Among the alternative fuels considered, DME, methanol, biogas, biogas and biodiesel, as well as hydrogen in gaseous form plus biogas have the highest potential (rating 5).
Synthetic diesel and ethanol were rated 3, while biodiesel was rated only 1. These ratings were influenced by the following factors:
• synthetic diesel, DME, methanol, and biogas can be produced from whole grains, wood raw material, or any other plant-based material
• ethanol production can be based on many raw materials, including wood waste and other cellulose-containing plant materials, although the efficiency level here is relatively low
• the production of biodiesel requires vegetable oils, such as rapeseed or sunflower oil, which can only be produced from the oil contained in the seeds. Furthermore, a given area can be sown with rapeseed only every four or even six years.
However, the use of alternative fuels usually involves the need for appropriate vehicle preparation. Sometimes the changes are minor, sometimes very expensive and quite significant in terms of construction. The level of technical complexity therefore takes into account, among other things, the need to provide more space for fuel or the installation of new, expensive components and sometimes the use of complex technical solutions to meet future exhaust emission requirements (some fuels require more advanced control than others). In addition, this criterion takes into account the impact of the fuel on the vehicle in the following aspects: maximum engine performance, range between refuelings, and weight increase affecting the reduction of payload. According to the adopted rating scale, 1 means a limited number of applications and the need to introduce many expensive, far-reaching changes, while at 5, the fuel is suitable for all heavy-duty applications and does not require special vehicle preparation (intermediate scales indicate a decrease in the degree of vehicle construction complexity and at the same time an increase in the possibilities of fuel application).
• synthetic diesel, DME, methanol, and biogas can be produced from whole grains, wood raw material, or any other plant-based material
• ethanol production can be based on many raw materials, including wood waste and other cellulose-containing plant materials, although the efficiency level here is relatively low
• the production of biodiesel requires vegetable oils, such as rapeseed or sunflower oil, which can only be produced from the oil contained in the seeds. Furthermore, a given area can be sown with rapeseed only every four or even six years.
However, the use of alternative fuels usually involves the need for appropriate vehicle preparation. Sometimes the changes are minor, sometimes very expensive and quite significant in terms of construction. The level of technical complexity therefore takes into account, among other things, the need to provide more space for fuel or the installation of new, expensive components and sometimes the use of complex technical solutions to meet future exhaust emission requirements (some fuels require more advanced control than others). In addition, this criterion takes into account the impact of the fuel on the vehicle in the following aspects: maximum engine performance, range between refuelings, and weight increase affecting the reduction of payload. According to the adopted rating scale, 1 means a limited number of applications and the need to introduce many expensive, far-reaching changes, while at 5, the fuel is suitable for all heavy-duty applications and does not require special vehicle preparation (intermediate scales indicate a decrease in the degree of vehicle construction complexity and at the same time an increase in the possibilities of fuel application).
The article comes from the magazine “Logistyka” 2009/3.