Shirley C. Agrupis | Roque A. Ulep | Maria Concepcion B. Birginiaa | Fiorello B. Abenes
Discipline: Education
This inquiry produced cost efficient protocols of 95% fuel-grade hydrous bioethanol sweet sorghum syrup and evaluated the physicochemical properties and mechanical performance of biofuels from various hydrous gasohol blends. Consequently, it improved the efficiency of previous processes, including that of reducing the yeast activation period from 4-6hr to 1hr and improved the sugar conversion efficiency of ethanol from 70-76% to as high as high as 85%. Specifically, fuel grade hydrous azeotrope ethanol was produced from various feedstock sources such as sugar cane jaggery and sweet sorghum syrup using Saccharomyces cerevisiae for fermentation and reflux distillation system to purify the ethanol. The formulated hydrous gasohol blend, which is the MMSU hBE-20 (consisting of 20% azeotrophic bioethanol and 80% anhydrous E-10 gasoline) was tested to run a stationary 4-stroke engine. At loads of 4, 6, and 8kg, MMSU hBE-20 was as efficient as the commercial XCS E-10. Gasohol blends containing hydrous ethanol up to 40% generally showed comparable performance with MMSU hBE-20 and XCS E10 in terms of physical, chemical, and mechanical properties. Higher blends (50-90% hydrous ethanol) can still run the stationary 4-stroke test engine without discernible mechanical problems but with slightly reduced performance and efficiency. Expanded mixtures of the gasohol blends that were as high as 90% hydrous ethanol; 20% XCS E-10 showed no phase separation at room temperature. As such, producing MMSU 95-hBE at the village level can be highly profitable whether marketed for fuel or for bioethanol-based consumer products.
ISSN 2012 0060 (Print)
Philippine E-Journals
