Sweet solution to greenhouse gas emissions
A unique fuel device that cuts green-house gas emissions by up to 50 per cent and uses a mixture of diesel and ethanol for vehicles and stationary engines is being developed in Brisbane in a partnership between Queensland University of Technology (QUT) and Alternative Energy Technologies.
The device combines the use of bio fuel and diesel and the technology is being refined by a team led by Dr Richard Brown (pictured) from QUT’s School of Engineering.
The equipment can be retrofitted to trucks – three are testing the system at the Rocky Point Sugar Mill, south of Brisbane – at a cost of $10 000 to $22 000 a vehicle, Dr Brown said.
Dr Brown said the cost would be recouped within nine to 15 months, depending upon its application.
“The fuel savings will pay back the cost of this device,” he said.
“One of the novelties of this technology is that the ethanol and diesel do not come in contact until they meet in the combustion chamber of the engine.
“At the same time, greenhouse gas emissions are reduced and toxic emissions of nitrous oxide and carcinogenic particulates are reduced by half.
“The dual fuel device can be fitted to diesel powered 4WDs and diesel motor homes as well as stationary engines with no loss of performance.”
The manufacturing complex at Rocky Point includes a four-million-litres-a-year ethanol refinery, currently being upgraded to 35 million litres at a cost of
$20 million.
Dr Brown said the principal Australian market for the equipment would be Queensland, because of the wide availability of sources of bio fuels.
“They can be manufactured from sugar cane, grains, bananas or whatever is to hand.
“Significant markets are also being sought in the United States,” he said.
“Unfortunately, 100 per cent ethanol engines have problems but if ethanol can be combined with diesel we lose none of the engine’s efficiency and make significant cost and environmental savings as well,” Dr Brown said.
The preliminary trials being conducted at Rocky Point have proved encouraging and tests to establish performance standards will begin soon.
Website: http://www.bee.qut.edu.au/
Last reviewed 5 September 2007
