ANALYSIS OF ALTERNATIVE FUEL PROCESSING TECHNOLOGIES

Abstract

The article presents the results of a comparative analysis and experimental testing of the efficiency of technological processes for the processing of some types of alternative energy sources into fuel for transport engines. The accumulated research experience in the development of on-board conversion systems (reactors) of traditional motor fuels shows that the level of their technical and technological complexity is incomparable with the ecological and economic effect of their use in an RTS power plant. The high temperature level of the processing of these fuels necessitates the need for additional energy expenditure for the organization of the conversion process (for example, burning part of the fuel to support the necessary thermal regime of operation in thermochemical reactors), and the presence of sulfur compounds in motor fuel excludes the possibility of using highly efficient catalysts. In addition, the large relative content of inert (non-combustible) components in the composition of the target conversion products create additional difficulties when they are burned in the engine. In general, the choice of an acceptable alternative energy carrier as a raw product for the production of motor fuel is a compromise that takes into account its energy value, temperature conditions of conversion, the spectrum of gases formed during conversion, cost, availability of raw materials, the possibility of adaptation to the conditions of the RTS, etc. From the set of factors considered above, it can be concluded that today methanol is one of the most energetically beneficial sources of cheap and efficient hydrogen-containing fuel for RTS engines. It should be noted that in the future, in the world of technology development and the corresponding raw material bases, it may be economically justified to use other compounds, which, according to their characteristics, will be able to meet the energetically favorable conditions in the technological structure of the on-board conversion implementation. This will allow creating a stable fuel and energy base , which practically does not depend on the imported hydrocarbon fuel.