Ethanol as an alternative to water vapor for saving energy and fossil fuels in thermoelectric plants

Abstract

This article proposes the use of ethanol in a 96% azeotropic mixture as an alternative to water vapor in thermoelectric generators with notable advantages in saving fuel. As is known, water is a cheap resource, available everywhere in a liquid state. However, water has an unusually high heat of vaporization and an equally high boiling point, so converting water to steam requires consuming large amounts of fossil fuels to break the hydrogen bonds in this substance. In contrast, evaporating ethanol requires only 37 percent of the fuel needed to evaporate water. In addition, water, before turning into steam, needs to be softened and treated with chemicals to prevent oxidation and scale deposits in pipes. If quality ethanol is used, this process of adjusting the water would not be necessary, which represents another saving. On the other hand, it is possible to resort to the use of solar heaters to raise the temperature of the ethanol to around 70ºC to later heat it to 80ºC or more, if necessary, with fossil fuels, making more significant savings. Objectives: To propose the replacement of water vapor by ethanol vapor as a working fluid to move the turbines of thermoelectric plants to reduce the consumption of fossil fuels. Methodology: Analyze the physical properties of water and compare them with those of ethanol to know the advantages and disadvantages of one and the other as working fluids Contribution: Through small modifications in thermoelectric plants it is possible to reconvert them to operate with ethanol vapor and save on fossil fuels.