Heat Output of Diesel, Kerosene and

Biodiesel in Smudge Pots

Researched by Derek L.
2005-06
PURPOSE
HYPOTHESIS
EXPERIMENT DESIGN
MATERIALS
PROCEDURES
RESULTS
CONCLUSION

RESEARCH REPORT
BIBLIOGRAPHY
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

ABOUT THE AUTHOR


PURPOSE

The purpose of this experiment was to compare the heat output of diesel, kerosene and
an alternative fuel source in orchard smudge pots.

I became interested in this idea when I was watching the news and it reported on
rising diesel prices, I wondered if there was a cheaper and more efficient fuel for
diesel-powered items, like vehicles or heaters.

The information gained from this experiment could help people with an orchard. It
could save thousands of dollars each year with the rising prices of diesel.


HYPOTHESIS

My first hypothesis was that biodiesel would burn longer than kerosene or diesel.

My second hypothesis was that diesel would burn hotter than kerosene and biodiesel.

I based my hypothesis on that biodiesel has a lower viscosity then either of the others.
My second hypothesis was based on the fact that most smudge pots use diesel.


EXPERIMENT DESIGN

The constants in this study were:
The smudge pot
Starting temperature
Air temperature
Volume of fuel used
Measurement methods

The manipulated variable was the type of fuel being burned in the smudge pot.

The responding variables were the heat of the smudge pots fumes and burn time.

To measure the responding variables, I used a thermometer to measure the
surrounding fumes, a surface thermometer for the surface of the smudge pot and a
watch to measure burn time.


MATERIALS

QUANTITY ITEM DESCRIPTION

1 Smudge Pot
8 liters Biodiesel
8 liters Diesel
8 liters Kerosene
1 Raytak Raynger Thermometer
1 High Temperature Probe
1 Measuring Device
1 Lighter



PROCEDURES

1. Check for materials
2. Prepare 2.5 liters of designated fuel
3. Pour the fuel into the fuel chamber
4. Light the fuel, take down the time that the fluid lights
5. Every two minutes take a probe and a laser temperature
6. When flame retires record ending time
7. Repeat steps 2-5 three times for that fuel
8. Repeat steps 2-6 for each fuel
9. Clean up and give back the materials borrowed


RESULTS

The original purpose of this experiment was the purpose of this experiment was to
compare the heat output of diesel, kerosene and an alternative fuel source in orchard
smudge pots.


The results of the experiment were that kerosene created the most heat at 291.3 and
651.8 degrees Celsius, then diesel at 289.4 and 625.7 degrees Celsius, finally
biodiesel at 269.7 and 584 degrees Celsius. In time biodiesel came first with 49.7
minutes, then diesel with 48.7 minutes, and finally 45 minutes.


See the table and graph below.



CONCLUSION

My original hypothesis was that biodiesel would burn longer than kerosene or diesel.

My second hypothesis was that diesel would burn hotter than kerosene and biodiesel.

The results indicate that my first hypothesis should be accepted, because biodiesel
burn longer than both diesel and kerosene.

My second hypothesis should be rejected because the kerosene burned hotter than
either of the other fuels.

After thinking about the results of this experiment, I wonder if I would use more of
the fuel how the differences would change.

If I were to conduct this project again I would use more types of fuel and more of each
of them.

RESEARCH REPORT

Introduction
Fuels are a very important energy source that we use to power engine-driven machines,
heat homes and many other things, and generate electricity. This is the reason why fuels
are so important to todays society. Smudge pots are used to keep fruit safe from nature.
Biodiesel

History
The transesterification of vegetable oil was conducted as early as 1853 by scientists E.
Duffy and J. Patrick. Rudolf Diesel created the first diesel powered engine in 1893. Diesel
used peanut oil which is not a complete biodiesel only a biofuel. This engine was
presented at the World Fair in Paris, France in 1900, getting the Grand Prix. In 1912
Diesel made a speech that included The use of vegetable oils for engine fuels may seem
insignifigant today, but such oils may become, in the course of time, as important as
petroleum and the coal-tar products of the present time. In the 1920s diesel engine
manufacturers altered their engines to take the lower viscosity of petrodiesel. In 1978-1996
US National Renewable Energy Laboratory experimented using algae as a biofuel source.
Also in the 1990s France launched the local production of biodiesel which was obtained
by transesterification of rapeseed oil mixed with a proportion of 5% regular diesel.

Health
Biodiesel reduces the emissions of carbon monoxide by up to 50%, carbon dioxide by
78.45%, benzofluoranthenes by 56%, and benzopyrenes by 71%. It eliminates sulfur
emissions and many others.

Production
Of the base oils for biodiesel, rapeseed and soybean oils are most common, though others
can include mustard, palm oil, hemp and even algae. Waste vegetable oil can be used for
biodiesel as can animal fats. The US EPA says that restaurants in the US produce 300
million US gallons of waste oil annually. The estimated annual usage of transportation fuel
and home heating fuel is about 230,000 million US gallons. Soybean oil, which is most
common in the US, produces from 40 to 50 US gallons of fuel per acre. Rapeseed, which
is most common in Europe, gets from 110 to 145 US gallons per acre. Mustard provides
140 US gallons per acre. Jatropha produces 175 US gallons per acre. Palm oil yields 650
US gallons per acre. Algae gets from 10,000 to 20,000 US gallons per acre.
Diesel

Production
Diesel fuel is produced from petroleum. It is also called petrodiesel or nicknamed
dinodiesel. It is obtained from the fractional distillation of crude oil. The atmospheric
pressure is between 250 to 350 degrees celsius. Diesel is typically 18% denser than regular
grade gasoline. This is about 7.1 pounds per US gallon which is about 15% heavier than
gasoline, 6 pounds per US gallon.

Uses
Diesel is used for many different things including central heating systems. The taxes are
higher for transportation fuel than heating oil because of a type of fuel tax. This fuel is
marked with fuel dyes and trace chemicals to prevent unneeded taxes to be fined. This
diesel is used in the US for agricultural tractors so they dont pay a road tax. Diesel is also
used in diesel engines which uses internal combustion. This engine, which was created by
Rudolf Diesel, was originally designed to take peanut oil but oil was more productive.
These engines are used in cars, trucks, motorcycles, boats and locomotives.
Kerosene

History
First refined from coal by Atlantic Canadas Abraham Gesner in 1846 also founding the
modern petroleum industry. Gesner established his kerosene gaslight company to market
kerosene worldwide. In 1856 Polish chemist Ignancy Lukasiewicz discovered the means
of refining kerosene from much less expensive seep oil.

Uses
At one time kerosene was used mainly in kerosene lamps. Kerosene is now mainly used in
jet fuel and cooking fuel for portable stoves. A form of kerosene, RP-1, is now burned
with liquid oxygen as rocket fuel. Is mainly used in Japan for home heating.
Smudge Pots

Smudge pots are used to create a cloud smog over the orchard to create a radiation field to
keep the trees above freezing tempature. Smudge pots include a holding tank for the fuel
and a burning area higher in the stack. Diesel is most commonly used in smudge pots.
Smudge pots are known to be used historically in orange groves. Smudge pots are also
used to fend off insects from the fruit trees. Smudge pots are now being sold commercially
to homeowners to keep bugs away.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I would like to thank the following people for helping make my project possible:
My parents for helping me do my experiment.
Sun Powered Homes and Dan Bowman for without them my project would not
have been possible thank you.
Mr. Newkirk for guidance and suggestions
Mrs. Viernes for helping my with my project board.
My friends for keeping my spirits high.

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Summary

That is why smudge pots and the fuels are so important to modern society today.
BIBLIOGRAPHY

Newman, Jen. The Grove Experience: Smudging all night long 1/19/06
http://www.ulv.edu/comms/lvm/sum02/smudge.htm

Terry Definition of Smudge Pot http://davesgarden.com/terms/go/826/

UW Stout Physics Department Physics Questions Smudge Pots
http://physics.uwstout.edu/deptpages/physqz/smudge.htm

Wikipedia Biodiesel 1/14/06 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biodiesel

Wikipedia Diesel 1/14/06 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diesel

Wikipedia Kerosene 1/14/06 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kerosene