Driving on Alcoholethanolrfa.3cdn.net/13ec912e079582cee2_aom6bf9a0.pdf · · 2011-05-03fossil...

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Driving on Alcohol

October 25, 2002

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Abstract

How can we reduce air pollution from cars?

St. Louis is not only known for the Gateway Arch, but for its poor air quality as well. St. Louis’s air

quality is among the worst in the United States, along with Chicago, Los Angeles, and other metropolises.

The heart of this project focuses on St. Louis’s air quality problem.

The United States Environmental Protection Agency is very aware of America’s pollution

problems due to automobiles, and is working towards solutions. Some ideas generated by the EPA

include using alternative fuel sources such as ethanol or hydrogen power.

The internal combustion engine, the type of engine used in cars, works by exploding a fuel in the

engine chamber and producing energy to propel the automobile. The perfect internal combustion would

produce only carbon dioxide and water vapor as a by-product, but there is no perfect internal combustion

engine, so hazardous emissions such as Nitrogen Oxides are produced along with the water vapor and

carbon dioxide. The burning of gasoline produces more of these emissions than most other fuels

compatible with the internal combustion engine, so changing the fuel is one of the ways of decreasing the

amount of these emissions.

An experiment was set up to determine if using a different type of motor fuel would significantly

effect the hazardous emissions from automobiles.

Various mixtures of ethanol and gasoline were made prior to the test. A go-kart was then brought

in to represent a real automobile. Using an instrument called a detector tube, the amount of NOX from

burning normal gasoline was determined to be around 40 ppm. The other fuel blends were poured into

the engine of the go-kart, and more measurements were taken.

When increasing the concentration of ethanol in the fuel blend, emission counts decreased

drastically.

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Table of Contents

Abstract 2

Acknowledgements 4

Relevant Literature Review 5

Problem Statement and Hypothesis 19

Variables and Controlled Conditions 20

Materials List 21

Running Time, Sample Size, Replications 22

Procedures 23

Visual Aid and Drawing of Experimental Setup 26

Data Tables and Observations 32

Statistical Analysis 35

Graphs 36-37

Interpretation of Graphs 36-37

Reactions to Hypothesis 38

Relation of This Study to Previous Studies 39

Recommendations for Further Studies 40

Additional Experiment 41

Bibliography 42

Appendices 45

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Acknowledgements

We would like to extend out thanks and gratitude out to Chuck Loomis of Nextteq that provided us

with the detector tubes and pump for out project. Without these essential tools, there would be no

project. We would also like to recognize a fellow student for being so generous throughout the project

and supplying us with his go-kart for the experiment. Other thanks go out to our parents, who were

always supportive of the project and offered help at all times.

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Driving on Alcohol

November 22, 2002

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The Earth was formed over a period of billions of years. During this period of time, life evolved,

the geography of the world changed, and the formation of natural resources took place as well. A major

natural resource consumed by humans nowadays is gasoline; in fact, the United States is the leading

user of gasoline. Burning such a large amount of gasoline pollutes the air with harmful exhaust gases

that cause smog, acid rain, and increased green house effect. Gasoline is in a class of resources known

as fossil fuels, which are the fossilized remains of living creatures long ago that have gone through a

chemical change. The burning of gasoline as a motor fuel presents a major problem to the world, the

United States especially. Whenever any type of fossil fuel burns, it gives off enormous amounts of

pollution that could cause serious health risks for humans as well as other organisms. Also, because

fossil fuels took millions of years to form, they are bound to run out sooner or later. This brings a much

debated question to surface: What will we use in place of fossil fuels in the future? The most common

response is the use of alternative fuels. The United States Department of Energy defines alternative fuels

as “Fuels that are non-petroleum that yield energy security and environmental benefits.” The Department

of Energy’s current list of alternative fuels consists of biodiesel, electricity, ethanol, hydrogen fuel cells,

methanol, compressed and liquefied natural gas, propane, and solar energy. Today, the majority of the

gasoline that is sold in the United States contains 10% ethanol. Ethanol is an alcohol, meaning it is

created by fermenting and distilling crops. Ethanol is used as an additive in gasoline that raises octane

level and creates a cleaner burn, giving it an extremely important quality for a fuel. (National Air Pollutant,

Transportation Air)

Over a hundred years ago, America underwent period of time now referred to as a second

industrial revolution, which took place approximately between the late 1870’s up through the early 1900’s.

During these years, America’s industrial productiveness, economy, and living standards were at an all

time high. The introduction of many new types of luxuries and tools also contributed to this booming era

for America. This stage in America’s history provided for many changes in how people conducted

business as well as how an average America conducted everyday life. This time period was a time for

invention and progress, and new products and discoveries that would thrive up till modern times.

Although there were many revolutionary creations during this second industrial revolution, the one that

captured the most attention was the automobile. The automobile had been conceived a few years before

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the beginning of the revolution by Nikolaus Otto, in 1867, who devised the combustion engine. Cars had

been around since his day, but they were extremely expensive, hard to come by, and also not nearly

powerful enough to be practical. A few decades later though, Henry Ford created the assembly line, an

idea that would change the manufacturing industry forever, and started on the mass production of his

Model T. His assembly line made cars more affordable to the common citizen and much more efficient,

thus quickly turning the transportation industry around, making automobiles quickly the number one form

of transportation in the United States. (Kovarik)

With the automobile, the average American could travel farther and accomplish much more than

with other forms of transportation known at the time. Not much later on into our country’s history, cars

had become a way of life for all. Though this sounds like a major advancement, it can be interpreted in

many ways. The truth of the matter is driving a car is now the most polluting act an average citizen

commits. The average American now drives over 8,500 miles per year. We drive a car to work, to

school, to go on vacation, to go shopping, almost never stopping to think about the consequences.

(Gislason)

Most modern day car engines use a four stroke combustion cycle. This cycle is known as the

Otto cycle, named after the scientist who discovered the combustion engine. The strokes are the intake

stroke, compression stroke, combustion or power stroke, and the exhaust stroke. In the first stroke, a

piston is lowered and one of two valves is opened to allow oxygen into the shaft where the piston moves.

This action combines a little bit of gasoline with air, creating a mixture. Then in the compression stroke,

the piston compresses the air and gasoline mixture. Then when the piston reaches the top of its stroke,

the compressed gasoline is ignited with a spark plug and the gasoline and air mixture explodes creating

the energy that will create that rotational movement that will power the car. In a typical car there will be

several pistons working simultaneously. Finally, in the exhaust stroke, any exhaust that is created will be

pushed out of the cylinder. The exhaust then travels down a shaft through a catalytic converter and out

the muffler. (Kovarik) In an ideal gasoline combustion situation, all that should be left after the burning is

carbon dioxide and water vapor. However the ideal burn does not occur, so carbon dioxide,

hydrocarbons, and other harmful emissions are produced from the burning of the gasoline. The catalytic

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converter is designed to get rid of these harmful gases, but it will occasionally allow some to pass by

accident. (Green Machines, Internal Combustion)

Diagram of Otto Cycle

Credit: Smith College Department of Computer Science

Dangerous emissions produced from cars in the United States are on the rise, regardless of what

automobile companies and the government are trying to implement as means to cut down on the amount

of pollution produced from cars. In theory, plans to increase engine efficiency should be going according

to plan, with all the new discoveries being made. Today’s cars and trucks run approximately 20 times

cleaner than cars from 30 years ago and consume 14 percent less fuel per vehicle per year. However,

there are now nearly twice as many vehicles on the road and each one drives about 21 percent farther,

meaning that the discoveries being made are still not quite adequate enough. Also, because of a recent

want of more powerful and larger automobiles such as SUV’s, fuel economy plummets. Emissions from

engines are constantly producing hazardous gases and fumes that effect not only our population

negatively, but the cities and the biosphere as well. The very first affordable automobile, the Model T,

engineered by Henry Ford, was designed to run on what he referred to as the “fuel of the future”, ethanol.

(Kovarik) Ethanol, with the chemical formula C2H5OH, is also known as ethyl alcohol, as well as grain

alcohol because it is made by fermenting and then distilling starch and sugar crops. Another name by

which ethanol is known as is the “drinkable alcohol”, due to the fact that it is the active ingredient in beer,

wine, and other alcoholic drinks. (Frank) Besides existing as a component for a drink, ethanol is also a

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very high efficiency motor fuel, used to reduce in hazardous emissions and improve engine efficiency.

Ethanol is an oxygenator, meaning that it has an oxygen core in center the molecule. Due to this higher

amount of oxygen available during the combustion process, the engine works more efficient and goes

through a cleaner burn. (Green, Lippman)

Many people after hearing this would wonder why ethanol is not the primary fuel we use today in

our cars. Despite the fact that ethanol is extremely inexpensive, and the fact that it has a remarkably high

octane level, big oil businesses of the time were hardly about to hand over such a large industry to the

America’s farmers. Because of this controversy, ethanol was omitted as a probable fuel source, and the

oil companies took control of the motor fuel industry. On the other hand though, because gasoline was

not nearly as effective as ethanol, oil companies decided to add components into the fuel such as

tetraethyl lead, benzene, and other compounds to raise the octane level of gasoline. (Kovarik) An

additive discovered in the early 1990’s and still used today is methyl tertiary butyl ether, or MTBE, which

boosts octane and is an oxygenate. However MTBE is also a known human carcinogen. If it leaks out of

the gas tanks or gasoline storage facilities, and contaminates a groundwater source, it would become a

major health risk. (Green) These additives did their job of raising engine efficiency, but presented a new

problem. When burning the leaded gasoline, none of the additives would ever enter into the combustion

cycle, so dust and soot were constantly released out of cars, heavily polluting the cities and changing

building to a dull grey color. Years later, during the OPEC oil crisis in the 1970’s, ethanol started making

a come back as a fuel source. Because of the shortage of imported gasoline during this time period, the

government went back to using ethanol as an octane booster. This time though, even though the oil

companies did protest again, the government decided to stay with an ethanol blended gasoline. They

called it gasohol, which ended up confusing many people about whether or not it could be put in their

cars. Nowadays, gas stations simply label the gasoline, “10% Ethanol”. (Buren)

Though there has been significant improvement to the quality of motor fuel being used today, the

burning of gasoline, a fossil fuel, is still a major environmental hazard. Many factors that contribute to

this, some modern day examples include the additives being included in motor fuel, the large amount of

people driving nowadays, and the inefficiency of car engines. When the engine valve opens to draw in

air, oxygen and nitrogen enter the cylinder where combustion takes place. During combustion, the

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temperature inside the cylinder can reach up to 2500 degrees Celsius. (Internal-Combustion) At these

temperatures, the nitrogen and oxygen forms compounds with each other and with other substances

present in the gasoline or are present in the engine. Nitrous oxide is one of the byproducts of

combustion. Nitrous oxide, with the chemical formula of N2O, is a member of a family of air pollutants

known as the nitrogen oxides. However, nitrous oxide should not be confused with the NOX gases, which

are nitrogen oxide (NO) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2), also released during the gasoline burning process.

Nitrous oxide is an extremely potent green gas, being 300 times more powerful than carbon dioxide,

another major greenhouse gas, and also a byproduct of the burning of gasoline. Other hazardous gases

produced as by products of the burning of motor fuel include carbon monoxide, sulfur oxides, particulate

matter, and benzene. Greenhouse gases are gases produced through various processes. Naturally

occurring greenhouse gases are being produced all the time, and include water vapor, carbon dioxide

(CO2), methane (CH4), nitrous oxide (N2O), and ozone (O3). The greenhouse gases contribute to the

greenhouse effect, which helps warm the Earth. However, all of these gases are also produced from cars

in much higher quantities. Nitrous oxide now makes up 7.2 percent of the greenhouse gases produced,

coming in third behind carbon dioxide, which accounts for 70 percent of all greenhouse gases, and

methane. (May, Other Greenhouse, What Are the Six)

The natural greenhouse gases that exist in our atmosphere have certain chemical properties that

allow them to trap light emitted from the sun. The light given off from the sun is composed of a range of

waves known as the solar spectrum, which contains visible light, infrared light, gamma rays, X rays, and

ultraviolet light. When the sun’s radiation reaches Earth, about half of it is reflected back into space or

absorbed by our atmosphere, while the other half passes through the atmosphere and reaches the

Earth’s surface. Organisms, oceans, and soils on Earth absorb about 85 percent of this heat energy and

radiate the rest back into the atmosphere in the form of infrared radiation. The natural greenhouse gases

in our atmosphere gases absorb this reflected heat and disallow it from traveling into space for a period of

time. During this phase, the gases warm and give off heat in all directions, back toward the Earth as well

as into space. Because of the heat trapping properties of these gases, the Earth’s atmosphere behaves

like the glass of a greenhouse, thus they are called greenhouse gases. (Other Greenhouse, Global

Warming) Without the greenhouse gases the average temperature of the Earth would be around -19

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degrees Celsius (2 degrees Fahrenheit), compared to the present average surface temperature of 15

degrees Celsius (59 degrees Fahrenheit), and would not be able to support life. The greenhouse gases

that are in Earth’s atmosphere are in concentrations just right for life to evolve, unlike on other planets

such as Mars or Venus. On Mars, the greenhouse effect is so low that the surface temperature stays

constantly below freezing and unable to support life. On the other hand, look at Venus, which has an

atmosphere containing high concentrations of greenhouse gases. Heat is trapped in Venus’s atmosphere

unable to escape resulting in average surface temperatures of around 462 degrees Celsius (864 degrees

Fahrenheit), much too hot to support life. (Wang)

Depiction of the Greenhouse Effect on Earth

Credit: United States Environmental Protection Agency

However, as more motor vehicles are manufactured and put onto the streets, the amount of

greenhouse gases produced is also rising, meaning the earth would get hotter and hotter, constituting

globing warming, and edging towards a state like Venus’s. Even though the NOX gases and carbon

monoxide are not considered true greenhouse gases, they are still major contributors to global warming.

Gases like these are known as indirect greenhouse gases. During the breakdown of NOX gases in the

atmosphere by ultraviolet light from the sun, ozone is formed, a greenhouse gas 20 times as powerful as

carbon dioxide. (What Are the Six, Warren) Ground level ozone is also formed, which has been proven

by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to trigger severe respiratory problems.

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According to the EPA, the amount of NOX gases present in the United States rose 233 percent between

1940 and 1998. Unlike the natural greenhouse gases though, the NOX gases cause other devastating

effects as well. Automobiles are currently the greatest producer of NOX gases in our nation, generating

almost half of our nation’s nitrogen oxides. When nitrogen and oxygen mix in the combustion chambers

of a car engine, NOX gases form quickly due to the extreme heat. The gases are then released into the

atmosphere where any NO is formed into NO2, which is familiar to most people as the brown hazy color of

smog often seen above major cities like Los Angeles, Chicago, and St. Louis. Furthermore, on a cloudy

day, the NOX gases rise and dissolve in water droplets to form the corrosive compounds, nitric acid and

nitrous acid. The mixture then falls back to earth as acid rain, which is sometimes as acidic as lemon

juice, which has a pH of around 2.2 to 2.7. Acid rain is a major environmental problem, causing

contamination of forests and lakes, and corrosion of buildings and statues. The acid will pollute water

based habitats, changing the pH of the environment drastically and kill off many organisms in the area, as

well as pollute drinking water in reservoirs. Acid rain also causes soil pH to drop, creating a sudden

imbalance in the ecosystem and destroying plant life. In an ecosystem, energy and nutrients flow from

the environment through the producers, autotrophs such as plants, to the consumers and finally to the

decomposers. With the basis of this food web gone, an entire ecosystem collapses. (Wang, Gislason,

May)

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The Production of NOX Gases by Various Sources


Carbon monoxide is designated as a criteria pollutant, also known as “the six common pollutants”

by the EPA along with NOX, sulfur oxides, ozone, lead, and particulate matter. Carbon monoxide (CO) is

a colorless and odorless gas, and is extremely toxic, and often lethal to humans, because the chemical

essentially shuts down the body’s ability to carry oxygen to organs, such as the brain and heart, via red

blood cells. (What Are the Six, More Ethanol) It is produced in automobiles mostly by the incomplete

burning of fuel when there is a low air to fuel ratio, this situation occurs most often when starting a

vehicle. Like NOX gases, carbon monoxide also contributes to the formation of ground level ozone,

causing serious respiratory problems such as asthma, bronchitis, and emphysema. Defects of the central

nervous system can also be attributed to carbon monoxide. Past research published by the EPA states

that, “People who breathe high levels of CO can develop vision problems, reduced ability to work or learn,

reduced manual dexterity, and difficulty performing complex tasks. At extremely high levels, CO is

poisonous and can cause death.” People who are exposed to even low levels of carbon monoxide can

face heart problems, due to the body’s inability to transport oxygen between bodily systems. Carbon

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monoxide is a very weak direct greenhouse, but is still extremely dangerous as an indirect greenhouse

gas. Hydroxide (OH) molecules in the atmosphere help reduce the duration of which powerful

greenhouse gases can trap heat. Carbon monoxide indirectly interferes with global warming by

destroying these hydroxide molecules, and therefore ultimately increases the global warming potential of

strong greenhouse gases. (Other Greenhouse, Transportation Air)

The Production of CO by Various Sources


There are many methods currently used to detect the contents of automobile emissions. These

methods are often the same used in detecting general air quality. One of the more popular techniques is

using a gas detector tube. A gas detector tube is a glass tube that is packed with chemicals that will

oxidize and change color when exposed to the chemical which it is designed to detect. Air is then drawn

and pumped into the tube, which is graduated. The color change will travel up the tube from the pump

until the emission chemical no longer reacts with the detector chemical. At this time, a reading can be

taken. To measure the change, each gas emission tube has a calibrated scale that will identify the

concentration of the substance. For example, to test for NOX gases, the detector tubes would be filled

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with a chemical called o-tolidine, a white colored chemical. When o-tolidine comes in contact with the

NOX gases, a chemical change occurs and nitroso-o-tolidine is formed, which is an orange color. For

various other gases, different chemicals would be used. This method is affordable and also allows for the

detection of a wide range of chemicals. (Loomis)

The world’s supply of oil is limited in supply; there is no way the production of fossil fuels can

keep up with our consumption. In fact, estimates show that all the oil on earth will be used up by the end

of the century. America consumes more oil than any other country in the world, thus should be the most

active in seeking alternative fuels for use in the future when oil finally runs out. Ethanol could potentially

be this “fuel of the future”. Ethanol is a renewable resource unlike oil and other fossil fuels, because it is

created through the fermentation of crops. (Buren) Besides being a renewable source of energy, ethanol

is also highly efficient. It has a remarkably high octane level and is an oxygenator, which means it burns

more cleanly and thoroughly, reducing in the amount of hazardous emissions produced. Our cars are

producing an enormous amount of toxic chemicals every time they are run, over 40 pounds of NOX

emissions and 600 pounds of carbon monoxide emissions for every passenger sized car on the road

every year running on gasoline. The average SUV produces over 60 pounds of NOX gases and close to

1000 pounds of carbon monoxide each year. (Chemical Sampling) The environment is slowly degrading

because of these emissions, and the presence of these problems can be seen clearly in our everyday

society…smog lurks above major cities, acid rain destroys entire ecosystems at a time, and humans are

suffering serious health effects due to the pollution. A cleaner burning fuel would help resolve many of

these problems.

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Works Cited

Buren, Wendy S. Ethanol Information. 2002. American Coalition for Ethanol. 10 Jan. 2003

<http://www.ethanol.org/Information/ethanol_information.htm>.

Chemical Sampling Information. U.S. Department of Labor Occupational Safety & Health Administration.

2 Jan. 2003 <http://www.osha.gov/dts/chemicalsampling/toc/toc_chemsamp.html>.

Frank, David V., et al. Heath Chemistry. Lexington, Massachusetts, Toronto, Ontario: D.C. Heath and

Company, 1993. 754-758.

Gislason, Stephen J. Car Exhaust. Environmed Research Inc. 28 Nov. 2002

<http://www.nutramed.com/environment/cars.htm>.

Global Warming - Climate. United States Environmental Protection Agency. 12 Jan. 2003

<http://yosemite.epa.gov/oar/globalwarming.nsf/content/Climate.html>.

"Green Machines." BusinessWeek 14 Jan. 2003

<http://www.businessweek.com/adsections/smartcars/green/machines_index.htm>.

"Internal-Combustion Engine." Microsoft Encarta Online Encyclopedia 2002. 12 Jan. 2003

<http://encarta.msn.com/encnet/refpages/RefArticle.aspx?refid=761553622>.

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Kovarik, Bill. Henry Ford, Charles Kettering and the \'Fuel of the Future\'. 1998. Radford University. 30

Dec. 2002 <http://www.runet.edu/~wkovarik/papers/fuel.html>.

Lippman, Roger. How To Modify Your Car to Run on Alcohol Fuel. 1982. 30 Dec. 2002

<http://terrasol.home.igc.org/alky/alky.htm>.

Loomis, Chuck. Employee, Nextteq LLC Corporation. Telephone interview by Jimmy Kan. 12 Nov. 2002.

May, Paul. Nitrogen Oxides and Nitric Acid. Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine. 12

Jan. 2003 <http://www.ch.ic.ac.uk/rzepa/mim/environmental/html/nitric_text.htm>.

"More Ethanol Fuel Means Cleaner Air." Planet Ark 21 Mar. 2000. 30 Dec. 2002

<http://www.planetark.org/dailynewsstory.cfm?newsid=6056>.

Other Greenhouse Gases. Greenhouse Gas Online. 12 Jan. 2003

<http://www.ghgonline.org/others.htm>.

Transportation Air Quality - Selected Facts and Figures. United States Department of Transportation -

Federal Highway Administration. 2 Jan. 2002

<http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/environment/aqfactbk/factbk15.htm>.

United States. Environmental Protection Agency. National Air Pollutant Emission Trends: 1990 - 1998.

Mar. 2000. 27 Dec. 2002 <http://www.epa.gov/ttn/chief/trends/trends98/>

Wang, Grady. Advocate of Stopping Global Warming. Telephone interview by Jimmy Kan. 12 Jan. 2003.

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Warren, Robert. Ethanol. 2 Dec. 2002 <http://running_on_alcohol.tripod.com/ethanolfuel/id7.html>.

What Are the Six Common Air Pollutants? United States Environmental Protection Agency. 12 Jan. 2003

<http://www.epa.gov/air/urbanair/6poll.html>.

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Problem Statement and Hypothesis

Problem Statement: What is the effect of increasing the concentration of ethanol in gasoline on the

amount of NOX gas emissions from automobile engines?

Hypothesis: If the concentration of ethanol in gasoline increased, then the amount of NOX gases emitted

from the engine during combustion will decrease.

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Variables and Controlled Conditions

Independent Variable: The concentration of ethanol in gasoline

SI Unit of Measure: Percentage and Milliliters

Equipment Used to Measure: Beaker, Graduated Cylinder

Dependent Variable: The amount of NOX gases emitted in engine emissions

SI Unit of Measure: Parts per Million

Equipment Used to Measure: Detector Tubes

Controlled Conditions: 1. Amount of fuel in tank will stay the same

2. The same engine will be used

3. All gasoline will be from the same source

4. All ethanol will be from the same source

5. Engine activity will be constant during each trial

6. Length of each trial will be the same each time

7. Temperature of testing area will stay constant

8. Same type of equipment will be used for each trial

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Materials List

Materials Amount Needed Size or Count

Pure Ethanol 1 Bottle 3 L

Beaker 1 200 mL

Graduated Cylinder 1 100 mL

Latex Exam Gloves 1 Box 50 count

Safety Goggles N/A N/A

Lab Coats N/A N/A

Paper Towels 1 Roll N/A

Automobile Engine 1 N/A

10% Ethanol Gasoline 1 Container Full 4 L

Jug or Other Large Container 1 N/A 4 L

Syringe 5 60 mL

Glass Containers for Gasoline & Ethanol Solution 5 500 mL

Red Permanent Marker 1 Jumbo Size

Glass Funnel 1 N/A

Rubber Tubing 1 1 Meter

Gastec Detector Tubes (for NOX Total) 35 N/A

Gastec Pump 1 N/A

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Running Time, Sample Size, Replications

Set Up Time: 1.5 Hours

Mixing Gasoline, Removing and Adding Fuel into Engine, Setting Up Materials

Experiment Running Time: 4.5 Hours

Inserting and Removing Tubes into Pump, Drawing Exhaust

Time between Trials: 1 Hour

Allowing Engine to Cool

Total Time: 7 Hours

Sample Size: One

Go-Kart was Only Tested Item

Replications: 10

Ten Trials at Each Concentration of Ethanol

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Procedures

Part A – Premixing Ethanol & Gasoline

1. Prepare data table, camera, and notebook for taking observations, and put on all safety equipment.

3. Lay out the 3 Containers, beakers, graduated cylinder, ethanol, and gasoline on a large work surface.

4. Label each jar using the permanent marker. The jars should be labeled according to concentration of

ethanol, 10% ethanol, 35% ethanol, and 55% ethanol.

5. Make the blended fuel according to the table below.

Table 1: Amount of Gasoline and Ethanol in Blended Fuel

Ethanol Concentration Gasoline (mL) Ethanol (mL)

10% 200 0

35% 50 150

55% 100 100

10. Set the 3 containers as ide and wash glassware.

11. Gloves, lab coat, and goggles can be removed at this point if Part B will not be started right away.

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Part B – Running Tests for Determining Concentration of NOX in Exhaust

Note: The experiment must be done in a well ventilated area, preferably outside if possible.

1. Prepare data table, camera, and notebook for taking observations, and put on all safety equipment.

Investigate the vehicle, and prepare a tool that will be able to jam or keep the accelerator pressed down

to a certain level by itself.

2. Prop up the vehicle so that when the accelerator is pressed, the actual vehicle will not move.

3. Siphon out any remaining gasoline from the tank into the glass jug. Use the meter of rubber tubing and

a syringe for this.

4. Add 200mL of the 10% ethanol gasoline solution into the gas tank.

5. Start the engine, but do not press down on the accelerator yet. Allow the engine a few minutes to cycle

the new gasoline into itself by letting it idle.

6. Prepare the Gastec detector tube and pump. Cut the ends of the tube using the tip cutter located on

the pump. Insert the tube into the pump and set it to draw 100 mL of air.

7. Press down on the accelerator until and insert the tool to jam the accelerator.

8. Place the end of the detector tube slightly into the exhaust pipe of the automobile and draw one pump

stroke full of air, but keep the detector tube in the exhaust pipe.

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9. Watch the indicator at the end of the pump handle for a signal that the pump stroke is over. Remove

the detector tube from the exhaust pipe and carefully remove it from the pump as well. Do not remove

the jamming tool or shut of the engine.

10. Measure the reaction by the distance the color change traveled up the tube (for how to read the tube,

see below) after half a minute. Record your data.

When the end of the color change layer is flat, read the value at the

end of the layer. In this example, the reading should be 5%.

When the end of the color change layer is slanted, read the value in

the middle of the slant.

When the demarcation of the color change layer is pale, read the value

in the middle between the dark layer end and the pale layer end.

11. Repeat steps 6-10 nine more times for the 10% ethanol solution and every other solution of fuel,

siphoning out the remaining fuel between trying each new type of fuel.

18. Shut off the engine completely, place used detector tubes in a sealed bin. Clean up the work area

and glassware and put away all materials.

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Pictures and Drawing of

Experimental Setup

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Tool used to jam the accelerator to maintain constant engine use.

Testing normal air to create a blank.

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Drawing exhaust using the pump, equipped with a NOX detector tube.

Blank (Clean Air)

Dad’s SUV

Go-Kart Regular gasoline (10% ethanol)

Go-Kart Gasoline with 22% ethanol

Go-Kart Gasoline with 64% ethanol

Preliminary results indicate, semi-quantitatively, that higher ethanol content in gasoline will reduce the concentration of NOX in exhaust gas.

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10% Ethanol blend, registered about 40 ppm of NOX. The top tube is a blank (exposed to normal air).


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Data Tables and Observations

Table 1: Effect of 10% Ethanol Concentration in Gasoline on the Concentration of Nitrogen Oxides

Produced in Automobile Emissions

Ethanol

Concentration

Trial

Number

NOX

(ppm)

Observations

Pretrial N/A No problems when starting engine, was no visible emissions.

When operating it registered continuous soft vibrations. There

is a strong odor of emissions.

1 40 The initial red oxidizer oxidized into a dark orange black color,

while the bottom of the NOX oxidizer is a dark black and the

top a light green.

2 40 The results were almost identical to last trial.

3 40 The results were the same as the last.

4 40 The initial oxidizer is oxidized very fast, but in this case it did

not occur, the NOX levels were the same.

5 40 Results are the same as trial one.

6 35 The time the NOX detector did reach as high a level as before.

7 30 Lowest amount of NOX gases were present.

8 40 Measurements are the same as trial one.

9 35 The trial was very similar to the first trial.

10 40 This trial was like the majority of other trials.

10%

Average 38 N/A

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Ethanol

Concentration

Trial

Number

NOX

(ppm)

Observations

Pretrial N/A We had just replaced the initial gasoline with 35% ethanol

gasoline. Engine is now registering light vibrations with

occasional more violent vibration.

1 25 The initial red oxidizer did not become orange as rapidly as

before.

2 25 Again the initial red oxidizer did not become oxidized

immediately; The engine had become too hot and had

overheated the tubes. So we stopped the engine, cooled it with

some water and ice.

3 20 The oxidizer turned colors very quickly, though it did not

become a very dark color.

4 20 This trial was had the same end results as trial 1, but the

oxidizer oxidized much quickly.

5 20 This trial was almost the same as trial 4.

6 20 Same as before.

7 20 Red and White Oxidizer oxidized nicely with a very dark bottom.

8 25 Same as trial 4

9 25 The tubes went through the same actions as in trial 4.

10 25 The oxidizer in this trial turned completely black.

35%

Average 22.5 N/A

34



Ethanol

Concentration

Trial

Number

NOX

(ppm)

Observations

Pretrial N/A Engine was easier to start, then last experiment with a high

ethanol content. However the spasmodic heavy vibration is

much more evident, ever time it occurs, the frame of the go kart

shakes is shaken, instead of a steady vibration.

1 10 The red oxidizer turned a very dark orange, while the NOX

detector turned a light green.

2 10 Same results.

3 10 Same results

4 10 Engine seemed to have calmed down a bit. And the results

were the same as before.

5 10 Results same as before.






55%

Average 9.5 N/A

35

Statistical Analysis

Concentration of

Ethanol In Gasoline Average NOX(ppm)

Number of

Trials

Standard

Deviation (ppm) Precision

10% 38 10 3.32 8.7%

35% 22.5 10 2.5 11.1%

55% 9.5 10 1.5 15.8%

*For more data, refer to Appendices.

36

Graphs

Graph 1: Effect of Increasing Concentration of Ethanol in Gasoline on NOX Gases Released Through Combustion

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% 40% 45% 50% 55% 60%

Concentration of Ethanol

Co

nce

ntr

atio

n o

f N

OX

(pp

m)

Interpretation:

When the ethanol concentration in the gasoline is increased, the amount of nitrogen oxides in the

exhaust decreases linearly. The slope of this line is -63.279 and stays constant throughout. The line

never crosses the origin (0,0). The equation for this line is y = -63.279x + 44.426.

(%)

37

Graph 2: Effect of Different Types of Engines on the Concentration of Nitrogen Oxides Produced when Using 10% Ethanol Gasoline

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

SUV Go-Kart Law Mower Mid-Size Sedan

Types of Engines

Am

ou

t o

f N

itro

gen

Oxi

des

(p

pm

)

Interpretation:

This graph shows the differences between the various types of engines used in today’s modern

world. The SUV’s emission count is not surprising, but the counts for the mid-size sedan and lawn mower

were unexpected.

38

Reaction to Hypothesis

The purpose of this experiment was to determine whether or not ethanol concentration in

gasoline has a direct effect on the amount of Nitrogen Oxides produced in automobile emissions. In this

study, it was found that when burning a high concentration ethanol resulted in a production of less

Nitrogen Oxides. When running trials, the oxidation reaction traveled further up the tube with the lower

concentration of ethanol in the gasoline. When the concentration of ethanol in the gasoline was

increased, the amount of Nitrogen Oxides decreased. These results supported the hypothesis that the

concentration of ethanol in motor fuel was directly related to the amount of Nitrogen Oxides that could be

found in the emissions. Some sources of error present in this experiment included the temperature at the

time of testing, the constant overheating of the engine, human error in the reading of the detector tubes,

and the lack of a catalytic converter in the vehicle. In the future, this experiment could be improved by

measuring a vehicle with a catalytic converter while the outside environmental conditions stayed constant.

Another improvement would be to use a several more concentrations of ethanol in gasoline. The biggest

improvement that could be made however would be the introduction of a more suitable control. In this

experiment, we used 10% ethanol gasoline as our control, due to the fact that this is the standard used by

the United States in most states. However if a 0% ethanol gasoline could be obtained, then it would

serve as a much better control. Nevertheless, because a direct link between ethanol concentrations in

gasoline to the concentration of Nitrogen Oxides in emissions has been proven, the purpose of this study

has been accomplished.

39

Relation of This Study to Previous Studies

This experiment is directly related with many others that have been done in the past. Almost a

century ago, the United States was already at work demonstrating the effectiveness of alcohol based

fuels. In the years 1906 to 1908, The U.S. Geological Service and the U.S. Navy performed 2000 tests

on alcohol and gasoline engines. They found that alcohol had many advantages over petrol as a motor

fuel, especially the fact that the exhaust from an alcohol engine was never clouded with black smoke.

Other studies include the United States Environmental Protection Agency’s annual “National Air Pollutant

Emissions Trends” which stays very up to date with new sources of fuel and the efficiency of each type.

Besides government agencies performing tests, many oil companies today are coming to recognize the

air pollution problem as well, and are taking steps towards a cleaner future. Many major oil companies

have begun studies dealing directly with ethanol, or at least some other type of renewable fuel… and in

almost all of the studies, the non-petrol option produced less hazardous waste byproducts.

40

Recommendations for Further Studies

Though the objective of the experiment was met, there are several different ways to expand upon

this subject. One option would be to test real cars, allowing for a much wider range of data. A wider

range of data is extremely important due to the improved accuracy with a larger sample size. A major

setback for the project was the inability to measure emissions for any ethanol concentration over 60%,

because any visible change could not have been measured by the tube. Testing real cars will also allow

the testing of concentrations of ethanol over 60% because real cars will provide a much more visible

reaction. Testing the emissions of different automobiles, and testing them in different times of the year is

yet another way to expand. Several factors, implemented into car design or due to the weather can

cause adverse effects such as choking of the engine, resulting in higher counts of NOX gases. One more

way to expand upon this study is by creating working emission tubes that will accurately measure the

amount of Nitrogen Oxides in emissions. In this study, this was attempted several times without success.

The final factor that could greatly improve the study would be to test a variety of hazardous gases, such

as benzene, carbon monoxide, and sulfur dioxide. These additions to the study would give a wider

representation of how ethanol can effect America’s air pollution problems.

41

Additional Experiment

There was a significant decrease in the measured NOX when the concentration of ethanol was

increased from 10% to 55%. The current standard however, is a blended fuel called E85, 85% ethanol

and 15% gasoline. Following the 55% ethanol trials, a small experiment was conducted using E85. The

results were pretty much as expected. The measured NOX decreased further and was almost

undetectable using detector tubes, but the estimated value is under 5 ppm.

42

Bibliography

Buren, Wendy S. Ethanol Information. 2002. American Coalition for Ethanol. 10 Jan. 2003

<http://www.ethanol.org/Information/ethanol_information.htm>.

Chemical Sampling Information. U.S. Department of Labor Occupational Safety & Health Administration.

2 Jan. 2003 <http://www.osha.gov/dts/chemicalsampling/toc/toc_chemsamp.html>.

Frank, David V., et al. Heath Chemistry. Lexington, Massachusetts, Toronto, Ontario: D.C. Heath and

Company, 1993. 754-758.

Gislason, Stephen J. Car Exhaust. Environmed Research Inc. 28 Nov. 2002

<http://www.nutramed.com/environment/cars.htm>.

Global Warming - Climate. United States Environmental Protection Agency. 12 Jan. 2003

<http://yosemite.epa.gov/oar/globalwarming.nsf/content/Climate.html>.

"Green Machines." BusinessWeek 14 Jan. 2003

<http://www.businessweek.com/adsections/smartcars/green/machines_index.htm>.

"Internal-Combustion Engine." Microsoft Encarta Online Encyclopedia 2002. 12 Jan. 2003

<http://encarta.msn.com/encnet/refpages/RefArticle.aspx?refid=761553622>.

43

Kovarik, Bill. Henry Ford, Charles Kettering and the \'Fuel of the Future\'. 1998. Radford University. 30

Dec. 2002 <http://www.runet.edu/~wkovarik/papers/fuel.html>.

Lippman, Roger. How To Modify Your Car to Run on Alcohol Fuel. 1982. 30 Dec. 2002

<http://terrasol.home.igc.org/alky/alky.htm>.

Loomis, Chuck. Employee, Nextteq LLC Corporation. Telephone interview by Jimmy Kan. 12 Nov. 2002.

May, Paul. Nitrogen Oxides and Nitric Acid. Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine. 12

Jan. 2003 <http://www.ch.ic.ac.uk/rzepa/mim/environmental/html/nitric_text.htm>.

"More Ethanol Fuel Means Cleaner Air." Planet Ark 21 Mar. 2000. 30 Dec. 2002

<http://www.planetark.org/dailynewsstory.cfm?newsid=6056>.

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<http://www.ghgonline.org/others.htm>.

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<http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/environment/aqfactbk/factbk15.htm>.

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44

Warren, Robert. Ethanol. 2 Dec. 2002 <http://running_on_alcohol.tripod.com/ethanolfuel/id7.html>.

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<http://www.epa.gov/air/urbanair/6poll.html>.

45

Appendices

Raw Data:

Standard Deviation for 10% Ethanol Concentration:

Individual values Distance from mean Squared Distance From Mean 40 ppm 2 ppm 4 ppm 40 ppm 2 ppm 4 ppm 40 ppm 2 ppm 4 ppm 40 ppm 2 ppm 4 ppm 40 ppm 2 ppm 4 ppm 40 ppm 2 ppm 4 ppm 40 ppm 2 ppm 4 ppm 35 ppm 3 ppm 9 ppm 35 ppm 3 ppm 9 ppm 30 ppm 8 ppm 64 ppm Total: 110 N=10 Variance=11 Standard Deviation=3.32


Individual values Distance from Mean Squared Distance from Mean 25 ppm 2.5 ppm 6.25 ppm 25 ppm 2.5 ppm 6.25 ppm 25 ppm 2.5 ppm 6.25 ppm 25 ppm 2.5 ppm 6.25 ppm 25 ppm 2.5 ppm 6.25 ppm 20 ppm 2.5 ppm 6.25 ppm 20 ppm 2.5 ppm 6.25 ppm 20 ppm 2.5 ppm 6.25 ppm 20 ppm 2.5 ppm 6.25 ppm 20 ppm 2.5 ppm 6.25 ppm Total=67.5 N=10 Variance=6.25 Standard Deviation=2.5

46


Individual Values Distance from Mean Squared Distance from Mean 10 ppm 0.5 0.25 10 ppm 0.5 0.25 10 ppm 0.5 0.25 10 ppm 0.5 0.25 10 ppm 0.5 0.25 10 ppm 0.5 0.25 10 ppm 0.5 0.25 10 ppm 0.5 0.25 10 ppm 0.5 0.25 5 ppm 4.5 20.25

Gasoline Mixtures:

Note: Gasoline contains 10% ethanol to begin with; some figures are rounded

For 10% Mixture – 200 mL Gasoline, 0 mL Ethanol For 22% Mixture – 260 mL Gasoline, 40 mL Ethanol For 35% Mixture – 150 mL Gasoline, 50 mL Ethanol For 55% Mixture – 100 mL Gasoline, 100 mL Ethanol For 64% Mixture – 120 mL Gasoline, 180 mL Ethanol 10% Ethanol Concentration:

Frequency Distribution: 40 ppm = 7 35 ppm = 2 30 ppm = 1 Mean: 38 ppm Median: 40 ppm Mode: 40 ppm Range: Maximum Concentration of Nitrogen Oxides = 40 ppm Minimum Concentration of Nitrogen Oxides = 30 ppm Range = 10 ppm from 40 ppm to 30 ppm Variance: 11 Standard Deviation: 3.32 35% Ethanol Concentration:

Frequency Distribution: 25 ppm = 5 20 ppm = 5 Mean: 22.5 ppm Median: 22.5 ppm Mode: 20 ppm and 25 ppm Range: Maximum Concentration of Nitrogen Oxides = 25 ppm Minimum Concentration of Nitrogen Oxides = 20 ppm Range = 5 ppm from 25 ppm to 5 ppm

47

Variance: 6.25 Standard Deviation: 2.5 55% Ethanol Concentration:

Frequency Distribution: 10 ppm = 9 5 ppm = 1 Mean: 9.5 ppm Median: 10 ppm Mode: 10 ppm Range: Maximum Concentration of Nitrogen Oxides = 10 ppm Minimum Concentration of Nitrogen Oxides = 5 ppm Range = 5 ppm from 10 ppm to 5 ppm Variance: 2.25 Standard Deviation: 1.5

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