Biofuels Course

Duration: 2 weeks
Date: August, 2017 
Venue: IMT - Instituto Mauá de Tecnologia - São Caetano do Sul/SP - Brazil

OBJECTIVES

The awareness regarding pollutants and their adverse health effects and the need to intensify the use of renewable energy sources has created an urgent need for engineers to better understand the biofuels combustion process. To effectively contribute to emission control strategies and design and develop of modern internal combustion engines systems and components, a good understanding of biofuels (bioethanol and biodiesel) production, application and behavior in the engines is necessary. This seminar will bring the forefront themes related to combustion and emissions of biofuels. The participants will have activities in the engine laboratory of Instituto Mauá de Tecnologia, and monitored visits to Brazilian companies that are developing innovative solutions for application of biofuels, and also companies that are producing biofuels.

Upon completion of this Seminar & Workshop, you will be able to:

• Understand the basic production processes of bioethanol (ethanol from sugar cane) and biodiesel.
• Identify and describe the important processes in combustion and emission of alternative oxygenate fuels like bioethanol.
• Identify the formation mechanisms and reduction strategies of pollutant species using biofuels.
• Recognize the effects of biofuels on engine design and operating conditions.
• Explain the technology and the logic behind after-treatment of pollutants
• Identify the underlying laws and principles used in combustion and emission black-boxed computer programs
• Explain the role chemical kinetics plays in the design of low-emission internal combustion engines using biofuels.
• Understand the Brazilian green energy matrix and the local legislations regarding pollutants reduction and fuel efficiency.
• Identify design trade-offs between the use of biofuels and increasing engine performance and durability.

TOPICAL OUTLINE

• Global and Brazilian emission standards & polices.
• Fossil fuels and biofuels.
• Carbon footprint in the production life cycle of alternative fuels.
• Overview of biofuels (bioethanol and biodiesel) production and main properties.
• First and Second Law of Thermodynamics and Applications in Combustion Systems. Adiabatic flame temperature and its usage. Heat of reaction. Thermodynamic equilibrium. Chemical kinetics.
• Premixed and non-premixed flames.
• Thermodynamic analysis of CI and SI engines using biofuels in the test bench through indicated parameters. Heat release analysis.
• Fuel injection and spray formation. Flame structure and speed.
• Exhaust Gas Treatments. Typical Engine Emission Results. Emission Measurements.

COURSE PROGRAM

Lectures Contents:

• Global and Brazilian emission standards & polices.
• Fossil fuels and biofuels.
• Overview of biofuels (bioethanol and biodiesel) production and main properties.
• Carbon footprint in the production life cycle of alternative fuels.
• Lean, rich, stoichiometric mixture
• First and second law of thermodynamics and applications in combustion systems.
• Adiabatic flame temperature
• Thermodynamic and chemical equilibrium
• Chemical kinetics
• Arrhenius equation and activation energy
• Fuel injection and spray formation
• Flame and its propagation
• Premixed and non-premixed flames.
• Laminar flame structure
• Laminar flame speed
• Flammability limits
• Quenching distance
• Flame stabilization
• Combustion Evaluation
• Simple thermodynamic analysis of engine combustion
• Flame and unburned gas motions
• Mass fraction burned and heat release analysis
• Combustion process characterization
• Pollutant Formation and Control

Activities in the Laboratory:

• Demonstration applications of chemical equilibrium using computational tools.
• Flexfuel (Ethanol/Gasoline) engine evaluations on test bench (curves, basic calibration, indicated parameters measurements, heat release analysis).
• Exhaust emissions evaluation of Flexfuel motorcycle (Ethanol/Gasoline) on chassis dyno (according Brazilian legislation).

Monitored Visits:

• Mahle Technical Center in Jundiaí/SP
• Mercedes-Benz Technological Center in São Bernardo do Campo/SP
• Magneti-Marelli Engines Laboratory in Hortolândia/SP
• Ethanol production facilities and sugarcane farm in Ribeirão Preto/SP
• Brazilian Bioethanol Science and Technology Laboratory (CTBE - Laboratório Nacional de Ciência e Tecnologia do Bioetanol) in Campinas/SP (http://www.bioetanol.org.br/english).

INSTRUCTORS

The course will be given by instructors from the Instituto Mauá de Tecnologia and renowned professionals of the automotive area and coordinated by Professor Celso Argachoy.

Celso Argachoy received his Ph.D. and M.Sc. in Mechanical and Aeronautical Engineering from ITA ? Instituto Tecnológico de Aeronáutica. He has Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering from IMT ? Instituto Mauá de Tecnologia and has also a MBA. He is currently professor and researcher at IMT. He has taught courses in the areas of internal combustion engines and vehicles, and has a lot of publications and presentations in conferences. Professor Argachoy has an extensive experience in the research and development of internal combustion engines, working in global companies like Mercedes-Benz and Navistar, where he has conducted numerous research projects to investigate alternative fuels and the formation of pollutants.

WHO SHOULD ATTEND

The program is intended for undergraduate and graduate students with a basic knowledge in fluid mechanics, heat transfer and energy conversion system, who intend to develop future studies in the field of internal combustion engines with biofuels (bioethanol and biodiesel), related to design of engine components, software development and application for modeling of thermal-fluid, combustion and emissions processes.

Language: The course will be taught in English. Handouts will be provided during the course.