Page 236 - Biofuels Refining and Performance

Ethanol and Methanol as Fuels in Internal Combustion Engines 219

risks include the flash point, auto-ignition temperature, flammability
limits, and saturated vapor concentrations. While ethanol and methanol
have broader flammability limits than gasoline, gasoline poses a greater
risk of fire in open air. Because of the low flash point and auto-ignition
temperature of gasoline, gasoline is more likely to ignite and burn rap-
idly; therefore, the fire hazard is greater for gasoline.
Alcohol-fueled fire can be more readily contained than a gasoline-fueled
fire of equivalent volume because alcohols have a lower heat of combustion
than gasoline and less of the energy released is converted to radiant heat.
Therefore, energy release and potential damage from an explosion caused
by alcohol would be less than that of an explosion caused by gasoline.

7.10.5 Socioeconomic impacts
Substitution of alcohol fuels for conventional fuels will increase the number
of jobs in fuel production, distribution, and handling industries. Alcohol
fuels are expected to cost more than gasoline over the next 10 years.
As a result, vehicle-operating costs will be somewhat higher if alco-
hol blends are used. The price of alcohol blends varies significantly,
depending upon the type of alcohol and feedstock used. Blends con-
taining methanol derived from coal are the least expensive. The most
expensive are alcohol blends containing ethanol produced from corn.

7.10.6 Transportation and infrastructure
impacts
The existing fuel distribution system must be modified and expanded
to accommodate the increasing use of alcohol fuels in the long run. The
changes required will include construction of new pipelines, storage
facilities, and retrofitting of existing facilities with alcohol-compatible
pumps, hoses, valves, and other components.
The vehicle support services such as refueling, maintenance, repairs,
and vehicle sales will be unaffected by the use of alcohol fuels. The use
of alcohol fuels is not expected to have a significant impact on the exist-
ing transportation system infrastructure.

References
1. A. Nag. Analytical Techniques in Agriculture, Biotechnology and Environmental
Engineering, New Delhi, India: Prentice-Hall of India, 2006.
2. A. Nag. Text book of Agriculture Biotechnology, New Delhi, India: Prentice-Hall of
India, 2007 (in press).
3. E. S. Lipinsky. Chemicals from biomass: Petrochemical substitution options, Science
212, 1465–1471, 1992.
4. B. B. Ghosh, E. V. Thomas, and S. Natarajan. The Performance of a Tractor Diesel
Engine with Ethanol Fumigation, Ph.D. Thesis, Mechanical Engineering Department,
Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur, India, 1992.