Sl.

No Unit Contents
Introduction to Fuels, Thermal Energy
1. Unit - 1 Contents of Fuel
Coal, Oil and Gas – Properties,
Production, Handling, Processing,
2 Unit – 2
Storage, Transportation, Analysis
Combustion System - Devices &
3 Unit – 3 Efficiency
Wood Gasifier – Construction,
4 Unit – 4 Operation & Efficiency
NG – Production, Storage &
5 Unit – 5 Utilization
 Fuels
I. Solid:
1. biomass
2.peat
3. lignite or brown coal
4. sub-bituminous or black lignite
5. bituminous coal
6.Semi- anthracite
7. anthracite
II. Liquid:
1. Petroleum- petrol, kerosene, HSD, LDO, LSHS, Furnace oil
2. Coal tar
3 shale oil
4.sand tars
------contd.-----
III. Gaseous fuels
1. Natural Gas from gas fields, associated
with petroleum, coal mines
2.from solid fuels: producer gas, water gas,
coal gas, blast furnace gas, wood gas
3. from petroleum: LPG, oil gasification,
refinery processes
 What are Alternative Fuels?
Definition

Fuels that are

substantially non-petroleum and
yield energy security and
environmental benefits
 What are Alternative Fuels?
Defined by EPA, Recognized by DOE

Natural Gas – Compressed or Liquefied

Propane/Liquefied Petroleum Gas
Ethanol (denatured, E-5, E-85, )
Methanol (M-85)
Electricity and Hybrid Electric
Biodiesel (B100 neat, B20, B5)
Hydrogen (ICE and Fuel Cell)
P-Series and blends
 Why Alternative Fuels?
• As the cost of conventional fuels goes up, the
interest in other fuel sources increase
• In some cases, alternative fuels are more
environmentally friendly
• Some alternative fuels are more energy efficient
 What is Biodiesel?
Biodiesel is a fuel made from vegetable oil,
animal fats, and used restaurant grease
Why it is a good alternative to traditional fuels?
• Lower emissions • Infrastructure exists
• Renewable • Little/no engine
• Can be blended with modification
traditional fuel • Biodegradable
• Biodegradable • Infrastructure exists
 What is Clean Cities?
 That:
Promotes local government and industry partnership coalitions.

 To:
Reduce air pollution and increase energy security.

 By:
Encourage and expand the use of alternative fuels.
 Clean Cities promotes
Increases public awareness
Provides educational opportunities
Provides more fuel choices
Develops clean corridors
Expands refueling infrastructure
Supports regulated fleets.
 Clean Cities also promotes
• Idle reduction
• Fuel economy
• Conservation activities
• Mass Transportation
• Share a ride
• Hybrid/electric.
 How can Biodiesel help the environment?
• In
a blended state with traditional fuel it can lower emissions
such as a 20% blend lowers CO2 emissions by 15%
• 100% Biodiesel can lower CO2 emissions by 75%
• Biodiesel produces fewer particulate matter, carbon
monoxide, and sulfur dioxide emissions
• It’s safe to store, handle, and transport cause of a high flash
point of 150 degrees Celsius instead of 77 degrees Celsius for
traditional fuels.

Is Biodiesel practical? Yes, it uses the current

infrastructure and technology and costs $1 to $1.50 per gallon
 Electricity
• How is it used as fuel?
• Electricity is used as fuel in the form of batteries
and fuel cells.
• Are they practical?
• Batteries are a source of power but have limited
range and require frequent charging and are more
suited to short range community use
• Fuel Cells are more promising because they use
other fuels to create the electrical energy
 Electricity
• How does a fuel cell work?
• A fuel cell uses a hydrogen and oxygen reaction resulting in the
production of energy
• If pure hydrogen is used the car produces only two by-
products: Water and Heat

• What are the benefits of using electricity?

• For electric cars it would mean no emissions
• Although batteries have a short range, vehicles that use them
can be used in communities to get around
• For fuel cells, if hydrogen is used it can have a longer range
vehicle with no emissions.
 Ethanol
• What is Ethanol?
• Ethanol is an alcohol-based fuel made from corn, wheat, barley,
trees, grass, etc.
• What are the benefits?
• Ethanol is renewable because it comes from fermenting crops
• Ethanol lowers carbon monoxide emissions
• Ethanol is widely available and can/is used in a 10% Ethanol blend
commercial vehicles today, with many other vehicles using higher
blends
• Ethanol (with government tax incentives) is competitively priced
• Since ethanol can be made from a wide variety of plant life, it is
very abundant and with depleting petroleum reserves, is a
 Hydrogen
• Why use hydrogen?
• Hydrogen gas is the most abundant element on the planet
• Hydrogen mixed with natural gas can be used in internal
combustion engine
• Hydrogen is the perfect fuel to run fuel cells cause pure
hydrogen reacts only with oxygen releasing water thus no
emissions
• Hydrogen burns more efficiently and creates energy more
efficiently than gasoline
 Hydrogen

• What are some cons?

• When the public thinks of hydrogen, the explosion of
the famous Hindenburg airship and this makes for low
public opinion
• Hydrogen is extremely reactive with oxygen and
makes it highly flammable
• Because of hydrogen’s reactive nature, concept
hydrogen cars have/are going through many crash
tests and results are good
 Methanol
What is methanol?
 Methanol is wood alcohol, which can be made from
natural gas, coal, or wood
What are the benefits?
 Lower emissions
 Higher performance
 Lower risk of flammability
 Methanol can be used to easily make hydrogen
 Can be used in flexible fuel vehicles
 What are the cons?
 The biggest is the lack of vehicles to use it, manufactures
have stopped making vehicles to run on Methanol
 Natural Gas
Why use natural gas?
• Lower emissions
• Lower smog producing gases (60-90% Light-Duty use, 90% in
Mid to Heavy-duty use)
• Can be used to make hydrogen to power the future fuel cell
technology
What is the future of natural gas?
• Natural gas is now being installed in 1 out of 5 transit buses
today
• Fueling systems can/are being installed in home or public
facilities
• Aftermarket systems can convert vehicles to a natural gas
 Propane
What is propane?
• Propane is a liquefied gas made up of propane, propylene,
butane, and butylene from petroleum

What are the benefits?

• A 98% reduction in toxic emissions in light-duty bi-fuel
vehicles
• In the quantities needed it costs less than gasoline
• Very accessible compared to other alternative fuels (4,000
publicly accessible facilities in the US)
 Propane
What does the future hold?

• Currently 200,000 vehicles in the US use propane

(mostly fleet vehicles like taxis and police cars)

• Since the current infrastructure can easily be

converted to dispense propane it makes for a cost
effective solution to gasoline by using the current
fuel dispensing system
 P-Series
What is P-Series?
• It is a colorless fuel made of natural gas liquids,
ethanol, and methyltetrahydrofuran
Where is it used?
• P-Series fuels are primarily used in flexible fuel
vehicle in a pure form or mixed with other fuels
• This type of fuel is not widely produced or used like
some of the other fuels
 Conclusion

• Alternative fuels generally lower emissions making

them appealing for environmental concerns.
• Many of these fuels are renewable and would
lessen the need for petroleum products.
• A lot of these fuels are going to be used with the
developing fuel cell technology.
• With making the public aware of these
alternatives it could hasten the development of
these fuels and the technologies to run them.
 Pictorial
Sl. No. of Detail of
Pedagogy Coverage Depictio
No Sessions References
n (if any)
UNIT- I Introduction to Fuels, Thermal
06 T1, T7, T8
1. energy contents of fuel

UNIT-II Coal – Properties, Production,

Handling, Processing, Storage, Transportation,
07 T1, T2, T3
2 Analysis, Combustion system – devices &
efficiency

UNIT-III Oil and Gas – Properties,

Production, Handling, Processing, Storage,
T1, T2, T5, Transportation, Analysis,
13
3 T6 Combustion system – devices &
efficiency

UNIT-IV Wood gasifiers – construction,

T1, Lecture
04 operation & efficiency
4 Notes
UNIT-V LNG – Production, storage &
06 T2, T4
5 utilization
36
methyltetrahydrofuran