The Liquid Sunshine Project
A McC
1
The meaning of the word
“RAPOLEUM™”
The Liquid Sunshine Project
•
RAPUM is the Latin word which
applies to turnip or turnip rapes and
common swede rapes which are grown
for their oil and are recognised by their
bright yellow flowers.
•
The word OLEUM is the Latin for oil
•
Therefore RAPOLEUM is cold
pressed and finely filtered pure
vegetable oil which in modern times
has been shown to be suitable for use
as a fuel.
A McC
2
1
Why would we want to produce pure vegetable
oil as a fuel?
•
It is a CO2 neutral fuel so its production and use will help to
correct the global warming being caused by the burning of fossil
fuels over the past several centuries.
•
The CO2 content in our atmosphere is the major reason that we can
live on our blue planet as without a certain amount of CO2 the global
t
e
mpe
r
a
t
ur
ewoul
dbet
ool
owf
orl
i
f
e“
as we know it”t
oe
xi
s
t
.
A McC
3
Why would we want to produce pure vegetable
oil as a fuel?
BUT it is possible to have too much of a good thing!
A McC
4
2
Why would we want to produce pure vegetable
oil as a fuel?
The scientific checking of the carbon-dioxide content of our
air only properly started in 1958 and it shows a very
disturbing trend
A McC
5
CO2 Graph ppm
Global Co2
400
390
2
R = 0.9994
380
Annual-Fit
Trendline - Poly
370
360
350
340
330
320
310
A McC
2009
2007
2005
2003
2001
1999
1997
1995
1993
1991
1989
1987
1985
1983
1981
1979
1977
1975
1973
1971
1969
1967
1965
1963
1961
1959
300
6
3
Why would we want to produce pure vegetable
oil as a fuel?
•
So it is important to try to substitute fossil fuels from a global
warming point of view
A McC
7
Why would we want to produce pure vegetable
oil as a fuel?
BUT ALSO
•
The security and supply of liquid fossil fuels in the next few
years has been called into question
•
Some authorities claim that even now we are at our maximum
global production of oil
•
They say the market will shortly change from a buyers market to
a sellers market
A McC
8
4
Global Perspective
Global oil production will reach a peak sometime during this decade.
Af
t
e
rt
hepe
a
k,t
hewor
l
d’
sp
r
oduc
t
i
onofc
r
udeoi
lwi
l
lf
a
l
l
,never to rise
again.
In 1956 the geologist M. King Hubbert predicted that U.S. oil production
woul
dpe
a
ki
nt
hee
a
r
l
y1970’
s
.
Almost everyone, inside and outside the oil industry, rejected Hubberts
analysis. The controversy raged until 1970, when U.S. production of
crude oil started to fall. Hubbert was right!
Ar
ound1995,a
na
l
y
s
t
sbe
g
a
na
ppl
y
i
ngHubbe
r
t
’
sme
t
hodt
owor
l
dc
rude
oil production, with the results that oil production will peak around 2004.
If the predictions are correct (they were correct before!) there will be
enormous effects on the world economy.
Oil prices will start a relentless upwards spiral as the industrialized
A McC
nations bid against each other for the
dwindling oil supply.
9
Global Oil Production
Oil Consumption Million bbl/YEAR
30000
25000
ACTUAL
PRODUCTION
20000
"BEST-FIT"
MATHEMATICAL
PREDICTION
15000
10000
5000
0
1930
1940
1950
1960
1970
A McC
1980
1990
2000
2010
2020
10
5
Energy Supply according to Shell who reduced their
proven reserves of oil by 20% since this was released!
18
world energyconsumption [10 J]
source: German Shell
still open
1500
geo / ocean
energy
renewable energy
solar energy
1000
new biomass
wind e nergy
waterpower
trad. biomass
nuclear
500
gas
oil
coal
0
1900
1920
1940
1960
1980
2000
2020
2040
2060
A McC
11
Why would we want to produce pure vegetable
oil as fuel?
Further reasons for vegetable oil fuel production •
To provide an income source for rural areas
•
To have the security of a locally produced liquid fuel
•
To ensure the production of liquid fuels into the far future
•
To provide some price and supply stability in the liquid fuels
supply for transport and agriculture needs
•
To ease the shock of changing over from fossil fuels onto more
sustainable fuels
A McC
12
6
Why use rapeseed oil in particular?
•
I
ti
si
mpor
t
a
ntwi
t
ha
nybi
of
ue
lt
ha
t“
t
heove
r
a
l
le
f
f
i
c
i
e
nc
yof
s
uppl
yi
shi
g
h”
•
In simple terms - the amount of fossil fuels used in the production
of the biofuel should be kept to a minimum
•
Otherwise it is simply a public relations exercise and not a viable
a
t
t
e
mptt
opr
oduc
ea“
g
r
e
e
n”f
ue
l
A McC
13
Why use rapeseed oil in particular?
•
The oilseed rape crop has important advantages in this respect
•
The machinery used in crop preparation and harvesting can be
fuelled by Rapoleum™
The Liquid Sunshine Project
A McC
14
7
Pure Plant Oil Fuelled Tractors
The Liquid Sunshine Project
A McC
15
Why use rapeseed oil in particular?
Rapeseed produces three products with no waste
•
Rapeseed oil which can be used as a liquid biofuel
•
Rape cake which can be used as an animal feed supplement,
substituting for imports
•
Rape straw which can be used as a solid fuel
A McC
16
8
The three products
Yield Tonnes/hectare
Rapeseed Oil
Rape Cake
Rape Straw
1
2
4.9
A McC
17
Energy content in the products
Energy in GJ/hectare
40.76
Rapeseed Oil
Rape Cake
Rape Straw
56.55
38.64
A McC
18
9
Net Energy 123 GJ/ha
Input Energy in GJ/hectare
5.2
4.5
2.1
Fertilizer, Pesticide &
Sowing
Diesel Fuel
Electricity
Net Energy Available
123.2
A McC
19
I
mpor
t
antpar
ame
t
e
r
sf
orMaxi
mum “Ef
f
i
c
i
e
nc
yofSuppl
y”
•
Liquid manure fertilisers should be used where available and crop
management should provide minimum use of expensive inputs such
as artificial fertilisers and biocides
•
Renewable energy should be used for the processing and the
machinery used in sowing and harvesting the crop should run on the
locally produced fuel
•
Due to the simple methods of production and short transport
di
s
t
a
nc
e
st
hehi
g
he
s
t“
e
f
f
i
c
i
e
nc
i
e
sofs
uppl
y
”r
e
s
ul
tf
r
oml
oc
a
l
ly cold
pressed rapeseed oil
•
The higher oil extraction efficiencies of large centralised plants
producing biodiesel do not compensate for the higher energy inputs
A McC
of this process
20
10
THE CARBON CYCLE
CO2
nutrients
A McC
21
CO2 Neutral
•
Rapeseed under this system has a strongly positive energy & CO2
balance
•
Rapeseed oil can be genuinely CO2 neutral because the CO2
reductions from the straw alone far exceed the CO2 emissions used
in cultivation and processing
•
It is important that all three products are utilised to realise the full
potential of this production system
•
The three income streams from the animal feed, liquid fuel and
solid fuel products help to improve the economics of the system
A McC
22
11
Adapting diesel engines to run on Rapoleum™
Comparison of Major Qualities of Rapoleum™ versus Diesel Fuel
Rapoleum™
Diesel
Density
0.92
0.86
Cetane Number
51
<49
Energy content in MJ per litre
34.4
35.2
o
Flashpoint
325 C
40-55oC
o
Viscosity at 40 C in cSt
34
2
•
It can be seen that as a fuel Rapoleum™ is very comparable with diesel
but for its higher viscosity and its much higher flashpoint
•
The very high flashpoint together with its non toxic nature makes it a
very safe product to handle –this is a major plus factor
•
The viscosity can be altered simply by heating the fuel before it enters
the engine
A McC
23
Adapting diesel engines to run on Rapoleum™
Rapol
eum™ Vi
sc
os
i
t
y
300
Viscosity cSt
250
200
Near engine coolant
temperatures there
is little difference in
viscosity to diesel at
20oC
150
100
50
1/3 Rapoleum
2/3 Diesel
DIESEL
0
-10
0
10
20 30 40 50 60 70 80
A McC
Temperature Degrees
Centigrade
90
100
24
12
Adapting diesel engines to run on Rapoleum™
•
So in order to adapt the engine to burn Rapoleum™ is necessary to heat
the fuel
Further technical modifications are necessary such as:
•
Injector nozzles changes to suit new fuel
•
Some system modifications for start-up when the engine is cold
•
Modifications to compensate for the thicker fuel being pumped to the
engine
•
Additional adaptation of the engine management system to successful
A McC
run on Rapoleum™
25
Adapting diesel engines to run on Rapoleum™
There are many companies offering modification kits so we looked for
the following points in selection of a kit:
•
Excellent technical expertise
•
Relatively modest cost
•
An example of best practice in the field
•
Highly recommended by our technical advisors during our R&D trips to
Bavaria in Germany
A McC
26
13
Conversion Kit
A McC
The parts of a pre-combustion
chamber engine conversion kit
27
ELSBETT
A McC
28
ELSBETT
14
ELSBETT
Pure Plant Oil FueledLocomotive
A McC
29
Adapting diesel engines to run on Rapoleum™
A McC
30
Rapeoil content in Blend
15
Oil Standard
A McC
31
ELSBETT
Comparison between Rapoleum™Fueled cars
and Electric Cars
The Liquid Sunshine Project
Comparison Rapoleum versus Electric Car
1357
Range km
100
2200
Energy Onboard kWh
Fuel Tank kg
10
230
0
Rapoleum Car
Battery Car
12
300
Battery kg
Motor & Gearbox kg
70
128
250
250
Chassis etc kg
200
700
1200
A McC
1700
2200
32
16
Adapting diesel engines to run on Rapoleum™
Full modification for running a
diesel engine on pure vegetable
oil
Includes:
•
New injector nozzles
•
New glow plugs
•
New heat exchangers
•
Pipes, cables & fittings
•
Engine will run on Rapoleum™,
ordinary diesel, bio-diesel or any
blend of these fuels
A McC
33
Our Production Plant
A McC
34
17
Production Plant Layout
FEED
HOPPER
SEED
STORAGE
HOPPER
PRESS
CLEANER
AUTOMATIC
FILTER
MAGNET TRAP
PELLET
DIE
RAW OIL TANK
CLEAN
OIL
FINAL
FILTER
CONVEYOR
EXPELLER
CAKE
PELLETS
RAPOLEUM™
OIL TANK
TANK
A McC
35
A McC
36
Automatic Filter
Diagram
18
A McC
37
Co-generation Plant fitted to a house in
Germany fueled by cold pressed rapeseed oil
Vegetable oil co-generation system
as back up system 9000 kWh/y
electricial energy sold to the public grid
Additional electrical energy demand
bought from the public grid 2000 kWh/y
Solar thermal energy
for water and
heating system
Photovoltaics
3.800 kWh/y sold
to the grid
A McC
Heat demand
44 kWh/m²/y
Solar architecture
38
19
The Liquid Sunshine Project
Thank You for Listening!
A McC
39
20