A comparative study of GERIPA ethanol with other fuels

• Published in: Ingeniería e investigación 2009-05, Vol.29 (2), p.77-80
• Main Authors: LOMBARDI, Geraldo, RODRIGUEZ RAMOS, Pedro A, OMETTO, Aldo, CORSINI, Romeu, PEREZ ONES, Osney, ZUMALACARREGUI DE CARDENAS, Lourdes
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Applied sciences; biofuel; distillery; Energy; Energy. Thermal use of fuels; ENGINEERING, MULTIDISCIPLINARY; Engines and turbines; Equipments for energy generation and conversion: thermal, electrical, mechanical energy, etc; ethanol; Exact sciences and technology; Natural energy
• ISSN: 0120-5609; 2248-8723
• DOI: 10.15446/ing.investig.v29n2.15165

The GERIPA project aimed at generating renewable energy integrated with food production has led to a beneficial option for producing ethanol and electricity. Ethanol has economic, social and environmental potential. Considering just the first one, Brazil consumes 39 billion liters per year-LD/yr of diesel oil, 18% of it being imported. The Federal Government has a recovery programme for the soybean agribusiness aimed at soybean biodiesel (SBD) production in which a 10% addition to diesel has been proposed. This 10% involves producing 10.7 million LSBD/d. Soybean biodiesel production is not self-sustainable and such proposal could require an annual subsidy of up to US$1.33 billion. Soybean plantations would need about 10 to 12 times more land than is necessary for sugarcane plantations to produce the same equivalent thermal energy (ETE). Sixty-seven GERIPA projects (GP) producing 80,000 liters of ethanol per day (GP80) could be set up with the sum of US$1.33 billion; this would substitute current Brazilian biodiesel demand by 4.28%, adding the same value for each new subsidiary. Considering ETE, ethanol-GP cost would be 37% to 50% below that for a liter of SBD on account of its raw material (RM) and region. The diesel cycle's thermal efficiency (ηt) yield is around 50% and that of the Otto cycle engine ηt is around 37%. The cost per km driven (CKD) by substituting SBD for ethanol-GP80 would thus indicate an 18% minimum and 59% maximum cost reduction for vehicle engines.