La sostenibilità ambientale nei trasporti per raggiungere il nuovo ospedale:
lo studio di fattibilità per l’utilizzo di biofuel su treni
Prof. Michele Pinelli, Università di Ferrara
PROVINCE OF FERRARA
THE PROJECT• Growing air pollution due to urban mobility• Urban traffic is responsible for 31% of air pollution in cities • Public transport alone can account for up to 7 %
Feasibility study for the use of Biofuels in Public Transport- Application to railway network
Ferrara railway station Cona railway station
• Within the Province of Ferrara (located in Northern Italy), the 50% of railway network is not-electrified • Electrification of the non-electrified network is considered financially not sustainable
OUTLINE
1. Biofuels for the transport sector
2. Technological issues
3. Case studies of biofuel implementation
4. Feasibility study of biofuel use in the transport sector
• Scenarios
• Results
5. Experimental activity
• Test-bench campaign
• Biofuel feeding of an in-service train
6. Waste cooking oil potential
7. Conclusions
BIOFUELS FOR TRANSPORT
FeedstokFeedstok
Production process
Production process
BiofuelBiofuel
•Vegetable oil
•Biodiesel
•Bioethanol
•Biogas
•Biomethane
•Biohydrogen
• A broad and diverse range of liquids and gases can be used as an alternative fuel in the transport sector.
• An important role is played by biomass
BIODIESEL (SHORT TERM IMPLEMENTATION)
FeedstokFeedstok Production process
Production process BiofuelBiofuel
Biodiesel
• Animal fats
• Used cooking oil• Transesterification
• Mechanical extraction
• Chemical extraction
• Traditional oilseed crops (rapeseed, soybean, sunflower, etc.)
• No-food oilseed crops (linin, cotton, jatropha etc.)
• Other oilseed crops (palm, coconut, peanuts, etc.)
VEGETABLE OIL (MID TERM IMPLEMENTATION)
FeedstokFeedstok Production process
Production process BiofuelBiofuel
• Mechanical extraction
• Chemical extractionVegetable oil
Sunflower
Soybean
Palm Rapeseed
Jatropha
• Traditional oilseed crops (rapeseed, soybean, sunflower, etc.)
• No-food oilseed crops (linin, cotton, jatropha etc.)
• Other oilseed crops (palm, coconut, peanuts, etc.)
Plantations of oil (sunflower, rapeseed, soybean)
Seeds Mechanical Pressing
Vegetable oil Expeller cake
Locomotive Feeding
COMPLETE CHAIN
TECHNOLOGICAL ISSUES FOR BIOFUEL FEEDING – 1/2
Biofuels cannot be used directly in reciprocating piston engines• Different chemical and physical properties (e.g. high viscosity)• Lower LHV
• Cold weather starting
• Formation of residues
• Polymerization of lubricant oil
• Coking of injectors and formation of carbon deposits
• Excessive engine wear
• Blend 5-30% v/v VO with diesel
• Pre-heat biofuel circuit
• Increase lubricating oil changes
• Add lubricating oil additives
• Supply VO by means of a double-circuit
• Adjust injection time
• Switch engine to diesel at part of load
Vegetable oil
Solutions
Problems
Biodiesel
• Compatibility problems with some engine material
• Polymerization of lubricant oil
• Carbon deposits on the injectors
• Corrosion problems
• Clogging of filters
• Blend up to 30% v/v BD with diesel
• Change some engine materials
• Increase lubricating oil changes
SolutionsProblems
Carbon depositsCarbon deposits
DieselDiesel BiodieselBiodiesel
Deterioration of the characteristics of the spray, due to • increase of droplet size• variation of opening angle and penetration
This leads to a general worsening of the air-fuel mixing
TECHNOLOGICAL ISSUES FOR BIOFUEL FEEDING – 2/2
CASE STUDIES OF PILOT BIOFUEL IMPLEMENTATION
Venice – Padua Sunflower oil (Italy 2006)
25 km - demonstration trip
Linnkoeping – Vaestervik Biogas (Sweden 2005)
80 km – one trip every day
Grand Canyon Railway Vegetable oil (USA 2009)
130-mile round trip to the Grand Canyon, operating on selected
dates throughout the year
Disneyland RailroadUCO and vegetable oil (USA 2009)
5 tourist trains +16 CNG trams
Frankfurt – HamburgVegetable oil
Lufthansa (2011)4 flights/day for 6 months
Rome Biodiesel (Italy 2010)
200 city buses on service
CASE STUDIES OF BIOFUEL USE ON REGULAR SERVICE
April 2010
Amtrak used a $274,000 federal grant to start a year-long biofuel (20% biodiesel) experiment using beef by-products to power the Heartland Flyer, a route that travels from Oklahoma City to Fort Worth, Texas.
June 2007
The Virgin Voyager uses a 20% biodiesel blended fuel. During a six-month trial, the train run from Birmingham to Scotland. The experiment has been organised by Virgin Trains, the Association of Train Operating Companies and the Rail Safety and Standards Board.
FEASIBILITY STUDY FOR THE TERRITORY OF FERRARA
Study of local supply chains for the use of vegetable oil in locomotives
Creation of a software tool to compare the scenarios in terms of energy and economic performance
Test bench experimental campaign on a diesel engine up to 100 % biodiesel feeding
In-service test on an actual locomotive
Ferrara railway station
Railway networkDistance N° trip Time Annual mileage
km trip/day day/year km/year10 16 365 58400
Working time Train power Energy consumed
h/year kW kWh/year
584 400 233600
Cona railway station
FEASIBILITY STUDY FOR THE TERRITORY OF FERRARA
MarketMarket
Refueling stationRefueling station
TransportTransport
MarketMarket
Refueling stationRefueling station
TransportTransport
# 1 – Diesel(Reference Scenario)
# 2 – Vegetable oil(VO ready for use)
FEASIBILITY STUDY FOR THE TERRITORY OF FERRARA
SCENARIOS SCENARIOS FOR THE FEASIBILITY ANALYSIS
PressingPressing
MarketMarket
TransportTransport
Refueling stationRefueling station
MarketMarket
TransportTransport
Oil millOil mill
TransportTransport
Refueling stationRefueling station
FieldField
PressingPressing
TransportTransport
Refueling stationRefueling station
# 3 – Oilseed (VO extracted in
an in-house oil mill)# 5 – Oilseed
(field-to-biofuel complete chain)
# 4 – Oilseed (VO extracted in
an external oil mill)
PRICE TRENDS OF OIL AND SEEDS
Seed price Vegetable oil price
Results of scenario #2 (sunflower oil)
Full industrial diesel cost
MarketMarket
Refueling stationRefueling station
TransportTransport
0.801 €/l = 942.4 €/t
Results of scenario #2 (sunflower oil)
Full industrial diesel cost
VO cost: 945 €/t = = 0.868 €/l
VO cost: 1194 €/t = = 1.096 €/l
0.801 €/l = 942.4 €/t
CONCLUSIONS ON THE FEASIBILITY STUDY
There are environmental and economic benefits in terms of energy self-sufficiency
The price of raw materials affects the economic viability (up to more than 80%)
The more convenient energy chain is the one which uses market biofuels
The type of oilseed affects the affordability of the supply chain. For example, soybean is not economically convenient
TEST BENCH CAMPAIGN
The experimental activity deals with the test bench measurements taken on a large size diesel engine with various biodiesel-diesel blends.
The test was carried out on a 12’000 cc – 6 cylinder diesel engine, mounted on a special test rig to measure the rotation speed, the torque, the oil consumptions and the emissions all at the same time
The tests consider six different biodiesel-diesel blends
100 % diesel, 80 % diesel and 20 % biodiesel60 % diesel and 40 % biodiesel40 % diesel and 60 % biodiesel20 % diesel and 80 % biodiesel100 % biodiesel
For each blend, engine operation is analyzed at different rotational speeds.
TEST BENCH CAMPAIGN
CONSTANT FUEL AT FULL TROTTLE OPENING WITH VARIABLE LOAD
TEST BENCH CAMPAIGN
CONSTANT FUEL AT FULL TROTTLE OPENING WITH VARIABLE LOAD
TEST BENCH CAMPAIGN
IN SERVICE TRAIN BIODIESEL FEEDING
The experimental activity consists of the direct supply of a locomotive diesel engine with blends of diesel/biodiesel on a railway line. The maximum percentage of biodiesel in the blend diesel / biodiesel is identified based on the state of the art and on the performed test bench campaign, in order to avoid any modification to the locomotive.
The experimental activity consider two tanks filled with two different biodiesel-diesel blends
20 % biodiesel blend
30 % biodiesel blend
Field test
• Blends:
20 % biodiesel + 80 % diesel
30 % biodiesel + 70 % diesel
• One-day service on the Ferrara-Suzzara line (one day per blend)
• Total mileage covered: 571 km per blend
Results
• The service was regularly delivered
• The train engines did not show any problem
IN SERVICE TRAIN BIODIESEL FEEDING
• The use of biodiesel, pure or blended, can allow the saving of a significant quantity of CO2
• On an annual basis, by only considering the Ferrara-Cona trip
30 % blend
Distance: 10 km
Annual distance: 58000 km
Expected CO2 saving: 6.1 ton/year
IN SERVICE TRAIN BIODIESEL FEEDING
• The scope of this study is to provide an introduction and pre-feasibility study for the use of waste cooking oil in railway transports in Ferrara
• With an estimated pro capita consumption of 5 kg per year, cooking oil is a relatively abundant resource in Italy that once used can be recycled for several industrial applications
• This study also provides for an estimation of the quantities of WCO available and theoretically exploitable in the province of Ferrara and a comparison with the amount of biodiesel needed to power the high frequency train Ferrara-Cona
POTENTIAL OF WASTE COOKING OIL
By assuming: • an annual mileage of 58.000 km considering 16 travels per day along the route Ferrara-Cona, i.e. 43.500 liters of diesel to cover the annual mileage. • B25 blend on a volume basis
The result is • the demand for biodiesel would be only 11.000 liters or 10 tons per year, an amount largely lower to the amount of oils collected by CONOE operators in the region of Emilia Romagna (12.672 liters/year)
ANNUAL MILEAGE 58.000 km
OIL CONSUMPTION 43.500 liters of diesel
KIND OF BLEND 25% biodiesel blend
BIODIESEL NEEDED 11.000 liters of biodiesel
POTENTIAL OF WASTE COOKING OIL
Strengths
1) Spreading a more eco-friendly awareness 2) Reduce CO2 emissions 3) Improving economy (agriculture, industry, service) both at local and national level 4) Tuning already existing standards on field practice 5) Possibility to create a green mobility interconnected system
Weaknesses
1) Difficulty to reach people 2) Non consolidated quantification of CO2 emissions3) Dependence on feed-in tariffs for short-term profitability 4) Case-sensitive experience of the project 5) Competition with other renewable sources
Opportunities
1) As a public Institution, being a mean for diffusion of eco-friendly practices 2) Moving to a more sustainable mobility 3) Increasing the number of employees in the bio-energy sector 4) Supporting the process for developing new standards in the field of bio-energy utilization 5) Creation of an integrated strategy for bio-energy promotion
Threats
1) Being ineffective on reaching a large part of the population 2) Skepticism against actual reduction of CO2 emissions3) Not consolidated long-term profitability 4) Being caged by standard constraints 5) Isolated experience not applicable in other scenarios
SWOT analysis
SOME GUIDELINES FOR TRANSPORT SECTOR POLICY
Improving the energy efficiency of transport systems
Move the demand towards more "virtuous“ systems
Dissemination of experiences and benefits
Renewal of the fleets for public transport
Awareness campaigns
Market introduction of new technologies
Funding to research and development
Ensuring that the legislation in the field of biofuels is in line with policies in related sectors
Consistency between regulatory frameworks and standards
DEBATE ABOUT THE SUSTAINABILITY OF BIOFUELS
• Biodiversity
• Impact on agricultural commodity prices
• Land required
• Food/Fuel/Energy
• GHG vs. Land Use Change
Thanks for your attention.
