MOSCOW, December 4. Biofuel for propulsion technology based on vegetable oils and culinary waste is being developed at the Advanced Engineering School (ESE) of Tomsk Polytechnic University, the university’s press service reported.
The university noted that the researchers have already received the first prototypes. However, such alternative types of fuel are subject to very strict requirements for the component composition; they must not be inferior to traditional ones in any of the standard indicators (viscosity, surface tension, density, calorific value, thermal-oxidative ability, etc.).
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"The first samples have already been synthesized. At the next stage of research, we plan to develop catalysts that will increase the yield of the target product, as well as produce biofuel with specified physicochemical characteristics,” said Elena Ivashkina, professor of the chemical engineering department of the TPU School of Natural Resources Engineering.
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She explained that to produce liquid biofuels, in collaboration with an industrial partner, Tomsk Polytechnic scientists used four types of raw materials: tall oil, camelina and rapeseed oils, as well as waste cooking oils. Three production methods were used — catalytic cracking, Fischer-Tropsch process and hydrocracking.
In order to increase production efficiency, the university is simultaneously creating an intelligent database using artificial intelligence methods. It will optimize the process of obtaining biofuels, as well as simplify the selection of components, catalysts and parameters for the synthesis of new fuels on an industrial scale.
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“Today, industry representatives are interested in biofuel production technologies equipped with software for controlling parameters and optimizing the process of obtaining aviation fuel from bio-raw materials. This is especially important due to restrictions on the use of imported software products at domestic plants,” emphasized the professor at the Research School of Physics of High-Energy Processes TPU Dmitry Glushkov.
The scientists noted that the digital twins they developed can be used to optimize the technology for obtaining the final product according to three types of indicators at once — economic, environmental and energy.
The research is carried out within the framework of an interdisciplinary TPU project together with specialists from the School of Energy Engineering, the School of Natural Resources Engineering and the Research School of High Energy Physics with the participation of experts from the aviation industry.