Scania’s Ethanol Diesel-Engine, Runs On Biodiesel Too
Scania (part of Volkswagen) builds modified, heavy-duty diesel engines designed to run on almost pure ethanol (E95, or 95% ethanol, with a 5% ignition improver).
If that sounds weird, that’s because it is. US auto manufacturers make a big deal out of converting cars and trucks to run on ethanol/gasoline blends of up to 85% ethanol. Scania has done better than that for 15 years, and guess what, their engines can run on 100% biodiesel too, without any modification.
Scania’s compression-ignition (CI) ethanol engine is a modified 9-liter diesel with a few modifications. Scania raised the compression ratio from 18:1 to 28:1, added larger fuel injection nozzles, and altered the injection timing. The fuel system also needs different gaskets and filters, and a larger fuel tank since the engine burns 65% to 70% more ethanol than diesel (whoa! see below). The thermal efficiency of the engine is comparable to a diesel, 43% compared to 44%.
While Scania originally introduced this technology for “heavy commercial vehicles in urban operation” (city buses), they’re now extending it to trucks as well. Scania maintains that with existing technology, the transition to renewable fuels can be painless. Since in the last 15 years they’ve put 600 ethanol buses on the road (mostly in Sweden), the company seems to know what it’s talking about.
Scania is also working to develop ethanol refueling infrastructure, which should make it easier for smaller transport companies to invest in ethanol-powered vehicles.
But why not use biodiesel, since ethanol requires about 1.5x more fuel usage? Scania’s answer may raise a few eyebrows: “the farming capacity [for biodiesel] is insufficient for the huge need foreseen for the transport industry.”
Unless you take EU spokesman Michael Mann’s comments seriously (he said that Europe can grow enough fuel to meet 10% of it’s transportation fuel), Scania must be betting on cellulosic ethanol. The intensifying food vs. fuel debate isn’t taking this issue lightly, as I’ve written about here and here.
In any case, Scania’s work seems to indicate it might not be as hard to create engines that run on alternative fuels as auto manufacturers maintain.
Posts related to Ethanol and Biodiesel:
European Union Defends Biofuel Targets As Food Prices Soar
Biodiesel Myth (Or Fact?) #23: Biodiesel is Raising Food Prices
Mercedes 40-MPG Diesel Hybrid: Cleanest SUV on the Planet
How Biodiesel Fuel-Cells Could Power The Future (And Your Car)
Trucks on ethanol now? Great. How do we explain it to the 100 million people that are now getting pushed below the breadline? Trucks will use even more food than cars. How does this help?
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/money/main.jhtml?xml=/money/2008/04/14/ccview114.xml
http://www.celsias.com/2008/04/15/the-pleasures-of-the-flesh/
http://www.celsias.com/2007/03/28/biofuels-its-getting-annoying-now/
Craig: It doesn’t make a whole lot of sense to me either. For more, see:
“Perfect Storm” Inflating Food Prices Worldwide
http://gas2.org/2008/04/14/perfect-storm-inflating-food-prices-worldwide/
Europe’s EPA Advises Suspending Biofuel Targets
http://gas2.org/2008/04/10/europes-epa-advises-suspending-biofuel-targets/
2015: 30% of US Corn Harvest Will Be Gasoline
http://gas2.org/2008/04/09/2015-30-of-us-corn-harvest-will-be-gasoline/
100 mil below the breadline, so what, their government’s fault for not being able to sustain a reckless population expansion in a competitive world. What do those poor 100 mil contribute anyway but riots and disease? Their land will be settled by more productive people when they are gone. People have been dying of starvation throughout human history and you think because we put people on the moon that it can not happen today. Some of these countries need to take responsibility for themselves if not they should be taken over by people that can run a country. If the voices of the people have decided they want rich countries to stay out of their affairs, it is time they finally listened to and let things play out.
Scania Engines: Run on Pure Ethanol, Biodiesel | nerdd.net…
\r\nFor 15 years, Scania (part of Volkswagen) has built modified, heavy-duty diesel engines designe…
Maybe Scania (as with the rest of the EU) is betting on perennial ryegrass as a source of cellulosic ethanol?
http://aberystwyth-online.blogspot.com/2008/04/cellulosic-ethanol-to-replace.html
Dave,
There is of course a huge problem with over-population in the world. Much of the world are not as educated in this as you or I. Many people have no idea what a condom is or even how to properly wash their hands using a bar of soap. I have seen it first hand. You can’t blame people whose government (other than Zimbabwe) is unable to finance these institutions and provide necessary infrastructure due to lack of revenues from natural resource exploitation (ie. oil) over the last couple of centuries. We can’t all just take what we want like some of us westerners tend to think.
Hi,
I have been interested in Scanias etanol engine technology for some time now.I would like to have a price for your various engines.I would also like more information on their performance and technical characteristics and data.
Best regards,
Herman.
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LOL, Dave you are quite an ignorant chap! I live in South Africa, the land of Gold and Diamonds.. Who made/makes all the money out of the diamonds and gold? The BLACK South Africans? I don’t think so! Some Jews in the US and Europe sure but not many ppl in SA! The money South Africans get is from digging & loosing their lives in the mines! Unfortunately the “have’s” don’t share after they plunder under developed lands! Nope they just carry on getting fatter! Try look up Biofuel made from Sweet Sorghum.. If only so called intelligent governments would send aid in the form of education to Africa rather than the money that goes straight from one unethical politician to another! VUKA DAVE! WHEN YOU POINT A FINGER THERE ARE 3 pointing back at you! 10/10 to Scania for their vision and determination.
Ryan, please tell me what party is in power in South Africa. I have a distinct memory that ANC has been calling the shots since the 1990’s. And still if my memory serves me right I remember that ANC is an organization with a strong socialist, and majority rule, agenda. So what has happened? Have the whites managed to get rid of the ANC? When did this happen?