USE OF ALCOHOL ADDITIVES FOR ECOLOGICAL GASOLINE PRODUCTION

The purpose of this article is to perform research to improve the stability, quality and efficiency of gasoline-alcohol fuel compositions, as well as obtaining high-octane gasolines corresponding to the modern standards with the addition of alcohols and their mixtures to these gasolines. Research methods: The article considers physicochemical methods for studying the stratification of alcohol-gasoline mixtures, determining the water content in them, as well as determining the octane number of alcohol-gasoline compositions. Results: The raw material base and possibilities of bioethanol production in Ukraine as an ecological additive to gasoline and as a way to increase their octane number were studied. Stratification temperatures of alcohol-gasoline mixtures and octane numbers of A-92 gasoline with different alcohol content were determined. Discussion: It is proposed to use higher concentrations of ethanol (bioethanol) in gasoline mixtures more than 40% of alcohol, because it does not require dehydration. It is proposed to use an additional fuel pump, which would work only for mixing the fuel mixture, to prevent stratification of the fuel-ethanol composition during its long-term storage in the car’s tanks.

Valuation of Distributed Wind in an Isolated System

Remote communities are increasingly adopting renewable energy, such as wind, as they transition away from diesel energy generation. It is important to understand the benefits and costs of wind energy to isolated systems so that decision-makers can optimize their choices in these communities. There are few examples of valuation of wind energy as a distributed resource and numerous differences in valuation approaches, especially in the inclusion of environmental and economic impacts. We apply a distributed wind valuation framework to calculate the benefits and costs of wind in St. Mary’s, Alaska, to the local electric cooperative and to society, finding that the project does not have a favorable benefit-to-cost ratio unless societal benefits are included, in which case the benefit-to-cost ratio is nearly double. Government funding is important to reducing the initial capital expenditures of this wind project and will likely be the case for projects with similar characteristics. Additional fuel savings benefits are potentially possible for this project through technological additions such as energy storage and advanced controls.

Analysis of the Impact of Soil Compaction on the Environment and Agricultural Economic Losses in Lithuania and Ukraine

Soil compaction (SC) is one of the most damaging degradation processes. The effects of compaction are closely related to crop losses and GHG emissions due to additional fuel use. It is therefore important not only to correctly monitor the condition of the soil and the restoration of damaged soil but also to understand the costs of excessive exploitation of soil and individual risks in different countries and continents. A model of equations has been developed to assess the effects of compaction that can be used on a national or even single farm scale. However, for its further application, more data should be collected. Based on the data available in the public domain, the damage caused by compaction was compared between Ukrainian (UA) and Lithuanian (LT) scenarios as these countries have a similar situation but different levels of soil resource management. Soil characteristics, such as soil types and predisposition to compaction, depending on its type, were assessed in both countries. The main parameters used to estimate the damage due to SC were: yield loss; additional fuel consumption; losses of N, P, K fertilizers, water pollution, and flooding; erosion; and GHG emissions. The results reveal potential annual losses due to compaction of around EUR 27 million for Lithuania and around EUR 1.6 billion for Ukraine. Expected potential average losses per hectare of arable land are about EUR 49 ha−1 y−1 for Ukraine (33.9 million ha or 56.76% of the total area) and about EUR 13 ha−1 y−1 for Lithuania (2.11 million ha or 33.77%). Potential crop losses are one of the costliest consequences of compaction. They could cost about EUR 1 billion annually for Ukraine and about EUR 10.7 million for Lithuania. Moreover, the additional use of fuel and the associated GHG emissions can probably take away EUR 180 million (UA) and about EUR 4 million (LT) each year.

Greenhouse temperature control based on Fuzzy Logic

There is a close relationship between crop growth and the control of environmental variables, as well as irrigation and fertilizers supplied. This article presents a system for collecting a greenhouse temperature, capable of acting in the opening or closing window system as a regulator of this environmental variable. Controlling the temperature acting on the opening or closing of the windows is convenient, since it does not require additional fuel, resulting in an economical alternative. Regarding control algorithm, Fuzzy Logic was used as a correction temperature technique. The proposal can be a good option for greenhouses that are not automated yet, saving costs by moving from human-assisted monitoring to automatic temperature monitoring.

Fuel Used Analysis on Boiler Efficiency Variations and Water Intake Temperature Affected by Palm Oil Varieties

Several factors that affect the use of fuel in boilers are combustion efficiency, quality of feed water management, calorific value, and the potential for available fuel from oil palm varieties. The purpose of this research is to identify the use of fuel and its potential savings based on variations in boiler efficiency and water temperature that entered the boiler. The materials used in this research are FFB mass balance data and boiler fuel composition. Based on the analysis results, the lowest used fuel mass and the highest fuel savings are found in the DxPLangkat variety with an intake water temperature of 105o C and 80% boiler efficiency. The use of fuel is 4,231 kg/hour with shell savings of 967 kg/hour with a value of IDR 725,701. Fiber savings was 487 kg/hour with a value of IDR 121,751.The highest used fuel mass and the lowest fuel savings were found in the Yangambi derivative variety with an intake water temperature of 85o C and 60% boiler efficiency.The fuel consumption is 5,830 kg/hour with shell savings totalling -380 kg/hour. There is no fiber analysis because it is used up hence additional fuel is needed. Additional fuel can be done by asking for other palm oil mill units or buying. If they buy a shell with a requirement of 380 kg/hour, the funds required are IDR 284,939.

Impact of wind and solar power plants on the reliability of the IPS

One of the most promising areas in the development of the electric power industry is generally regarded to lie in expanding the share of renewable energy sources (RES) in the electric energy balance of power systems in the form of wind and solar power plants (WPP and SPP), the saving of organic fuel (coal, gas, fuel oil) and the reduction of environmentally harmful emissions into the atmosphere considered to be their most important advantages. However, the impact of RES on the controllability of the modes of operation of electric power systems and on the reliability of the IPS operation remains quite unexplored.Currently, the global energy industry uses 318 million kW of WPP and about 142.4 million kW of SPP, of which the major West European countries account for about 227 million kW, or 49.3%. On average, wind and solar power plants account for almost 30% of the total generating capacity in Western Europe, with Denmark having the largest share of WPP (47%) and Germany having the highest share of SPP (18.6%). However, an uncontrolled growth in the share of WPP and SPP in the structure of generating capacities of power systems begins to manifest itself in a sharp decline in the reliability of the power industry due to the fact that a number of negative properties of WPP and SPP have not been taken into account (at least, to a sufficient extent), which manifested themselves in practice in a system accident in the UK power system that occurred on August 09, 2019, when, as a result of an "ordinary" short circuit, a system accident occurred, with up to 1.1 million consumers with a total load of 1690 MW disconnected from the power supply system for a period of 15 to 45 minutes. This is estimated to have resulted in economic losses for consumers amounting to 12.3–15.0 million USD.The reason for this is that the high sensitivity of WPP, SPP, CCGT and gas piston units to voltage and frequency drops is not properly considered in conditions of insufficient capacity of the rotating (mobile) generation reserve. Damage can be prevented by increasing the rotating reserve within the available reserve of the power system, which will require an increase in funds for maintaining the same due to additional fuel consumption. The ratio of reduction of probable damage to consumers and the cost of additional fuel consumption for maintenance of a required rotating reserve in the power system allows to economically substantiate the strategy and scale of introduction of renewable energy sources to the power industry.

ABOUT THE POTENTIAL OF CONDENSATION HEAT USAGE IN MEAN OF SURFACE CONDENSATION HEAT EXCHANGERS FORHEATING BOILER PLANTS

The article considers the potential possibility of using the condensation heat of water vapor from flue gases for various types of fuel and variants of coolants. This technical solution allow to use additional fuel heat, and thereby reduce fuel consumption in the production of thermal energy. The results obtained allow us to analyse the applicability of the condensation cooling technology for heating boiler plants.