Biodiesel as a Replacement for Diesel Fuel
When it comes to replacing diesel fuel in combustion engines, biofuels is among the most advanced biofuels. The refineries as well as other sectors that sustain these biochemical firms, as well as the pollutants from automobiles, are known to cause worsening crises in the area’s air. Biodiesel created from canola, soybean, beef fat, as well as cooking fat remains can significantly reduce the number of fossil fuels used and carbon emissions produced by fleet cars. The widespread use of biodiesel in transit necessitated the study of the effects of biodiesel on ignition parameters, engine efficiency, and exhaust pollutants (Atabani et al., 2012). Different biodiesel mix percentages, as well as the kind of engine design, impact tailpipe emissions.
Using biofuels can significantly cut GHG emissions from diesel automobiles, according to the vehicle testing. Furthermore, the environmental impact of biodiesel can be assessed using the International Organization for Standardization’s 14040 series of environmental life cycle assessment (LCA) (Balat, & Balat,, 2009) (Bessou et al., 2011). Biodiesel from diverse biomasses, such as soybeans, mustard, and algae, has been the focus of the majority of LCA studies. According to research on algae production and biodiesel conversion, the impact of commercial vehicle use of algal-derived biodiesel could be either good or unfavorable (Fontaras et al., 2011). The ecological damage of biofuel derived from soyabeans for carriage fleets was measured from real fleet data, and study discovered that just in-state-generated B5 is desirable because of the state’s restricted farming area
As part of their ongoing research, Argonne’s GREET model has undergone numerous iterations. GREET now consists of three primary mechanisms: Fuel Cycle Model GREET 1, Vehicle Cycle Model GREET 2, and an application model GREET.net. GREET 2 is designed specifically for evaluating the entire life cycle of an automobile, from raw resources through final disposal. As a result, a low-sulfur diesel (B0) as well as five fuel mixes of low-sulfur diesel fuel from soybeans were employed in the experiment (Panichelli, Dauriat, & Gnansounou,, 2009). Automobiles, light-duty trucks (LDT1 and LDT2), and large trucks (long-haul) were all included in this study’s analysis of petrol engines with CIDI engines. A wide range of pollutants, including CO2, methane (CH4), and nitrous oxide (N2O), as well as particulate matter (PM), such as PM2.5 and PM10, were examined in relation to the aforementioned routes, and predictions were run between 2018 and 2025.
During the years 2014–2016, the US Department of Transportation/Federal Highway Administration made available to the public the Houston, Texas, daily vehicle mile traveled records. Although the VMT reports for 2017 and 2018 and the year 2025 have not yet been released, the data is still available. The expected VMT numbers for Houston in 2018 and 2025 are based on current economic conditions, population growth, and the city’s current and projected vehicle usage. Vehicle classes are weighted based on their daily VMT mix.
Table 1 lists the VMT of different kinds of diesel-based vehicles, comprising automobiles, LDT1, LDT2, and long-haul heavy-duty diesel trucks (HDDTs), based on the ratio of vehicle classes in the car ownership. Long-haul HDDTs accounted for the majority, with diesel passenger cars coming in second. Because of the subtropical climate, year-round use of high-blend biodiesel in automobiles is considerably easier than in the northern part of the United States (Poudenx, 2008).
Impact of Biodiesel on Ignition Parameters and Pollutants
The GREET model’s baseline emission factors for B0 (i.e., ordinary diesel) were employed in the computations. It was evaluated by comparing the empirical discharge data of diesel engines running on biodiesel blends to calculate the comparative emission rates for B5, B20, B50 and B100. MPG (mile per gallon) of the GREET model is identical to that of the equivalent light-duty gasoline vehicles when utilizing the biodiesel mixes, namely passenger automobiles, LDT1, and LDT2. Light-duty diesel cars utilizing standard diesel have a relative MPG of 120 percent because the MPG of conventional diesel is 1.2 times larger than the MPG of ordinary gasoline. Engine tests using a variety of biodiesel blends were used to alter the relative MPG for light duty diesel vehicles running on B5, B20, B50, B80, and B100. [12, 26] LDT1, LDT2, and LDT3 all had their operating emission rates compared using the same empirical values (Schumacher et al,, 2001).
GREET’s base vehicles employ B0 to calculate the relative MPG for heavy-duty vehicles running on biodiesels, notably long-haul trucks, short-haul lorries, and minibuses. A direct comparison of HDDT emission rates during vehicle operation was also made from the same test findings. According to this research, the electrical grid used is the Texas Regional Entity’s mixed generation system.
To get a better sense of how different biodiesel mixes affect MPG and emissions, we used the data from the previous studies [12, 26] and included them into the GREET model. Relative MPG (miles per gallon per tank) and exhaust emissions for the forecasted years of 2018 and 2025 are shown in Table 2 for passenger cars, LDT1, and LDT2. As the percentage of biodiesel in a blend rises, so does the MPG (Song et al., 2017). Increased biodiesel content reduces emissions of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), carbon monoxide (CO), particulate matter (PM10), and particulate matter (PM2.5). In terms of B100 emissions, there has been a small increase of up to 10.3%.
Biodiesel blends were evaluated over their whole life cycle, from well to well, pump to wheel, and wheel to well, utilizing the GREET model to measure energy and water use and emissions. Well-to-Pump analysis mostly focuses on soybeans and biodiesel generation from soybeans in the first place. Soybean planting, transit from the field to the bioenergy refinery, biodiesel manufacture, and transportation using biodiesel are all addressed during first phase. When the first and second studies are combined, the Well-to-Wheel analysis yields an overall assessment of the project’s cost and benefits.
The tables below indicate the daily energy and water consumption and pollution discharges from diesel-powered automobiles and long-haul HDDTs during the Well-to-Pump stage for 2018 and 2025, respectively. The pollutant emissions from passenger cars and long-haul HDDTs using various biodiesel blends will be much lower in 2025, according to the calculations performed per kilometer. Low-sulfur diesel and biodiesel manufacturing processes are expected to continue improving in the future, which will lead to further gains in energy efficiency and emission rates. The tables show upsurges in energy, water, and discharges, particularly for long-haul HDDTs, as a result of the anticipated rise in vehicle miles traveled (VMT) in the next year. During Houston’s Well-to-Pump phase in 2018, the proportion decreases in energy use and pollution emissions from passenger cars are shown in Figure 1 above.
It is based on these findings that additional blends can be estimated. In terms of GHG emissions, the positive percentages show a decrease, while the negative percentages show an increase in pollution and energy use. Increases in biodiesel content were observed in a variety of mixtures, GHG emissions decreased dramatically; however, other emissions, such as carbon dioxide (CO2) and other pollutants, such as PM10 and PM2.5, increased. Fuel blends containing more biodiesel would produce greater emissions since biodiesel production is a more energy-intensive process than the manufacture of regular diesel, which is also more resource-intensive. According to the analysis, there would be a wide range of emissions trends between 2018 and 2025. During the Well-to-Pump stage, the LDT1 and LDT2 models exhibit the same trends in energy consumption and emissions as the passenger automobiles.
Long-haul HDDTs utilize and emit nearly the same amounts of energy and greenhouse gases as do passenger automobiles, according to our research. Houston’s long-haul HDDTs will use more water between 2018 and 2025 as a result of the rise in well-to-pump water usage seen in Figure 2. As the percentage of biodiesel in the blends climbed, so did the water use, reaching even higher levels the following year than at the beginning of the experiment. Agricultural cultivation of soybeans and biodiesel extraction from soybeans in the biorefinery have both increased water usage, which is why high biodiesel ratio blends require such a significant rise in water use.
Conclusion
Research was conducted utilizing passenger cars and long-haul HDDTs equipped with the GREET model to study biodiesel mixes with normal diesel and their impact on Greenhouse gases, VOCs and CO emissions, PM10 and PM2.5 emissions. Between 2018 and 2025, LCA considered three key pathways: Pump-to-Wheel, Well-to Pump, as well as Well-to-Wheel. As biodiesel mixes increase, GHG emissions fall, however the other pollutants and water/energy use rise, according to the Well-to-Pump research. Increases in GHG emissions and other emissions of, VOCs, CO, PM10 and PM2.5 may be shown in the Pump-to-Wheel study for higher biodiesel fuel blends.
Biodiesel mix percentages that are higher lower emissions of NOx, VOCs, and CO substantially. The reductions in VOC emissions for long-haul HDDTs are not as great as those for passenger cars at the equivalent mixes.
References
Atabani, A. E., Silitonga, A. S., Badruddin, I. A., Mahlia, T. M. I., Masjuki, H., & Mekhilef, S. (2012). A comprehensive review on biodiesel as an alternative energy resource and its characteristics. Renewable and sustainable energy reviews, 16(4), 2070-2093.
Balat, M., & Balat, H. (2009). Recent trends in global production and utilization of bio-ethanol fuel. Applied energy, 86(11), 2273-2282.
Bessou, C., Ferchaud, F., Gabrielle, B., & Mary, B. (2011). Biofuels, greenhouse gases and climate change. Sustainable Agriculture Volume 2, 365-468.
Fontaras, G., Kousoulidou, M., Karavalakis, G., Bakeas, E., & Samaras, Z. (2011). Impact of straight vegetable oil–diesel blends application on vehicle regulated and non-regulated emissions over legislated and real world driving cycles. Biomass and Bioenergy, 35(7), 3188-3198.
Panichelli, L., Dauriat, A., & Gnansounou, E. (2009). Life cycle assessment of soybean-based biodiesel in Argentina for export. The International Journal of Life Cycle Assessment, 14(2), 144-159.
Poudenx, P. (2008). The effect of transportation policies on energy consumption and greenhouse gas emission from urban passenger transportation. Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, 42(6), 901-909.
Schumacher, L. G., Marshall, W., Krahl, J., Wetherell, W. B., & Grabowski, M. S. (2001). Biodiesel emissions data from series 60 DDC engines. Transactions of the ASAE, 44(6), 1465.
Song, X. P., Potapov, P. V., Krylov, A., King, L., Di Bella, C. M., Hudson, A., … & Hansen, M. C. (2017). National-scale soybean mapping and area estimation in the United States using medium resolution satellite imagery and field survey. Remote sensing of environment, 190, 383-395.
Order an Essay Now & Get These Features For Free:
Turnitin Report
Formatting
Title Page
Citation
Outline
