Conference PaperPDF Available

STUDY ON ENERGY CRISIS AND THE FUTURE OF FOSSIL FUELS

December 2009

DOI:10.13140/2.1.2234.3689

Conference: Proceedings of SHEE 2009

Authors:

Manieniyan V

Annamalai University

Thambidurai Muthuvelan

Annamalai University

The steady increase in energy consumption coupled with environmental pollution has promoted research activities in alternative and renewable energy fuels. Many countries in the world are continuously developing materials and methods for effectively utilizing the alternative fuel resources available in their region. Alternative fuels, also known as non-conventional or advanced fuels, are any materials or substances that can be used as fuels, other than conventional fuels. Conventional fuels include: fossil fuels (petroleum (oil), coal, propane, and natural gas), and nuclear materials such as uranium. Some well known alternative fuels include biodiesel, bio alcohol (methanol, ethanol), chemically stored electricity (batteries and fuel cells), hydrogen, non-fossil methane, non-fossil natural gas, vegetable oil and other biomass sources. INTRODUCTION The world is gradually marching towards a severe energy crisis, what with an ever-increasing demand of energy overstepping its supply. We have always known that the energy we use every day is not unlimited, yet we take it for granted. Oil, gas, power, even water has limited availability. Yet, we have not taken enough precautions to deal with a possible energy crisis. When I say 'we', I am not referring to the governments but to all of us, the common people. Oil and gas have already become too expensive, and with each passing day, they are moving towards being extinct. Some ignorant people think that energy crisis is a myth. They fail to see the big picture. There have been three major energy crises so far – the 1973 oil crisis, the 1979 energy crisis, and the 1990 oil-price hike, apart from several regional crisis. Prices have been rapidly increasing for the last five years, thanks to the ever-increasing demand and the increasing shortage of energy resources. CAUSES OF ENERGY CRISIS Market failure is possible when monopoly manipulation of markets occurs. A crisis can develop due to industrial actions like union organized strikes and government embargoes. The cause may be over-consumption, aging infrastructure, choke point disruption or bottlenecks at oil refineries and port facilities that restrict fuel supply. An emergency may emerge during unusually cold winters due to increased consumption of energy. Pipeline failures and other accidents may cause minor interruptions to energy supplies. A crisis could possibly emerge after infrastructure damage from severe weather. Attacks by terrorists or militia on important infrastructure are a possible problem for energy

Carbon-di-oxide emission

…

Peak fossil fuels ALTERNATIVE FOSSIL FUELS Hydrogen is a colorless, odorless gas that accounts for 75% of the entire universe's mass. Hydrogen is found on Earth only in combination with other elements such as oxygen, carbon, and nitrogen. To use hydrogen, it must be separated from these other elements, then it can be used for a variety of things. The most inspiring and exciting use for this element would be for use as a fuel. Changing to hydrogen is a formidable task that many individuals and companies will be afraid to make. Even though this is a huge undertaking to switch totally from gas to hydrogen, there are things that are out now that will make the switch easier. One of them is a conversion kit wich converts your gas car to a hydrogen. There also a few fueling stations scattered across California today. Also BMW has taken major interest in the possibility and already has a prototype hydrogen powered car. Although the change will be tough some of the benefits will be great. For example it is much more environmentally friendly to burn hydrogen than to burn gasoline. This will cut down on pollution as well as health problems that asthmatic people face from living near polluted areas. Another advantage to switching to hydrogen would be the availability of the resource. Hydrogen makes up 70% of the earth's mass, most of it in water, and is very easy collect. Once the water is collected, it is a simple matter of running electricity through it to separate

…

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Proceedings of SHEE 2009, 11 – 12 Dec’09, Engineering Wing, DDE, Annamalai University

EY03

STUDY ON ENERGY CRISIS AND THE FUTURE OF FOSSIL

FUELS

V. Manieniyan1, M.Thambidurai2 and R.Selvakumar3

1Lecturer in Mechanical Engg, Directorate of Distance Education,

Annamalai University,

2Lecturer in Mechanical Engg, Directorate of Distance Education,

Annamalai University,

3Senior Lecturer in Mechanical Engg, Directorate of Distance Education,

Annamalai University, Annamalainagar – 608 002, Email:

manieniyan_au@yahoo.co.in

ABSTRACT

The steady increase in energy consumption coupled with environmental

pollution has promoted research activities in alternative and renewable energy

fuels. Many countries in the world are continuously developing materials and

methods for effectively utilizing the alternative fuel resources available in their

region. Alternative fuels, also known as non-conventional or advanced fuels, are

any materials or substances that can be used as fuels, other than conventional

fuels. Conventional fuels include: fossil fuels (petroleum (oil), coal, propane, and

natural gas), and nuclear materials such as uranium. Some well known

alternative fuels include biodiesel, bio alcohol (methanol, ethanol), chemically

stored electricity (batteries and fuel cells), hydrogen, non-fossil methane, non-

fossil natural gas, vegetable oil and other biomass sources.

INTRODUCTION

The world is gradually marching towards a severe energy crisis, what with

an ever-increasing demand of energy overstepping its supply. We have always

known that the energy we use every day is not unlimited, yet we take it for

granted. Oil, gas, power, even water has limited availability. Yet, we have not

taken enough precautions to deal with a possible energy crisis. When I say ‘we’, I

am not referring to the governments but to all of us, the common people.

Oil and gas have already become too expensive, and with each passing day, they

are moving towards being extinct. Some ignorant people think that energy crisis is

a myth. They fail to see the big picture. There have been three major energy crises

so far – the 1973 oil crisis, the 1979 energy crisis, and the 1990 oil-price hike,

apart from several regional crisis. Prices have been rapidly increasing for the last

five years, thanks to the ever-increasing demand and the increasing shortage of

energy resources.

CAUSES OF ENERGY CRISIS

Market failure is possible when monopoly manipulation of markets

occurs. A crisis can develop due to industrial actions like union organized strikes

and government embargoes. The cause may be over-consumption, aging

infrastructure, choke point disruption or bottlenecks at oil refineries and port

facilities that restrict fuel supply. An emergency may emerge during unusually

cold winters due to increased consumption of energy. Pipeline failures and other

accidents may cause minor interruptions to energy supplies. A crisis could

possibly emerge after infrastructure damage from severe weather. Attacks by

terrorists or militia on important infrastructure are a possible problem for energy

Proceedings of SHEE 2009, 11 – 12 Dec’09, Engineering Wing, DDE, Annamalai University

EY03

consumers, with a successful strike on a Middle East facility potentially causing

global shortages. Political events, for example, when governments change due to

regime change, monarchy collapse, military occupation, and coup may disrupt oil

and gas production and create shortages.

ENVIRONMENTAL & SOCIAL PROBLEMS

When oil and coal is burnt they emit huge amounts of carbon dioxide and

other harmful gases, which have a negative effect on the environment, like sulfur

dioxide. Carbon dioxide traps in the sunlight as it only lets light in, it does not

allow it to leave the atmosphere which causes temperatures to rise. If temperatures

are too hot it is terrible for children and elderly people who find it hard to cope

with hot conditions. To stop the green house effect we must find alternative

transport. Did you know that for every liter of petrol used 3 kilograms of carbon

dioxide is released into the air. If you multiply that that by the average amount of

petrol a car uses in a lifetime and multiply that by the number of cars that have

been on the streets you have a lot of Carbon dioxide in the air.(Fig 1)

Fig 1: Carbon-di-oxide emission

Coal and Oil also let off sulfur dioxide which mixes with the moisture and clouds

in the air and forms sulfuric acid. The sulfuric acid is known as acid rain as when

it falls it causes forests, vegetation and crops to die, which upsets the equilibrium

of many ecosystems. Acid rain occurs in Australia but is not as bad as in Europe

where some of the most beautiful forests in the world are dying as a result of acid

rain. With these effects in mind and the fact that fossil fuels are predicted to run

out within the next 40-50 years it is essential that we find alternative and

renewable energy sources. I will now give you some information about the three

main renewable resources which may be the answer to our energy crisis.

FACTORS INCREASING DEMAND FOR ALTERNATIVE FUELS

In 2007, there were 1.8 million alternative fuel vehicles sold in the United States,

indicating an increasing popularity of alternative fuels. There is growing

perceived economic and political need for the development of alternative fuel

sources. This is due to general environmental, economic, and geopolitical

concerns of sustainability.

The major environmental concern, according to an IPCC report, is that

"Most of the observed increase in globally averaged temperatures since the mid-

20th century is due to the observed increase in anthropogenic greenhouse gas

concentrations". Since burning fossil fuels is known to increase greenhouse gas

concentrations in the atmosphere, they are a likely contributor to global warming.

Other concerns which have fueled demand revolve around the concept of peak oil,

which predicts rising fuel costs as production rates of petroleum enter a terminal

decline. According to the Hubbert peak theory, when the production levels peak,

Proceedings of SHEE 2009, 11 – 12 Dec’09, Engineering Wing, DDE, Annamalai University

EY03

demand for oil will exceed supply and without proper mitigation this gap will

continue to grow as production drops, which could cause a major energy crisis.

Lastly, the majority of the known petroleum reserves are located in the Middle

East. There is general concern that worldwide fuel shortages could intensify the

unrest that exists in the region, leading to further conflict and war. In an attempt to

increase demand for alternative fuels in the US, the IRS began allowing taxpayers

to claim a special tax credit for using alternative fuels, known as the Alternative

Fuel Vehicle Refueling Property Credit. The definition used for alternative fuel

under this credit is: Any fuel containing at least 85 percent of one or more of

ethanol, natural gas, compressed natural gas, liquefied natural gas, liquefied

petroleum gas, or hydrogen; or any mixture which consists of two or more of

biodiesel, diesel fuel, or kerosene, and at least 20% of which consists of biodiesel.

The production of alternative fuels can have widespread effects. For example, the

production of corn-based ethanol has created an increased demand for the feed

stock, causing rising prices in almost everything made from corn. However, in a

competitive free market, an increased supply of ethanol reduces the demand for

conventional fuels, and thus lowers fuel prices. The ethanol industry enables

agricultural surpluses to be used to mitigate shortages. A more rapid decline of

peak fossil fuels was previously anticipated in the fig 2 below, which force us to

move towards the alternative for fossil fuels.

Fig 2: Peak fossil fuels

ALTERNATIVE FOSSIL FUELS

Hydrogen is a colorless, odorless gas that accounts for 75% of the entire

universe's mass. Hydrogen is found on Earth only in combination with other

elements such as oxygen, carbon, and nitrogen. To use hydrogen, it must be

separated from these other elements, then it can be used for a variety of things.

The most inspiring and exciting use for this element would be for use as a fuel.

Changing to hydrogen is a formidable task that many individuals and companies

will be afraid to make. Even though this is a huge undertaking to switch totally

from gas to hydrogen, there are things that are out now that will make the switch

easier. One of them is a conversion kit wich converts your gas car to a hydrogen.

There also a few fueling stations scattered across California today. Also BMW has

taken major interest in the possibility and already has a prototype hydrogen

powered car. Although the change will be tough some of the benefits will be great.

For example it is much more environmentally friendly to burn hydrogen than to

burn gasoline. This will cut down on pollution as well as health problems that

asthmatic people face from living near polluted areas. Another advantage to

switching to hydrogen would be the availability of the resource. Hydrogen makes

up 70% of the earth’s mass, most of it in water, and is very easy collect. Once the

water is collected, it is a simple matter of running electricity through it to separate

Proceedings of SHEE 2009, 11 – 12 Dec’09, Engineering Wing, DDE, Annamalai University

EY03

the elements. One last major advantage is the fact that it would be cheaper to

refine than gasoline. This means that it would be cheaper for the consumer. With

gas prices so high, a new and cheap fuel is in high demand.

Ethanol is a clear liquid with an agreeable odor that can be made from

natural products and is diluted with gasoline to provide a cleaner, more natural

fuel source. It is a renewable fuel because it's made from plants. About 30% of all

gasoline consumed the U.S. is blended with ethanol. There are three major types

of ethanol: E95, E85, and E10. E95 is pure ethanol before it is denatured. Most

vehicles cannot use this, so it must be mixed with gasoline first. E85 is the leading

alternative fuel source in the U.S. It's a mixture of 85% ethanol and 15% gasoline.

E10 is a combination of 10% ethanol and 90% gasoline and is the most common

form currently used. Ethanol has both economical and environmental benefits. It

moderates the price of gasoline to consumers because it takes some of the work

away from the petroleum refining industry. It also creates many jobs because there

are many steps in producing it. For example, many farmers are needed to grow the

crops, and taxi drivers use the fuel to run their taxis. Ethanol also improves rural

development because farmers must grow crops to make the fuel. Also, because

ethanol is a natural product, it reduces air pollution so fewer toxins are released

into the air. Therefore, smog problems in many major cities can be eliminated.

Although ethanol can form explosive vapors in fuel tanks, it is safer than gasoline

because its slow evaporation speed keeps alcohol concentration low and therefore

non-explosive.

Methanol, also known as wood alcohol, is an alternative fuel that can be

produced from any carbon-based source. Examples of carbon-based sources are:

natural gas, coal, wood wastes, and seaweed. Methanol is not commonly used

because automakers are no longer making vehicles that run on methanol. Global

methanol production capacity is about 12 billion gallons per year. Using methanol

as an alternative fuel source is good because it produces lower emissions, yields

higher performance, and has a lower risk of flammability than gasoline. It can also

be manufactured from a wide variety of substances since many things are carbon-

based. Because the use of methanol creates better performance and acceleration, it

is used as the fuel for Indy race cars, monster trucks, and model vehicles.

Natural gas is mostly methane, but other hydrocarbons do exist. These

hydrocarbons include pentane, ethane, propane, and butane with the compliment

of some other trace elements. The hydrocarbons are what give natural gas its high

combustion property and methane the clean burning property. When natural gas is

refined to a gaseous state, the hydrocarbons and impurities are removed and

methane is essentially burned. However, when natural gas is used as a liquid to

fuel engines, the hydrocarbons are needed for a good combustion to occur. Thus,

natural gas has become an important fuel source when used both ways. Natural

gas' largest advantage is it chemical composition; it is basically methane (CH4).

Because methane only has one carbon in its composition, it produces very low

carbon emissions. With the other hydrocarbons only have the number of carbon

molecules ranging from 1-4, when they burn; the same holds true. In addition, the

blue flame that results from burning the flame is from the molecules completing a

perfect combustion, because of their chemical structure. Natural gas' second

largest advantage is conveniency. The gas is pumped directly into the consumer

Proceedings of SHEE 2009, 11 – 12 Dec’09, Engineering Wing, DDE, Annamalai University

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home with a network that is as efficient as delivering electricity. This network

cannot be easily damaged by weather or conditions. Secondly, natural gas is in

abundance in the US, thus the need to import from foreign countries is minimal.

Because of this abundance, natural gas is cheaper than oil to burn.

CONCLUSION

We are currently in an energy crisis. Fossil fuels are the lifeblood of our

society and for many others around the world. Our supply has a finite end, which

is why we are willing to go to war for it and make friends with those we really

hate. Our foreign aid has a legitimate purpose. Even with our newfound friends,

fossil fuels will run out and the use of them will soon take the lives of many

people. These are important reasons to find other means of getting the energy we

need to continue our society as we know it. Alternative forms of energy are

currently under development even though most of them are only in their initial

stages. With increased government and public support, we may be able to speed

up the development of these technologies and help free ourselves from the usage

of fossil fuels. Oil companies will have to be dealt with because with the future

shortages of fossil fuels, they would stand to reap enormous profits. To prevent

this, oil and other energy resource providing companies should be encouraged to

develop these technologies for the sake of ethics if not for long-term profit gains

when all fossil fuel resources are exhausted

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production by transesterification – a review”. Renewable and Sustainable

Energy Reviews (2004)1-21J of .ELSEVIER.

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PauloA.Z.Suarez. “New multi-phase catalytic systems based on tin

compounds active for vegetable oil transesterification reaction”. Journal of

Molecular Catalysis A:Chemical 227(2004)263-267

3) Hak-Joo Kim, Bo-Seung Kang,Min-Ju Kim,Young Moo Park,et.al

“Transesterification of vegetable oil to bio-diesel using heterogeneous base

catalyst”. J of Catalysis Today 93-95(2004) 315-320.

4) Dr. C.G.Saravanan, S.Sivaprakasam. “Combustion and emission

characteristics of D.I diesel engine Using Bio-diesel” SAE No 2004-28-074.

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Jun 2006
RENEW SUST ENERG REV

Biodiesel is gaining more and more importance as an attractive fuel due to the depleting fossil fuel resources. Chemically biodiesel is monoalkyl esters of long chain fatty acids derived from renewable feed stock like vegetable oils and animal fats. It is produced by transesterification in which, oil or fat is reacted with a monohydric alcohol in presence of a catalyst. The process of transesterification is affected by the mode of reaction condition, molar ratio of alcohol to oil, type of alcohol, type and amount of catalysts, reaction time and temperature and purity of reactants. In the present paper various methods of preparation of biodiesel with different combination of oil and catalysts have been described. The technical tools and processes for monitoring the transesterification reactions like TLC, GC, HPLC, GPC, 1H NMR and NIR have also been summarized. In addition, fuel properties and specifications provided by different countries are discussed.

Experimental studies on the combustion and emission characteristics of a diesel engine fuelled with used cooking oil methyl ester and its diesel blends

Article

Feb 2007

New Multi-phase Catalytic Systems Based on Tin Compounds Active for Vegetable Oil Transesterification Reaction

Article

Mar 2005
J MOL CATAL A-CHEM

It is reported here about some attempts in order to develop a multi-phase catalytic system active for vegetable oil alcoholysis based upon tin compounds. The immobilization of Sn(3-hydroxy-2-methyl-4-pyrone) 2 (H 2 O) 2 by dissolving it in the 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate ionic liquid and supporting it in an ion-exchange resin, as well as the catalytic behavior of tin oxide was studied. By anchoring the tin complex in the ionic liquid, it was observed that its catalytic activity was maintained but it was not possible to reuse the catalytic system due to leaching of the catalyst from the ionic phase during each reaction. On the other hand, it was found that the tin complex lost its catalytic activity when supported in the organic resin. It was also shown that tin oxide was active for soybean oil methanolysis (conversion yields up to 93% in 3 h were achieved) and was also possible to recycle it without any loss in its catalytic activity.

Preparation of biodiesel from soybean oil using supercritical methanol and co-solvent

Article

Mar 2005
FUEL

Transesterification of soybean oil in supercritical methanol has been carried out in the absence of catalyst. A co-solvent was added to the reaction mixture in order to decrease the operating temperature, pressure and molar ratio of alcohol to vegetable oil. With propane as co-solvent in the reaction system, there was a significant decrease in the severity of the conditions required for supercritical reaction, which makes the production of biodiesel using supercritical methanol viable as an industrial process. A high yield of methyl esters (biodiesel) was observed and the production process is environmentally friendly. Furthermore the co-solvent can be reused after suitable pretreatment.

Transesterification of vegetable oil to biodiesel using heterogeneous base catalyst

Article

Sep 2004
CATAL TODAY

Biodiesel produced by the transesterification of vegetable oils (VOs) is a promising alternative fuel to diesel regarding the limited resources of fossil fuel and the environmental concerns. In this work, an environmentally benign process for the production of biodiesel from VOs using heterogeneous catalyst was developed. Na/NaOH/γ-Al2O3 heterogeneous base catalyst was firstly adopted for the production of biodiesel. A study for optimizing the reaction conditions such as the reaction time, the stirring speed, the use of co-solvent, the oil to methanol ratio, and the amount of catalyst, was performed. The Na/NaOH/γ-Al2O3 heterogeneous base catalyst showed almost the same activity under the optimized reaction conditions compared to conventional homogeneous NaOH catalyst. The basic strength of Na/NaOH/γ-Al2O3 catalyst was estimated and the correlation with the activity towards transesterification was proposed.

Combustion and emission characteristics of D.I diesel engine Using Bio-diesel

Jan 2004

C G Dr
S Saravanan
Sivaprakasam

Dr. C.G.Saravanan, S.Sivaprakasam. "Combustion and emission characteristics of D.I diesel engine Using Bio-diesel" SAE No 2004-28-074.

STUDY ON ENERGY CRISIS AND THE FUTURE OF FOSSIL FUELS

Abstract and Figures

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