Studies On Production Of Biofuel Using
Composite Materials
Pooja Prakash Darshana K
Prashant Kurdekar
Department of Civil Engineering Department of Civil Engineering
Assistant Professor
St Joseph Engineering College St Joseph Engineering College
Department of Civil Engineering
Vamanjoor, Mangaluru, India Vamanjoor, Mangaluru, India
St. Joseph Engineering College
[Link]@[Link] darshanak017@[Link]
Vamanjoor, Managaluru, India
prashantk@[Link]
Nikhil N V V Adwaidh
Vishal V Naik Department of Civil Engineering
Department of Civil Engineering Department of Civil Engineering
St Joseph Engineering College
St Joseph Engineering College St Joseph Engineering College
Vamanjoor, Mangaluru, India
Vamanjoor, Mangaluru, India Vamanjoor, Mangaluru, India
nikhiln41@[Link]
vishalnaik411@[Link] adwaidhshajan@[Link]
diesel in fuel tank and at any point in time and does not require
Abstract- This paper presents an experimental study on the any modification in the engines. It is capable of improving
production of biofuel using composite materials. The usage of performance of engines and which cleans the fuel system
bioethanol as an alternative fuel in vehicles not only helps in engine, increasing octane and reducing harmful emission,
reducing the greenhouse gas emissions but also is much cheaper, increasing the life of vehicles. Biofuel is relatively affordable
durable and eco-friendly fuel. In this paper we have performed
compared to other source of energy.
studies on the use of various composite materials for preparing
biofuel and their comparison. Tests were performed to There are four types of generations in biofuels: First Generation,
determine the concentration of ethanol in the different samples Second Generation, Third Generation and Fourth Generation.
obtained. From the results the studies were able to obtain a India is the second largest producer of sugarcane in the world
renewable and eco-friendly energy, bioethanol with high but accounts for only about 1% of global ethanol production.
efficiency and durability compared to gasoline used as a vehicle This includes 380 million liters of fuel ethanol and 45 million
fuel. liters of biodiesel. In 2010 India registered the highest
Keywords—Biofuel, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Fermentation, production in the production of biofuel when comparing with
Distillation, Spectrophotometer previous years. With the addition of 0.151 million tonnes of oil
I. INTRODUCTION equivalent, India registered an 85% increase in production over
Due to the growing concern of global warming and its 2009 production.
greenhouse effect caused because of the emission of harmful
gases from vehicles, increase in crude oil prices and other LITERATURE REVIEW
factors, bioethanol is widely considered as the best alternative Mehvish Iram [Link] conducted an investigation on production
for gasoline used as a vehicle fuel. Biofuel is a type of fuel of bioethanol from sugarcane bagasse using yeast strains
produced from living organisms or from metabolic by-products. Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Pichia stipites. The crushed
These organic materials can be directly converted into sample of sugarcane bagasse was soaked in 2.5% of NaOH
flammable fuels that become fossil fuel. It is an excellent solution for 1 h at room temperature. After that, the samples
replacement for non-renewable fossil fuel energy. This type of were subjected to pressurized heating at 121°C for various time
fuel can be either in the liquid, gaseous or solid form. periods (10, 20 30, and 40, min). The samples were allowed to
With the recent increase in the oil prices along with the growing cool and filtered and solid residues were washed up to
concern about global warming, caused by carbon dioxide neutrality. Saccharification of alkali-pretreated sugarcane
emissions, biofuels have been regaining popularity. Ethanol fuel bagasse was done. For ethanol fermentation, medium
is the most common type of fuel. It is usually used as a gasoline ingredients such as (%) 0.25 (NH4)2SO4, 0.1 KH2PO4, 0.05
additive in order to control vehicular emissions and increase MgSO4, and 0.25 yeast extract were added to the filtrate from
octane. Most of the transportation fuels are liquid, because they saccharified bagasse and sterilized at 121°C for 15 min. After
are easiest to burn cleanly and are portable. completion of the fermentation process, ethanol was estimated
The largest national use of ethanol biofuel exists in Brazil. It is by High Performance Liquid Chromatography.
also widely used in the United States. Together both these
countries accounted to 88% of the world’s ethanol biofuel
production in 2010. This type of fuel is not only used in Y. C. WONG and V. SANGGARI conducted investigation on
automobiles but also for cooking purposes. The by-products of Bioethanol Production from Sugarcane Bagasse using
biofuel can be used as a manure and fertilizer. Fermentation Process. And to determine the effect of pH and
Biofuels are renewable and biodegradable, compared to the temperature on bioethanol yield. In this sugarcane bagasse was
other forms of renewable energy simple and easy to use. dried in oven at 60°C for 3 days. Buffer was prepared and the
Biofuels reduce the greenhouse gases as compared to that of prepared buffer was covered with aluminum foil and kept at
fossil fuels because these are primarily derived from crops room temperature for further use. Liquefaction of sugarcane is
which absorb carbon dioxide thus the balance of carbon dioxide done. 0.5 ml of NaOH was prepared to be added at this step to
is sustained and maintained in the atmosphere. It is also safe and adjust the pH of the slurry to 4.5. Mixture was cooled down to
non-toxic. 32ºC and 10 ml of Saccharomyces cerevisiae was added to the
Biofuels can be combined with the conventional petroleum sample before transferred to conical flask. In fermentation
process, yeast was used to ferment the simple sugar to ethanol dependency of vehicles on gasoline fuel can be reduced. In
and carbon dioxide. To determine the effects of pH on ethanol present, they are blending about 10-20%of ethanol in fossil
yield, the temperature was kept constant at 37ºC while the pH fuels but in the coming years about 100%of ethanol can be
To determine the effect of temperature on ethanol yield, the pH used in vehicles without any modification of engine.
was kept constant at 4.5. The fermentation process continued for
48 hours. After that the solution is filtered and distilled. The
sample is was heated at 80ºC to get the bioethanol. MATERIALS AND METHODOLOGY
1. Sugarcane Bagasse
Maria Carolina de Albuquerque Wanderley conducted Sugarcane bagasse is the fibrous material (residue) that remains
investigation on Increase in ethanol production from sugarcane after the sugarcane has been crushed to extract their juice. These
bagasse based on combined pretreatments and fed-batch were collected from local fresh juice shops in Mangalore. The
enzymatic hydrolysis. Enzymatic hydrolysis of pretreated bagasse was then dried under sunlight for nearly three days and
sugarcane bagasse was performed to investigate the production cut into small pieces.
of ethanol. The sugarcane bagasse was pretreated in a process For the first trial we took about 205g of bagasse and added three
combining steam explosion and alkaline delignification. The liters of water to it and boiled it under a temperature of 100C
lignin content decreased to 83%. Fed-batch enzymatic for nearly 10-15 minutes. The bagasse is then kept aside for
hydrolyses was initiated with 8% (w/v) solids loading, and cooling.
10 FPU/g cellulose. Then, 1% solids were fed at 12, 24 or 48 h
intervals. After 120 h, the hydrolysates were fermented 2. Rice Husk
with Saccharomyces cerevisiae UFPEDA 1238, and a fourfold Rice husks are the hard protecting coverings of grains of rice. It
increase in ethanol production was reached when fed-batch comprises of high cellulose content (38-50%) and high content
hydrolysis with a 12-h addition period was used for the steam of fermentable sugar. Here, 164g of bagasse and 41g of rice
pretreated and delignified bagasse. After steam explosion, the husk is boiled with 3 liters of water. It is then kept aside for
percent hemicellulose content decreased from 25.8% to 8.9%. cooling.
The percentage concentrations of lignin and cellulose increased
from 22.1% and 42.8% to 34.3% and 47.7%, respectively. 3. Wood Saw Dust
Sawdust or wood dust is a by-product or waste product of
woodworking operations such as sawing, milling, drilling and
Wafa A Baz and Lubna S Nawar conducted an experiment on
sanding. It is composed of fine particles of wood. Cellulose
production of fuel ethanol from sugarcane bagasse wastes using
content present in wood dust is very high. Here 164g of bagasse
Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Sugar cane bagasse were collected,
and 41g of wood saw dust is boiled with 3 liters of water and is
hydrolyzed with concentrated HCl and used as a main carbon
kept aside for cooling.
source (30 g/l). The growth curves of the two tested strains of S.
cerevisiae were the same. The effect of temperature and pH
levels on the growth, carbohydrates yield and mainly bioethanol 4. Banana Peels
Banana peels or Banana skin is the outer covering of banana
productivity from sugarcane wastes was studied for both
fruit. It can be used as food for animals, manufacturing of
Saccharomyces strains. The best conditions for bioethanol
several bio chemicals etc. Starch content of these peels varies
productivity was in fermentation medium after 3 days of growth
from 40-50%. Banana peels is rich in sugar content and is a
at pH 6 and 30°C.
waste product to extract ethanol from it. Waste banana peels are
collected and mixed with sugarcane bagasse. Here 164g of
bagasse 20.5g of banana peels and 20.5g of rice husk is boiled
Isis Amores [Link] conducted an experiment on Ethanol
with 3 liters of water and is kept aside for cooling.
Production from Sugarcane Bagasse Pretreated by Steam
Explosion. In this work, steam explosion pretreatment at
5. Waste Paper
different temperatures (200°C, 215°C and 230°C) for 5 min was
Waste paper can serve as a raw material for ethanol production
evaluated on sugarcane bagasse for ethanol production by
due to rich in cellulose content. Waste papers are collected and
simultaneous Saccharification and fermentation (SSF). The solid
cut into small pieces. Then, 164g of sugarcane bagasse and 41g
fraction of sugarcane bagasse pretreated at 215°C was submitted
of waste paper is boiled with 3 liters of water. It is kept aside for
to SSF at increasing solid loading and the effect of xylanase
cooling.
supplementation and a presaccharification step was assessed.
The highest final ethanol concentration (56.3 g L-1) was
6. Saccharomyces Cerevisiae Yeast
achieved with SSF supplemented with xylanase enzyme at 20%
Saccharomyces cerevisiae yeast, also commonly called as the
of solid concentration.
Baker’s yeast was purchased from online market. This type of
yeast is generally used for making wines, for baking and for
SCOPE brewing of beer etc.
Environmental issues related to global warming and Take about 200ml of water in a vessel and allow it to boil.
greenhouse effect and increase in price of fossil fuels like Measure about 12.5g of yeast accurately and add this to the
petrol and diesel is one of the major concerns of the society. water, after it reaches a temperature of 40C. It is then allowed
One main reason for this is the release of carbon dioxide and to cool. This mixture is then poured on the above cooled bagasse
other harmful gases to the atmosphere in large amounts. To mixture.
control gas emissions due to the burning of fossil fuels, a The whole setup is then covered by using an Aluminum foil
renewable energy source such as bioethanol is used as an paper, by making sure that it is air tight and this setup is then
alternative fuel in vehicles. The present project deals with an kept under sunlight for three days for the process of
economical, eco-friendly and renewable method of producing fermentation to take place.
bioethanol from different composite materials. By blending a
considerable percentage of ethanol in gasoline the total
7. Fermentation
Ethanol fermentation is a biological process which converts
sugar into cellular energy, producing ethanol and carbon
dioxide as by-products. In this process yeast performs
conversion of oxygen and is considered as an anaerobic process.
Ethanol fermentation is also called as alcoholic fermentation.
8. Distillation Setup
Distillation is a common operation in many laboratories for the
purpose of separating or purifying components of a liquid
mixture by using selective boiling and condensation. The
distillation apparatus used consists of three major
parts: distillation flask to heat the mixture and volatilize the
components, a condenser to cool the vapors back to liquid state
and a collection vessel. The condenser is connected to a source
of running water to provide cooling for the vapors. This
prevents the hot vapors from coming in contact with the cold
water and creating a large thermal shock to the glassware.
After fermentation process, about 400ml of fermented solution RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
is collected in a reflux and distillation is carried out at a Spectrophotometer Test
temperature of 90oC. When the solution starts boiling, vapors The concentration of ethanol in sample can be determined by
are produced which flows through the condenser. These hot various methods. One of the commonly used methods is by
vapors thus produced get condensed when they come in contact using spectrophotometer. The results of two samples are
with the cold water flowing in the condenser and gets collected given below in table and the rest of the sample tests will be
in the beaker. done later.
Table 1 : Results of Spectrophotometer Test
Sample Results
[Link] Reference Unit at
600nm
Sample 1 -
1 (Sugarcane % 89.58
Bagasse)
Sample 2-
2 (Bagasse % 89.87
and Rice
husk)
CONCLUSION
From the results, it was obtained that bioethanol can be
9. DETERMINATION OF CONCENTRATION OF blended with gasoline effectively. The composite materials
ETHANOL IN SAMPLE used in different proportion increased the efficiency of
ethanol produced. The different samples produced were
By Spectrophotometer test: tested for ethanol concentration and hence compared. The
• A spectrophotometer is an instrument that measures the tests showed that ethanol can be used as an additive in
amount of light absorbed by a sample. gasoline fuels.
• It measures the concentration of solutes in solution by
measuring the amount of light that is absorbed by the
solution in a cuvette placed in the spectrophotometer. ACKNOWLEDGMENT
Requirements We would like to sincerely thank our HOD Dr. B
• Chromic acid reagent Radheshyam for his support and encouragement and also
• Ethanol sample thank our project guide [Link] Kurdekar, Department
• Distilled water of Civil Engineering, St. Joseph Engineering College,
• Spectrophotometer Vamanjoor, Mangaluru for his valuable support, supervision
Procedure and useful suggestions throughout the project.
• Collect 1 ml ethanol sample.
• To 1ml of sample/solution, add 25 ml of chromic acid
reagent. REFERENCES
• Place the tubes in a water bath at 70ºC for 15 min. [1] Maria Carolina de Albuquerque Wanderley, Carlos
• Take out the tubes and immediately add 24 ml of Martin, George Jackson de Moraes Rocha, Ester Ribeiro
distilled water to it to stop the reaction. Gouveia(2012),Increase in ethanol production from sugarcane
• Measure the percentage at 600 nm. bagasse based on combined pre-treatments and fed-batch
enzymatic hydrolysis, Bioresource Technology 128 (2013) 448-
453.
[2] Wafa A Baz and Lubna S Nawar(2017)Production of
fuel ethanol from sugarcane bagasse wastes using
Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Journal of Experimental Biology and
Agricultural Sciences; Volume – 5(6), ISSN No. 2320 – 8694.
[3] Isis Amores, Ignacio Ballesteros, Paloma Manzanares,
Felicia Sáez, Georgina Michelena, Mercedes Ballesteros (2013)
Electronic Journal of Energy & Environment,Vol. 1, No. 1,
ISSN: 0719-269X
[4] Mohammad Jahid, Akanksha Gupta and Durlubh
Kumar Sharma(2018) Production of Bioethanol from Fruit
Wastes (Banana, Papaya, Pineapple and Mango Peels) Under
Milder Conditions, ISSN: 2155-9821
[5] Mirelle Marcio Santos Cabral, Ana Karla De Souza
Abud, Carlos Eduardo De Farias Silva, Renata Maria Rosas
Garcia Almeida(2016) Bioethanol production from coconut
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