Go for Alternative Fuels

Bio diesel is a form of diesel fuel manufactured from vegetable oils, animal fats, or recycled restaurant greases. It is safe, biodegradable, and produces less air pollutants than petroleum-based diesel. Bio-diesel can be used in its pure form (B100) or blended with petroleum diesel. Common blends include B2 (2% biodiesel), B5, and B20.

Bio diesel Compared to Petroleum Diesel

Advantages	Disadvantages
Domestically produced from non-petroluem, renewable resources Can be used in most diesel engines, especially newer ones Less air pollutants (other than nitrogen oxides) Less greenhouse gas emissions (e.g., B20 reduces CO2 by 15%) Biodegradable Non-toxic Safer to handle	Use of blends above B5 not yet approved by many auto makers Lower fuel economy and power (10% lower for B100, 2% for B20) Currently more expensive B100 generally not suitable for use in low temperatures Concerns about B100's impact on engine durability Slight increase in nitrogen oxide emissions possible in some circumstances

Source:fueleconomy

Fuel Efficiency

Study on Fuel Efficiency of Transport  Sector by ICRA

PCRA, in its endeavor towards efficient energy utilization &  environment protection leading to 
conservation and improvement in quality of life, has embarked upon the process of preparation of Fuel Efficiency program for Diesel (Engine Driven) Trucks & Buses in India. In this context, PCRA has mandated ICRA Management Consulting Services Limited (IMaCS) to prepare a Status Report based on market survey leading to fuel consumption norms for diesel (engine driven) trucks & buses in India. The report inter-alia includes market overview of trucks 
and buses in India, fuel consumption pattern of these vehicles, estimated growth potential of buses and trucks, bench marking with similar initiatives across the world, fuel savings due to proposed program, implementation road-map and overview of testing facilities in India. 

MARKET OVERVIEW OF TRUCKS AND BUSES 
India is the fi fth largest commercial vehicle manufacturer and one of the fastest growing commercial vehicle markets in the world. The annual sales of buses in India has remained 
relatively flat over the last ten years, increasing from 89,812 buses in Study on Fuel Efficiency of Transport Sector by ICRA 2001-02 to 98,763 buses in 2011- 12, growing at a CAGR of around 
one 1 per cent over this period.  An estimated 1,344,870 buses and  4,173,844 trucks are plying on the  roads in India.  Sale of buses is expected to grow at a  CAGR of 5.7 per cent to increase from 
0.11 million in 2012-13 to 0.21 million in 2024-25. Trucks are estimated to register a stronger growth of around 8.9 per cent between 2012-13 and 2024-45 from 0.80 million in 2012-13 to 2.23 million in 2024-25. 

DIESEL CONSUMPTION BY TRUCKS AND BUSES 

Rapid growth in the number of registered buses and goods vehicles in India during the last decade 
has significantly increased diesel consumption in India. Of the total diesel consumed by road transport, trucks and buses accounted for about 77 per cent with buses consuming around 7.08 million tonnes per annum and trucks consuming 24.25 million tonnes per annum.

OVERVIEW OF GLOBAL FUEL CONSUMPTION STANDARDS FOR HEAVY DUTY VEHICLES
HDVs have a relatively short history of fuel consumption regulations. Establishing fuel efficiency norms for HDVs is significantly more challenging due to their diversity in terms of vehicle size, configurations and usage patterns. Because of these challenges, HDV fuel efficiency standards have just begun to be proposed and adopted in some of the major vehicle markets in the world. 

FRAMEWORK FOR DEFINING STANDARDS FOR DIESEL (ENGINE-DRIVEN) TRUCKS AND BUSES IN INDIA

India currently has standards to reduce air pollutants from motor vehicles. Though passenger vehicles in India are smaller in size and consume less fuel than their western counterparts, the Indian commercial vehicles (trucks and buses) often consume more fuel. The commercial 
vehicles consume around 37,000 million litres (or 31 million tonnes) of diesel (equivalent to approximately Rs 180,000 crore at retail price of diesel) every year. 
Fuel consumption standards are mainly set as fuel consumption targets based on the average of the total fleet of vehicles sold (corporate average fuel economy). Fleet average fuel economy standards provide flexibility to manufacturers to achieve the target across sales mix rather 

than with each individual vehicle India currently has standards to reduce air pollutants from motor 
vehicles. Though passenger vehicles in India are smaller in size and consume less fuel than their western counterparts, the Indian commercial vehicles (trucks and buses) often consume more fuel. The commercial vehicles consume around 37,000 million litres (or 31 million tonnes) of diesel (equivalent to approximately Rs 180,000 crore at retail price of diesel) every year. 


Fuel consumption standards for trucks and buses in India can be implemented in a phased manner 
with relatively less stringent targets in the fi rst phase (2015-16 to 2019-20) since they would be mainly based on engine improvements. The targets should become more stringent after 2019-20, to be achieved from additional suite of technologies for both vehicles and engines. Accordingly, two sets of targets, one for the year 2020 and other for 2025, shall be defined for fuel consumption of trucks and buses.

Biodiesel

Bio-diesel is an eco-friendly, alternative diesel fuel prepared from domestic renewable resources i.e. vegetable oils (edible or non- edible oil) and animal fats. These natural oils and fats are made up mainly of triglycerides. These triglycerides when rea w striking similarity to petroleum derived diesel and are called "Bio-diesel". As India is deficient in edible oils, non-edible oil may be material of choice for producing bio diesel . For this purpose Jatropha curcas considered as most potential source for it. Bio diesel is produced by transesterification of oil obtains from the plant.

Jatropha Curcas has been identified for India as the most suitable Tree Borne Oilseed (TBO) for production of bio-diesel both in view of the non-edible oil available from it and its presence throughout the country. The capacity of Jatropha Curcas to rehabilitate degraded or dry lands, from which the poor mostly derive their sustenance, by improving land's water retention capacity, makes it additionally suitable for up-gradation of land resources. Presently, in some Indian villages, farmers are extracting oil from Jatropha and after settling and decanting it they are mixing the filtered oil with diesel fuel. Although, so far the farmers have not observed any damage to their machinery, yet this remains to be tested and PCRA is working on it. The fact remains that this oil needs to be converted to bio-diesel through a chemical reaction - trans-esterification. This reaction is relatively simple and does not require any exotic material. IOC (R&D) has been using a laboratory scale plant of 100 kg/day capacity for trans-esterification; designing of larger capacity plants is in the offing. These large plants are useful for centralized production of bio-diesel. Production of bio-diesel in smaller plants of capacity e.g. 5 to 20 kg/day may also be started at decentralized level in villages.

1.Technical Feasibility

Can be blended in any ratio with petro-diesel

Existing storage facilities and infrastructure for petro-diesel can be used with minor alteration.

From environment and emissions point of view it is superior to petro-diesel.

It can provide energy security to remote and rural areas.

It has good potential for employment generation

2.Sources of Bio-diesel

All Tree Bearing Oil (TBO) seeds - edible and non edible

Edible: Soya-bean, Sun-flower, Mustard Oil etc.

Non-edible: Jatropha Curcas, Pongemia Pinnata, Neem etc.

Edible seeds can't be used for bio-diesel production in our country, as its indigenous production does not meet our current demand.

Among non-edible TBO, Jatropha Curcas has been identified as the most suitable seed for India.

3.Advantages of Jatropha

Jatropha Curcas is a widely occurring variety of TBO

It grows practically all over India under a variety of agro climatic conditions.

Can be grown in arid zones (20 cm rainfall) as well as in higher rainfall zones and even on the land with thin soil cover.

Its plantation can be taken up as a quick yielding plant even in adverse land situations viz. degraded and barren lands under forest and non-forest use, dry and drought prone areas, marginal lands, even on alkaline soils and as agro-forestry crops.

It grows as a tree up to the height of 3 - 5 mt.

It is a good plantation for Eco-restoration in all types wasteland.

4.Agro Practices (as per NOVOD, Ministry of Agriculture, GOI)

Nursery raising

Nurseries may be raised in poly-bags filled with mixture of soil and farm yard manure in the ratio of 4:1.

Two seeds are sown in each bag.

Plantation

30 cm x 30 cm x 30 cm pits are dug

Farm yard manure (2-3 kg), 20 gm urea, 12 gm Single Super Phosphate (SSP) & 16 gm Mono Phosphate (MP)

Planting density

2500 plants / ha at 2m x 2m

Transplantation

It should be done during rainy reason.

Fertilizer

From second year in the ratio of 40:60:20 Nitrogen Phosphorous and Potassium (NPK) kg/ha

Irrigation

It is required only for the first two years

Pruning

During first year when branches reach a height of 40-60 cms

Pest & Disease control

No disease or insects noticed to be harmful

Flowering and fruiting

Flowering: Sept.- Dec. & March- April

Fruiting

After 2 months of flowering.

5.State-wise area undertaken by NOVOD for Jatropha Plantation

State Area (ha) Andhra Pradesh 44 Bihar 10 Chhatisgarh 190 Gujarat 240 Haryana 140 Karnataka 80 Madhya Pradesh 260 Maharashtra 150 Mizoram 20 Rajasthan 275 Tamil Nadu 60 Uttaranchal 50 Uttar Pradesh 200

Economics (as per Planning Commission Report on Bio-fuels, 2003)

Activities Rate(Rs. / Kg) Quantity(Kg) Cost(Rs.) Seed 5.00 3.28 16.40 Cost of collection & oil extraction 2.36 1.05 2.48 Less cake produced 1.00 2.23 (-) 2.23 Trans-esterification 6.67 1.00 6.67 Less cost of glycerin produced 40 to 60 0.095 (-) 3.8 to 5.7 Cost of Bio-diesel per kg 19.52 to 17.62 Cost of Bio-diesel per litre (Sp. Gravity 0.85) 16.59 to 14.98

7. Employment potential (as per Planning Commission report on bio-fuels, 2003))

Likely demand of petro diesel by 2006-07 will be 52 MMT and by 2011-12 it will increase to 67 MMT.

5% blend of Bio-diesel with petro diesel will require 2.6 MMT of Bio-diesel in 2006-07

By 2011-12, for 20% blend with Petro-diesel, the likely demand will be 13.4 MMT.

To meet the requirement of 2.6 MMT of bio-diesel, plantation of Jatropha should be done on 2.2 - 2.6 million ha area.

11.2 - 13.4 million ha of land should be covered by 2011 - 12 for 20% bio-diesel blending

It will generate following no. of jobs in following areas.

Year No. of jobs in plantation In maintenance Operation of BD units 2006-07 2.5 million 0.75 million 0.10 million 2011-12 13.0 million 3.9 million 0.30 million

Oil content

35% to 40%

Collection and processing

Ripe fruits collected from trees.

8. Efforts of National Oilseed and Vegetable Oil Development Board (NOVOD)

Systematic state/region wise survey for identification of superior trees and superior seeds.

Maintenance of record on seeds/trees.

Samples of high yield to be sent to National Bureau of Plant Genetic Resources (NBPGR) for accession and cryo-preservation.

NOVOD has developed improved Jatropha seeds, which have oil contents up to 1.5 times of ordinary seeds.

However, being in short supply, initially these improved Jatropha seeds would be supplied only to Agricultural Universities for multiplication and development.

After multiplication these would be supplied to different states for further cultivation. This program is likely to take 3 - 4 years.

It is also working for development of multi-purpose post-harvest technology tools like decorticator and de-huller, which would further improve oil recovery.

9. Trans-esterification Process

Vegetable Oil Alcohol Catalyst(Sodium or Potassiu m Hydroxide) Glycerin(Used for medicinal value) Bio-diesel 100 gm 12 gm 1 gm 11 gm 95 gm

It is the displacement of alcohol from an ester by another alcohol in a similar process to hydrolysis.

Vegetable Oil i.e. the triglyceride can be easily trans-esterified in the presence of alkaline catalyst at atmospheric pressure and at temperature of approximately 60 to 70oC with an excess of methanol.

If 100 gm of vegetable oil is taken, 1 gm of the alkaline catalyst (Potassium Hydroxide), and 12 gm of Methanol would be required

As a first step, the alkaline catalyst is mixed with methanol and the mixture is stirred for half an hour for its homogenization.

This mixture is mixed with vegetable oil and the resultant mixture is made to pass through reflux condensation at 65oC.

The mixture at the end is allowed to settle.

The lower layer will be of glycerin and it is drain off.

The upper layer of bio-diesel (a methyl ester) is washed to remove entrained glycerin.

The excess methanol recycled by distillation.

This reaction works well with high quality oil. If the oil contains 1% Free Fatty Acid (FFA), then difficulty arises because of soap formation. If FFA content is more than 2% the reaction becomes unworkable.

Methanol is inflammable and Potassium Hydroxide is caustic, hence proper and safe handling of these chemicals are must.

10. Agencies & Institutes working in the field of bio-diesel

National Oil seeds and Vegetable Oil Board, Gurgaon

PCRA - Petroleum Conservation Research Association (MOP&NG)

IOC (R&D) Centre, Faridabad

Delhi College of Engineering

IIT, Delhi

IIP, Dehradun

Downstream National Oil Companies

Indian Institute of Chemical Technology, Hyderabad

CSIR

Ministry of Non-conventional Energy Sources

Central Pollution Control Board

Bureau of Indian Standards

Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency

States, which have made some lead

Uttranchal:

Uttaranchal Bio-fuel Board (UBB) has been constituted as a nodal agency for bio-diesel promotion in the state.

Has undertaken Jatropha plantation in an area of 1 lakh hectare.

UBB has established Jatropha Gene Bank to preserve high yielding seed varieties.

Has ambitious plan to produce 100 million liters of bio-diesel.

Andhra Pradesh:

Govt. of AP (GoAP) to encourage Jatropha plantation in 10 rain shadow districts of AP

Task force for it has been constituted at district and state level

GoAP proposed Jatropha cultivation in 15 lakh acres in next 4 years

Initial target is 2 lakh acres

Irrigation to be dovetailed with Jatropha cultivation

90% drip subsidy is proposed

Jatropha cultivation to be taken up only in cultivable lands with existing farmers.

Crop and yield insurance is proposed

Chhattisgarh:

6 lakh saplings of Jatropha have been planted with the involvement of State's Forest, Agriculture, Panchayat and Rural Development Departments

As per the Deputy Chairman, State Planning Board, the state has the target to cover 1 million ha of land under Jatropha plantation

Ten reputed bio-diesel companies, including the UK-based D1 Oils, have offered to set up Jatropha oil-extraction units or to buy the produce from farmers in Chhattisgarh.

Companies like Indian Oil, Indian Railways and Hindustan Petroleum have each deposited Rs 10 lakh as security for future MoUs with the state government.

11. Farmers' Initiatives in Haryana

Farmers in Haryana have formed NGOs and cooperatives for promotion of Jatropha plantation.

These NGOs and cooperatives are raising nurseries for Jatropha plantation and supplying saplings to others for further cultivation.

They have been blending directly Jatropha Oil into diesel fuel and successfully using this blend in their tractors and diesel engines without any problems.

These NGOs and cooperatives are also organizing the practical demonstration of this usage in their demonstration workshops.

They are organizing local seminars, workshops and conferences etc. to promote the usage of Jatropha oil.

NGOs have also printed some booklets on Jatropha plantation.

12. Current usages of bio-diesel / Trials & testing of bio-diesel

Usages of bio-diesel are similar to that of petro-diesel

Shatabadi Express was run on 5% blend of bio-diesel from Delhi to Amritsar on 31st Dec. 2002 in association with IOC.

Field trials of 10% bio-diesel blend were also done on Lucknow-Allahabad Jan Shatabdi Express also through association with IOC.

HPCL is also carrying out field trials in association with BEST

Bio-Diesel blend from IOC (R&D) is being used in buses in Mumbai as well as in Rewari, in Haryana on trial basis .

CSIR and Daimler Chrysler have jointly undertaken a successful 5000 km trial run of Mercedes cars using bio-diesel as fuel.

NOVOD has initiated test run by blending 10% bio diesel in collaboration with IIT, Delhi in Tata Sumo & Swaraj Mazda vehicles.

For Knowing PCRA's Efforts click on the link PCRA Efforts

Simple tips for saving diesel in tractors

Know your tractor Your manual will tell you everything you need to know about the maintenance and operation of your tractor. Research shows that a badly maintained tractor wastes up to 25 % of precious diesel. Remember When it doubt, check with a reputed garage or your dealer.

Stop diesel leaks Check your tractor daily. A leak of one drop per second can cost you 2000 liters of diesel per year. Remember Inspect joints in Fuel tank, Fuel pump, Fuel injector and Fuel lines.

Turn your engine off, when you stop An idling tractor wastes more than 1 liter of diesel every hour. Remember Keep your battery, alternator and self-starter in top running condition. If they are faulty they can force you to idle.

Drive in the correct gear-always If your tractor struggles to pull a load with the throttle at maximum, shift to a lower gear. If it accelerates, shift to a higher gear. Wrong gear selection can increase fuel consumption by 30% and reduce field output by 50%. Remember Smoke from a tractor indicates overloading.

Top

Does your tractor smoke, too? A tractor that smokes excessively wastes precious diesel. Oversized implements or using the wrong gear, cause tractor smoke. If your tractor continues to smoke, have it overhauled at a reputable garage. Test nozzles and recalibrate the fuel injection pump. Faulty fuel injection can increase fuel consumption by 25 %. Remember Never use oversized implements. Service the engine regularly.

Dirt-your engine’s worst enemy Good air filtration is important since tractors often operate in dusty condition. Research has proved that unfiltered air wears out cylinder bores 45 times faster and piston rings 115 times faster than normal. Good fuel filtration is important. Dirty fuel will endanger the engine. Use quality fuel filters and replace them as recommended. Remember Replace both fuel filters simultaneously. Clean air filters regularly.

Wheels that slip waste diesel Keep tractor wheels from slipping by adding water ballast's and/or cast iron weights. Add just the right amount of weight to keep wheel slippage to the minimum.

Top

Worn out tyres reduce pulling power Replug your tyres on time. While refitting tyres, make sure the ‘V’ treads point downwards when viewed from the front. Remember Different tyre pressures are recommended for road and field work. Check your manual or ask a dealer.

Match hauling capacity with load Choose implement size and tractor operating speed to match your engine’s full horsepower Run in the highest gear possible at which your tractor doesn’t smoke. If your tractor on full throttle accelerates even in the top gear, your implement is too small. A bigger implement or a multiple arrangement of implements may help you get the maximum benefit out of the tractor power and avoid diesel waste. You may consume up to 30% more fuel if you use undersized implements or operator at low speeds. Remember Consult an expert when selecting implements.

Plan your field run Plough according to a planned layout that reduces idle running, backtracking and awkward turn. You will save diesel if you plough long furrows instead of short ones. Remember Your first openings must be straight and parallel. Side lands and headlands should be ploughed around the field continuously without reploughing the field.

Top

Tips for Thermal Energy Conservation

General

Undertake regular energy audits. Plug all oil leakage. Leakage of one drop of oil per second amounts to a loss of over 2000 liters/year. Filter oil in stages. Impurities in oil affect combustion. Pre-heat the oil. For proper combustion, oil should be at right viscosity at the burner tip. Provide adequate Pre-heat capacity. Incomplete combustion leads to wastage of fuel. Observe the colour of smoke emitted from chimney. Black smoke indicates improper combustion and fuel wastage. White smoke indicates excess air & hence loss of heat. Hazy brown smoke indicates proper combustion. Use of Low air pressure “film burners” helps save oil upto 15% in furnaces.

Furnace

Recover & utilize waste heat from furnace flue gase for preheating of combustion air. Every 21°C rise in combustion air temperature results in 1% fuel oil savings. Control excess air in furnaces. A 10% drop in excess air amounts to 1% saving of fuel in furnaces. For an annual consumption of 3000 kl. of furnace oil. This means a saving of Rs 3 Lacs. (Cost of furnace oil-Rs. 10 per litre). Reduce heat losses through furnace openings. Observations show that a furnace operating at a temperature of 1000°C having an open door (1500mm*750mm) results in a fuel loss of 10 lit/hr. For a 4000 hrs. furnace operation this translates into a loss of approx. Rs. 4 Lacs per year. Improve insulation if the surface temperature exceeds 20°C above ambient. Studies have revealed that heat loss form a furnace wall 115mm thick at 650°C amounting to 2650 Kcal/m2/hr can be cut down to 850 kcal/m2/he by using 65 mm thick insulation on the 115 mm wall. Proper design of lids of melting furnaces and training of operators to close lids helps reduce losses by 10-20% in foundries.

Top

Boiler

Remove soot deposits when flue gas temperature raises 40°C above the normal. A coating of 3mm thick soot on the heat transfer surface can cause an increase in fuel consumption of as much as 2.5%. Recover heat from steam condense. For every 6°C rise in boiler feed water temperature through condense return, there is 1% saving in fuel. Improve boiler efficiency. Boilers should be monitored for flue gas losses, radiation losses, incomplete combustion, blow down losses, excess air etc. Proper control can decrease the consumption upto 20%. Use only treated water in boilers. A scale formation of 1mm thickness on the waterside would increase fuel consumption by 5-8%. Stop steam leakage. Steam leakage from a 3 mm-diameter hole on a pipeline carrying steam at 7kg/cm2 would waste 32 kl of fuel oil per year amounting to a loss of Rs. 3 Lacs. Maintain steam pipe insulation. It has been estimated that a bare steam pipe, 150 mm in diameter and 100m in length, carrying saturated steam at 8kg/cm2 would waste 25 kl of furnace oil in a year amounting to an annual loss of Rs. 2.5 Lacs.

DG Sets

Maintain diesel engines regularly. A poorly maintained injection pump increases fuel consumption by 4Gms/KWH. A faulty nozzle increases fuel consumption by 2Gms/KWH. Blocked filters increase fuel consumption by 2Gms/KWH. A continuously running DG set can generate 0.5 Ton/Hr of steam at 10 to 12 bars from the residual heat of the engine exhaust per MW of the generator capacity. Measure fuel consumption per KWH of electricity generated regularly. Take corrective action in case this shows a rising trend.

Tips for Electrical Energy Conservation

General

Improve power factor by installing capacitors to reduce KVA demand charges and also line losses within plant. Improvement of power factor from 0.85 to 0.96 will give 11.5% reduction of peak KVA and 21.6% reduction in peak losses. This corresponds to 14.5% reduction in average losses for a load factor of 0.8. Avoid repeated rewinding of motors. Observations show that rewound motors practically have an efficiency loss of upto 5%. This is mainly due to increase in no load losses. Hence use such rewound motors on low duty cycle applications only. Use of variable frequency drives, slip power recovery systems and fluid couplings for variable speed applications such as fans, pumps etc. helps in minimizing consumption.

Illumination

Use of electronic ballast in place of conventional choke saves energy upto 20%. Use of CFL lamp in place of GLS lamp can save energy upto 70%. Clean the lamps & fixtures regularly. Illumination levels fall by 20-30% due to collection of dust. Use of 36W tubelight instead of 40 W tubelight saves electricity by 8 to 10%. Use of sodium vapour lamps for area lighting in place of Mercury vapour lamps saves electricity upto 40%.

Top

Compressed Air

Compressed air is very energy intensive. Only 5% of electrical energy are converted to useful energy. Use of compressed air for cleaning is rarely justified. Ensure low temperature of inlet air. Increase in inlet air temperature by 3°C increases power consumption by 1%. It should be examined whether air at lower pressure can be used in the process. Reduction in discharge pressure by 10% saves energy consumption upto 5%. A leakage from a ½” diameter hole from a compressed air line working at a pressure of 7kg/cm2 can drain almost Rs. 2500 per day. Air output of compressors per unit of electricity input must be measured at regular intervals. Efficiency of compressors tends to deteriorate with time.

Refrigeration & Air Conditioning

Use of double doors, automatic door closers, air curtains, double glazed windows, polyester sun films etc. reduces heat ingress and air-conditioning load of buildings. Maintain condensers for proper heat exchange. A 5°C decrease in evaporator temperature increases the specific power consumption by 15%. Utillisation of air-conditioned/refrigerated space should be examined and efforts made to reduce cooling load as far as possible. Utillise waste heat of excess steam or flue gases to change over from gas compression systems to absorption chilling systems and save energy costs in the range of 50-70%. Specific power consumption of compressors should be measured at regular intervals. The most efficient compressors to be used for continuous duty and others on standby.

Cooling Towers

Replacement of inefficient aluminum or fabricated steel fans by moulded FRP fans with aerofoil designs results in electricity savings in the range of 15-0%. A study on a typical 20ft. diameter fan revealed that replacing wooden blade drift eliminators with newly developed cellular PVC drift eliminators reduces the drift losses from 0.01-0.02% with a fan power energy saving of 10%. Install automatic ON-OFF switching of cooling tower fans and save upto 40% on electricity costs. Use of PVC fills in place of wooden bars results in a saving in pumping power of upto 20%.

Pumps

Improper selection of pumps can lead to large wastage of energy. A pump with 85% efficiency at rated flow may have only 65% efficiency at half the flow. Use of throttling valves instead of variable speed drives to change flow of fluids is a wasteful practice. Throttling can cause wastage of power to the tune of 50 to 60%. It is advisable to use a number of pumps in series and parallel to cope with variations in operating conditions by switching on or off pumps rather than running one large pump with partial load. Drive transmission between pumps & motors is very important. Loose belts can cause energy loss upto 1-20%. Modern synthetic flat belts in place of conventional V-belts can save 5% to 10% of energy. Properly organized maintenance is very important. Efficiency of worn out pumps can drop by 10-15% unless maintained properly.

Promotional Schemes

Energy Auditors empanelment scheme

Besides these, PCRA also conducts Energy audits, Fuel Oil diagnostic studies, Studies in small scale industries, Follow-up’s; Organizes technical meets, Consumer meets, Seminars, Institutional training programmers, Workshops, Clinics; helps in organizing Action Group meetings and puts up stalls in exhibitions on conservation of petroleum products

SAVE ENERGY AT HOME

Make Gas & Kerosene last longer

Do you know that housewives can save upto 30% of cooking gas or kerosene by following a few simple ‘fuel–saving tips’? We at PCRA have conducted a series of experiments on how to save cooking gas or kerosene. This was done in collaboration with the Indian Oil Corporation Ltd. (R&D Center), and the Institute of Hotel Management and Catering & Applied Nutrition, NEW Delhi. Our experiments have revealed that it is possible to save upto 30% of cooking gas or kerosene by following good cooking practices. It will be surprising to discover that certain cooking habits cause substantial waste of fuel. Given below are a few tips on how to minimize losses and get value for the money you spend on cooking gas or kerosene:-

A few minutes of planning ensures a big fuel saving   Every thrifty you can avoid an idle flame if you prepare and keep all materials required for cooking within reach, before lighting the stove. Experiments have revealed that keeping the flame of the larger burner burning unnecessarily in a gas stove, results Even a few paise saved everyday will amount to a sizeable saving by the end of a month.     Remember Light your stove only after you have kept all the ingredients within your reach and ready for cooking. Put off an idle flame at once.

Pressure cooking saves fuel   Pressure cooking is one of the fastest and most economical ways of cooking. Experiments have shown fuel (kerosene or cooking gas) savings of 20% on rice, 46% on soaked gram dal and 41.5% on meat, as compared to ordinary cooking. The savings in cooking time were equally high. To obtain further savings from a pressure cooker, use the separators of the cooker to cook different items such as rice, vegetable and dal, all at the same time. Just think of the fuel and money you will save! And have your entire meal ready quickly.     Remember Pressure cooking saves duel and time. Use separators in the pressure cooker to cook different items at the same time.

Use optimum quantity of water   The quantity of water used differs for various dishes. And even for the same dish, different housewives use varying quantities of water. Since water is extensively used in cooking, you should remember that surplus water wastes fuel. Besides, when the excess water is drained subsequently, precious nutrients are lost. An experiment on cooking rice with double the required quantity of water has revealed that fuel consumption increased by 65% So use only the optimum quantity of water for cooking.     Remember Surplus water consumes additional fuel which could otherwise be saved.

Reduce the flame when boiling starts   When a vessel’s contents reach boiling point, a low flame is enough to keep them boiling. Addition of more heat at the boiling stage causes further evaporation of the liquid without serving any useful purpose. Hence, when water or any other liquid is boiling, reduction in the flame will reduce wastage. This is possible in a gas stove by turning the know to ‘simmer’ position or in a kerosene stove by lowering the wicks. Experiments conducted have revealed a saving of 25% fuel when the flame was reduced after boiling had started. Try it yourself. You will find that the time taken to cook is just the same.     Remember Always reduce the flame once boiling starts.

Soak before cooking   Experiments have shown that soaking ingredients such as dal and rice for various intervals of time before cooking saves fuel. 250 gms of kabuli chana (chick peas) when soaked overnight in water consumed 22% less fuel as compared to the fuel required for the same quantity of unsoaked kabuli chana.     Remember Sizeable savings in fuel are possible if you soak cereals in water before cooking.

Shallow, wide vessels save fuel   A visible flame touching the sides of vessel wastes fuel since it gives out heat to the surroundings. But if you cover the flame as much as possible by using a broad vessel, you will save fuel. Our tests have established that for most stoves, a vessel of 25 cm. Diameter is ideal for cooking. A vessel of this diameter tends to cover the flame completely. Where a narrower vessel cannot be avoided, try and reduce the flame so that it does not creep up on the sides of the vessel.     Remember Hide the flame with broad bottomed, vessel. Do not use vessels which are narrow as they allow the flame to creep up on the sides.

Put the lid on heat losses   It is a good practice to cover cooking vessels and pans with a lid, as an open vessel loses heat to the atmosphere which means a waste of fuel. A vessel of 100sq.cm. opening , containing not water at 96°C would waste 7.2 GMs Of gas per hour. The heat loss would increase by 2-1/2 times if there is wind blowing through the kitchen. If the vessel is covered by a lid , the heat loss would drop appreciably to 1.45 gm. Of gas per hour as heat is retained within the vessel.     Remember Always place a lid on an open cooking vessel or pan.

The small burner saves fuel   A cooking gas stove has a big burner and a small burner. The small burner consumes 6% to 10% less gas than the big burner ! An experiment on cooking 250 GMs Of potatoes revealed that the small burner consumed 6.5% less gas but look 7 minutes more than the big burner. Similarly in a kerosene stove, by cooking at lower flame you will use less fuel. You can now imagine how much fuel is being avoidably wasted. True, the small burner of the lower flame takes a little more time to complete cooking, but then you are not always in such a hurry that you can afford to waste fuel.     Remember Use the small burner or lower flame more often, as the case may be especially when you have time to spare.

A clean burner helps save fuel   It is important to/clean the burner of your gas range regularly and trim or replace the wicks of the kerosene stove. Soot clogged gas burners and charred wick-ends of a kerosene stove increase fuel consumption. Regular maintenance of your stove helps you save fuel. In case stove knobs do not more freely, get them attended to.     Remember A bright, steady blue flame means efficient burning. If you see an orange, yellow on non-uniform flame, clean the burner or wick as the case may be.

For additional saving   The use of ‘ISI’ marked kerosene wick stoves in place of non-‘IST’ marked stove saves upto 25% of kerosene and the use of higher efficiency ‘ISI’ marked LPG stove (the thermal efficiency level of which is 68%+) saves upto 15% of gas.

Clean vessels help too   A coating of undissolved salts is usually found on the insides of kettles and cookers. Even a millimeter thick coating can reduce the flow of heat to the vessel’s contents. This increases your fuel consumption by as much as 10%.     Remember Cooking vessels should always be scrubbed clean.

Allow frozen food to reach room temperature before cooking   Cold milk, frozen meal or any other cold food-stuff from the refrigerator should not be taken straight to the cooking pot. Keep it out of the refrigerator should not be taken straight to the cooking pot. Keep it out of the refrigerator for some time before putting if on the stove. Very cold food consumes a larger amount of fuel.

Plan your meal timings   If all members of the family eat together, which signifies togetherness and increases joy, frequent reheating of food before serving can be avoided. If eating together is not possible, store cooked, hot food in insulated containers to serve it hot later.