Local inventor develops cheaper fuels

A new batch of local petroleum blends are just the right mix when higher gas prices and stricter clean air standards hit the streets soon.

Not only are they cheaper than purely imported fuels, the local fuel blends are also cleaner.

The alco-diesel, the algas (alternative alcohol gas blend) and the super bunker formula L are the concoctions of Rudy Lantano, a feisty inventor tinkering for 20 years now -- literally on the backyard of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST). The fuel blends are the product of 24 years of close cooperation between Lantano and his main supporter, the DOST.

The alco-diesel is a homogenous mixture of denatured hydrous ethyl alcohol (15 percent) and diesel fuel (85 percent).

The alco-diesel is made homogenous by passing the alcohol and diesel components through a series of 12 units of mechanical "agitators" which are arranged in a programmed sequence with pre-set pressures and temperatures.

The agitators are designed and manufactured by Lantano, the alco-diesel inventor. The internal construction of the agitators remains a closely guarded secret as the inventor himself does the repairs whenever a breakdown occurs.

The second product is Algas, a mixture of 50 percent gasoline, 48 percent denatured alcohol and two percent additives. It has been successfully tested for more than 15,000 kilometers with no appreciable loss in power.

The third product is the super bunker formula L (SBFL) composed of 55-60 percent bunker oil, 35 to 40 percent water, and five percent additives. It is intended to replace the bunker C industrial fuel. It burns better than ordinary bunker in the fuel furnace despite the nearly 50-percent water content.

Major pollutants were significantly reduced by at least 50 percent, according to DOST tests. Ash fall and other combustion residues are much less than those produced by ordinary bunker fuel.

The SBFL mix was awarded the most outstanding invention by the World Intellectual Property Organization during a national invention contest in 1996. The product was tested and successfully passed evaluation at the DOST, National Power Corp., Pilipinas Shell, Integrated Microelectronics Inc. and other private power plants.

Today, Lantano continues research and development in a 600-square meter backyard of DOST. Daily, each of some eight tankers delivers from 32,000 to 40,000 liters of raw fuel from the Shell Refinery, the main petroleum supplier.

The same tankers take out finished products for delivery to retailers in Quezon and Pangasinan provinces and the Bicol region. The project produces an average of 500 kiloliters of finished products each day.

In about six years, Lantano plans to relocate to a bigger refinery site. And even probably build a line of gasoline stations using a cheaper local blend that is just as good if not better than those sold by major gas stations. Lantano said some small gas stations franchises now buy his fuels.

The project is still technically operating on a limited scale, with current productions less than half of the actual capacity.

There are no wastes associated with Lantano's production process. The process, for example, does not depend heavily on water, drawing only a minimal amount for domestic use.

The process is called a closed loop batch processing of raw materials and includes only product blending. Thus, it will not emit any gaseous pollutants in the air nor will it produce solid wastes.

Endurance test and evaluation at DOST's Industrial Technology Development Institute (ITDI) show that the alco-diesel and algas are superior compared to pure diesel and gasoline.

"Smoke emission was significantly reduced," said Armando Mallilin, an engineer and chief of ITDI's monitoring, endurance test and evaluation. "The engine had cooler operating temperature even at high speed and heavy loads."