasification and sythesis |
|
Bio-hydrogen |
Hydrogen |
Gasification and Sythesis/Biological processes |
Business organizations continue to search for solutions that are sustainable. The energy sector is adverselly mentioned in environmental sustainability as a leading cause of pollution. The discussion confirms that biodiesel is a leading solution in meeting this demand. It provides solutions for the energy sector, transport, automobile, manufacturing and fuel production among others. The integration of the fuel model gives a concrete analysis of how to overcome challenges of biodiesel as a car fuel. A good number of researchers support this improvised use of biodiesel in the CI engine as a solution for its weaknesses. Figure 5 shows examples of second generation biofuels for Australia to try but figure 6 emphasises that the capital cost of biofuel is higher than the cost of electricty. This brings to question concerns over its reliability and transmission costs (Barry, 2012).
Although biodiesel provides a reliable source of energy in developed countries like Australia, there may be challenges about its applicability in developing countries where resources and technology for production is limitation. The question of land that is important because it is a requirement for production of its raw materials is also a great concern. Since it is a new phenomenon, biodiesel needs improvements. Investing in biodiesel affects different industries (Puri, Abraham, & Barrow, 2012). Its challenges in the CI engine reflects on other industries such as manufacturing where the combustion engine is in use.
Conclusion
The combustion engine is a heavy-duty machine, which requires power to operate. It is also clear that the biodiesel technology has potential to function in the CI. Business is about customer satisfaction. Although the biodiesel idea is good for the present and the future, it shows limitation in performance. This is due to the cost factor, which limits its ability to stand out as a sustainability solution in the energy sector. Efficiency is not just a cost factor but also performance oriented. The failure of biodiesel to satisfy the contemporary consumer is a challenge for scientists to research on ways to make it work for the market. This calls for an investment agenda into different models of incorporating biodiesel into the performance techniques like the CI. As seen from the findings, the integrated approach is one way to satisfy this demand. However, this secondary research suggests action into future research on how to improve its combustion and control properties in readiness for biodiesel. Research ensures that a clever discovery in renewable and sustainable energy reaches its full potential. Its optimization process includes its ability to function effectively in the CI engine. Its analysis benefits different sectors including the agricultural sector, energy, engineering and business sector. The use of biodiesel technology is incomplete without its performance effect because it unfolds its potential of replacing the fuel energy, which has been a major cause of air pollution globally.
References
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