Present Situation of Ethanol Use in Brazil - Fapesp · Present Situation of Ethanol Use in Brazil Francisco E. B. Nigro Professor ... “O etanol como combustível” from the book

ESCOLA POLITÉCNICA DA UNIVERSIDADE DE SÃO PAULO

Outline

Present Situation of Ethanol

Use in Brazil

Francisco E. B. Nigro

Professor

São Paulo: October 4th, 2012


Energy Demand by Light Vehicles in Brazil

Ethanol Participation as a Spark-ignition Fuel

Challenges to Achieve the Biofuels Potential for Curbing CO2

Emissions.

Milestones of Biofuel Use in Brazil

Relative Fuel Consumption of Biofuels in Brazil

Historical Evolution of Neat Ethanol Emgines

Exhaust Emissions of Flex-fuel Vehicles

Fuel Consumption of Flex-fuel Vehicles

CO2 Emissions – International Comparison

Final Remarks

Outline


Energy Demand by Light Vehicles in Brazil

• Brazil does not allow the use of diesel in automobiles.

• Since the late 1970´s, anhydrous ethanol is blended with gasoline in

concentrations that varied in the period from 18% to 25%.

• CNG represents circa 5% of total energy consumption by vehicles with

spark-ignition engines


Energy Demand by Light-duty Vehicles in Brazil

• Using the reference economic growth scenario defined for the

Brazilian Energy Plan, one can estimate the future energy demand by

spark-ignition engines.


• The historical evolution of the Brazilian new vehicles fleet, and the

derived fuel consumption participation are shown in the figure, exposing

the different phases of the Brazilian ethanol program.

• Because of dominance of new flex-fuel vehicles, future ethanol

participation is modeled according to the fraction of the flex fleet using

ethanol

Ethanol Participation as a Spark-ignition Fuel in BR


Biofuels for Curbing CO2 Emissions from Transport

• The green scenario applied in the extrapolation for 2020

presumes that the we will be using B10 in all diesel fuel sold in

the State, that 88% of the new autos sold will be flex-fuel and

that hydrous ethanol will be priced competitive enough with

gasoline to allow flex-fuel vehicles fleet to run 90% of time on

ethanol.


• The figure shows that, in the last three and half years, the relative price

of hydrous ethanol to gasohol has varied significantly, leading to a

reduction of the fraction of the flex-fuel vehicles that runs on ethanol: this

fraction changed from more than 90% to around 50%, while the ethanol

price relative to gasohol changed from 50% to 70%, after overshooting to

more than 80%. One should observe the consumers behavior and the

significant hysteresis on the price to demand elasticity curves.

Challenges to Achieve Biofuels 2020 Potential


• Although the energy price of ethanol was much lower than the one for

gasohol for 8 years since the launching of flex-fuel vehicles, more recently

the prices are coming close to an equilibrium point.

• In order to control inflation, the Federal Government is avoiding any price

increase of traditional fuels, what has hindered the profitability of biofuels.

Challenges to Achieve Biofuels 2020 Potential


Milestones of Biofuel Use in Brazil

1920 – Experiments in Fueling Vehicles with Ethanol

1940 – Widespread Use of Ethanol Blended with Gasoline during

World War II

1973 – First International Shock on Oil Price

1975 – Brazil’s Proálcool Program

1978 – CATs : Technological Support Centers for Engine

Conversion Shops

1979 – Series Production of Neat Ethanol Vehicle

1980 – OVEG Program

1985 – Neat Ethanol Vehicles reach 94% of Market Share

1989 – Ethanol Supply Problems & Low Oil Prices caused steep

Drop in Demand of Ethanol Vehicles

2003 – Series Production of Flex Fuel Vehicles

2005 – Brazil’s Biodiesel Program


Relative Fuel Consumption of Brazilian Autos

Nigro F.& Szwarc A. – “O etanol como combustível” from the book “Etanol

e Bioeletricidade”- UNICA -2010


Historical Evolution of Neat Ethanol Engines

• 1978 – Engine Conversion Shops

• Increase in compression ratio (7,5:1 → 11:1)

• Mixture leaner than gasoline at full load → to maintain same torque and

power

• Minimum consumption at partial load (lean mixture)

• Ignition timing optimized for ethanol

• Heating of the intake air to improve distribution

• Reduce energy consumption at full load by 25% (compression ratio → 7%; lean

mixture 15%; heating → 2%) and 20% for vehicles on field tests.

• 1983 – Neat Ethanol Vehicles from Auto-makers

• Increase in compression ratio (8,5:1 → 12:1)

• Use the torque gain to change transmission ratio

• Lean mixture at partial load

• Corrosion protection and materials compatibility

• Heating of the intake air to improve distribution

• Energy consumption of vehicles on chassis-dyno 16% lower than gasoline

models (compression ratio → 6%, leaner mixture → 7%, use of latent heat → 1%)


Historical Evolution of Neat Ethanol Engines

• 1997 Proconve – Vehicle Emission Control Program phase L-3 implied use of

3-way catalyst (λ = 1)

• Increase in compression ratio (10:1 → 13:1)

• Electronic feedback control of injected fuel and mapped ignition

•Torque gain circa 6% used as performance bonus

• Heating of the intake air to improve drivability

• From 1997 to 2004, energy consumption of ethanol vehicles on field tests

was 4% lower than gasoline models, mainly due to compression ratio

differences.


Exhaust Emissions of Gasohol X Ethanol Autos

Average data on new sold cars after Cetesb ( Relatório Qualidade do Ar – 2007)


Evolution of Fuel Consumption of FFVs

Data from “Reports on the Production Emission Values”- error bars refer to 95% confidence

interval for the mean value. Production conformity requires testing of at least 0.2% of the vehicles.

Nigro F.& Szwarc A. – “O etanol como combustível” from the book “Etanol e Bioeletricidade”-

UNICA -2010


Evolution of Fuel Consumption of FFVs

Data from “Reports on the Production Emission Values”- error bars refer to 95% confidence

interval for the mean value. Production conformity requires testing of at least 0.2% of the vehicles.

Nigro F.& Szwarc A. – “O etanol como combustível” from the book “Etanol e Bioeletricidade”-

UNICA -2010



• Although some models of the sub-compact class of vehicles were

consuming 10% more ethanol than gasohol on the FTP-75 urban cycle,

on average the energy consumption with ethanol was circa 1% higher

than with gasohol,.


• For the same sub-compact class of vehicle, the test results within the

PBEV - Brazilian Program for Labeling Vehicles show an average

ethanol consumption of circa 3% higher than gasohol on the highway

cycle

•.One should observe that some of the models are consuming up to

10% more ethanol







Energy Consumption by Flex-fuel Vehicles

PBEV data show that flex-

fuel vehicles have , in

general, a lower efficiency

when operating with

ethanol compared to

gasohol.


CO2 Emissions – International Comparison

“Global Comparison of Light-Duty Vehicle Fuel Economy/GHG Emissions Standards” divulgado pelo ICCT –

The International Council on Clean Transportation – agosto/2011

New public policy will put more pressure on ethanol


Challenges to Accomplish the Estimated

Participation of Biofuels

Although the use of gasohol (20% to 25% anhydrous

ethanol) is mandatory, the amount of hydrous ethanol

actually used in flex-fuel vehicles depends almost

exclusively on price competition with gasohol.

In general, the new flex-fuel vehicles use ethanol less

efficiently than gasohol.

The introduction of a public policy to reduce fuel

consumption, probably will increase the difference in

efficiency between gasohol and ethanol, because the

vehicles are developed globally to use gasohol.

It is of fundamental importance to increase the knowledge

of engine research and design to make good use of

ethanol properties

Final Remarks


THANK YOU

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Present Situation of Ethanol Use in Brazil - Fapesp · Present Situation of Ethanol Use in Brazil Francisco E. B. Nigro Professor ... “O etanol como combustível” from the book