FireDragon – A Solidified Ethanol Based Fuel

By Katie Reichwald

Introduction

The combustion of fuels, such as hexamine, charcoal and wood when used indoors can prove life-threatening due to the emissions that are released and subsequently inhaled. In conjunction, these harmful emissions are often greenhouse gases which have detrimental effects on our environment. The concept of FireDragon, our solidified ethanol based eco-fuel, aims to confront both of these majorly pressing issues, and was conceptualised in 2013 after hexamine fuel was used in tents by the armed forces, sadly leading to a detrimental outcome for those involved. Being based on just 3 ingredients, FireDragon is relatively quick and easy to produce and is therefore ideal for production other settings too, such as humanitarian aid. Due to this formulation, it also means that there is a significantly lower proportion of particulate matter produced per gram of fuel along with a lower proportion of emissions.

Aim

BCB International aims to provide a clean, safe and efficient alternative to other fuels, that is functional in extreme conditions. Made with bioethanol, FireDragon is the innovative way of ensuring sustainability and quality in all recreational and survival settings. This abstract aims to highlight key data in support of FireDragon compared to other common fuels, with a focus on its potential in arctic survival and the extreme efficiency of the fuel.

Technical Outline

Hexamine, one of the most commonly used fuels, combusts with the simplified equation (assuming complete combustion):

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Meanwhile, ethanol (FireDragon) combusts with the simplified equation (assuming complete combustion):

?We can see that per mole of fuel, less carbon dioxide is emitted from FireDragon, along with a significant reduction in other harmful gases such as nitrous oxides and ammonia. Table 1 highlights further relevant figures.

Furthermore, the energy released from FireDragon is around 9% higher than that of hexamine. A comparison is drawn in figure 1. ?

A combination of the quick energy release from the fuel, while also being at a controlled rate allows for the results seen in Figure 1. As the predominant ingredient in FireDragon is ethanol (~87.6 v/v%), the majority of the energy released is from the alcohol, which leads to the energy density and calorific value of FireDragon being around 37.34MJ/Kg. As a comparison, charcoal has a value around 30.0MJ/Kg. It is also estimated, that per 27g block of FireDragon, around 576kJ of energy can be released Therefore, per gram of FireDragon there is the potential to release ~21.3kJ of heat energy. As water requires approximately 4.2kJ of thermal energy input to raises the temperature of 1kg (~1L by volume) of water by a single degree, at 20°C one litre of water would require 336kJ of energy to boil. This is increased by 20% in cold conditions (around 0 degrees) as we must consider heat loss to the surroundings, latent heat and conductive and radiative heat loss.

If we were to calculate thermal transfer efficiency (%), we could use the equation:

Adjusting variables that are situational and knowing that FireDragon has an ethanol concentration of approximately 88.9% (v/v%), while also assuming only the ethanol contributes significantly to the heating value, allows us to deduce an estimate for this value for different cooker set ups in different environments. Figure 2 demonstrates, how in standardised conditions, different cookers perform differently and effect the energy absorbed by the water, therefore effecting the thermal transfer efficiency value.

A graph to show the difference between three different BCB cooker designs and their time to reach and sustain boil (s)

FireDragon has also been tested in Arctic conditions in Norway, with low temperatures around -11°C. It was found, using a 27g block of FireDragon was sufficient to boil 500ml of water in 9 minutes, and it was never blown out by the arctic winds. Figure 3 depicts the trials.

Figure 3:

?An important note with the successful trials of FireDragon in Arctic Survival is the way it is significantly cleaner burning that other fuels, meaning it can be safely used in tents and other confined spaces. FireDragon produces no methane at all, which is a significant reduction considering methane has the capacity to displace oxygen in the lungs, while also having around 80 times the warming power of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. The production of carbon monoxide is also significantly reduced, and this is demonstrated in Figure 4.

Conclusion

FireDragon is significantly less harmful to the environment and when inhaled during combustion than most other available fuels. Reduction in particulate matter; volume and type of emitted gases during combustion makes it safer for use in confined spaces. The efficient energy release and transfer of around 21.3kJ per gram enables FireDragon to be used in nearly all survival and recreational settings, including extreme cold. Preliminary trials have estimated effective heat transfer of ~1.9kW for 3kg of FireDragon designed for arctic survival, and with further innovation in the works this figure is set to have a significant increase. This is sufficient to boil and maintain boil (4 gallons of water) for at least 25 minutes (starting temperature ~14?C). Moreover, FireDragon is functional and can ignite even in damp and extreme cold conditions. The trials in Norway demonstrate the immense capabilities of our solidified ethanol fuel in the Arctic.

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Biography – Katie Reichwald

Having studied at Cardiff University and graduating with a degree in Biomedical Sciences (BSc) in 2021, Katie gained a strong understanding of experimental design, data handling and a broad grasp of multiple areas of the biological sciences. She started her career working as a pharmaceutical analyst shortly after, beginning her journey into the world of chemistry. This progressed into working in several quality control laboratories, specialising in ion-exchange resins and various forms of chemical analysis, along with some minor experiences working in electrolysis. The combination of this experience led to a strong understanding of formulation processes, various analytical techniques and GMP coherence, with a large focus on data collection, handling and therefore experiment design also. Now working as BCB Internationals R&D Chemist, she is focusing on the innovation and development of new products, such as FireDragon, aiding in their goal of safe, efficient and quality products tailored towards survival, applying all previously learned skills in the process.