"Bio-Power Up" Organic Fuel Additive: Green Chemistry for Cost Savings and Climate Change Mitigation

Abstract

The study aimed to determine the effect of using “Bio-Power Up” green, organic gasoline additive on the fuel consumption, power output and carbon dioxide emissions of engines in city driving, highway driving and stationary engine tests. The additive is produced from plants and vegetable extracts with a fuel enhancer containing methanol as one of its components. Experiments on city driving test were conducted on a Nissan 1990 model at the Vehicle Research and Testing Labiratory of the Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of the Philippines in Diliman, Quezon City. The 10-15 mode cycle Japanese model was used. Using t-test, there was no significant (p-value = 0.207) decrease (-0.60%) in the fuel consumption in g/km but there was significant (p-value = 0.008) increase (5.00%) in the power output in kW when the additive was introduced. Truly, the 5.00% increase in power led to great fuel savings in highway driving. In the highway driving test of about 50 km drive back and forth, for the new Honda Wave motrocycle, a fuel savings of 7.23% was observed; for a Toyota Revo DLX, a fuel savings of 10.99% resulted; and for a Mitsubishi Lancer GLXi, a fuel savings of 171.80% was realized. The fuel savings depended on the condition of the engine. The fuel savings in highway driving would be at least P2.00 per liter of fuel consumed. A 4AFE EFI Toyota simulator engine was used in the fuel economy and carbon dioxide emissions tests on a stationary engine test. At 1101 rpm and 2091 rpm, no substantial fuel savings was realized but at 4150 rpm, 16.60% fuel savings and 0.20% increase in carbon dioxide emissions resulted with a net decrease of carbon dioxide emissions of about 2.41 ppm by volume of gasoline used.