Volume 2, Issue 10, October 2017 International Journal of Innovative Science and Research Technology

ISSN No: - 2456 2165

A Comprehensive Review of Ultrasonics Application

in Detection of Fuel Adulteration
Bharath LV1, Himanth1, Didymus T M2
1
Bachelors of Technology (B. Tech), School of Mechanical Engineering (SMEC), VIT University, Vellore - 632014, TN, India.
2
Masters of Technology (M. Tech), School of Mechanical Engineering (SMEC), VIT University, Vellore - 632014, TN, India.
bharathlv@live.com, himanthhmk@outlook.com, makushadidymust@gmail.com

Abstract:-Gasoline, diesel, biodiesel, and ethanol are [8], [17].The fact that adulteration of petroleum products
major fuels used for transport and electricity generation such as gasoline and diesel, is difficult to detect, combined
globally. Consumers are facing the fuel adulteration with various tax structure makes such adulteration
threat. Adulterants are blended to this to these fuels with financially attractive, even though such practice is illegal.
other inexpensive boiling point range hydrocarbons Generally, diesel is adulterated by mixing kerosene and
containing more or less similar composition leading to gasoline is adulterated by mixing diesel. The expected
degrade or alter the quality of the base fuels. Those percentage of adulteration is 10% to 30% by volume in both
adulterants are blended by the business vendors for the practices. It is very difficult to detect the adulteration when
high-profit margins. Various physical and chemical there is a 10%, but more than 30% can be easily detected by
methods are available to detect/estimate the fuel the consumer from the engine performancedegradation
adulteration; however, most of these methods are caused by adulterated fuel. To monitor the adulterations
laboratory-based and expensive. Introduction of effectively, it is very necessary to check fuel quality at the
ultrasonic-based fuel detection techniques provided the fuel distribution stations itself. The equipment or tools used
on-field system for detection/estimation of adulterants for this purpose should be portable and detection/estimation
presents the fuel. Ultrasonic based methods proven have technique must be easy and quick.
to be easy, quick and inexpensive. We believe that this is
the first review article presenting an exhaustive review of Severalnumbers of test methods have been developed for
the ultrasonic application in detection/estimation of detection/estimation of adulteration in automobile fuels.
adulterants present in the automobile fuel. The scope of Some physical and chemical methods, such as FTIR(Fourier
the article is to review various works on fuel adulteration transform infrared) spectroscopy[18], synchronous
process detection/estimation using ultrasonic sensor fluorescence[19], gas chromatography[20], evaporation test
based techniques. (ASTM D3810), ash content determination (ASTM D482),
distillation test (ASTM D86), density test (ASTM D4052)
Keywords:-Fuel adulteration, Ultrasonic, Gasoline, Diesel, and use of various chemical markers are being used as
Transducers, Air pollution. techniques for detection/estimation of constituents in the
fuel samples, however no method can be recognized as
perfect for estimation quantities of adulteration[4], [6], [10],
I. INTRODUCTION [21]. Fibre optic sensors have also beenutilized in estimating
adulteration in gasoline and diesel by kerosene[22]
[24].Some other adulteration detection/estimation
Air pollution has been increased due to the excessive use of techniques which are less sensitive to adulteration are
fossil fuels since from the beginning of the industrial titration[25] and optical[23], [26] techniques. Inview of the
revolution. The automobile sector has considered as a major limitations of physical and chemical methods, some
consumer of petroleum products and asignificant contributor researchers have recommended and adopted ultrasonic
to air pollution[1][5]. Adulteration is one of the major interferometers[26], [27] for ultrasonic wave velocity,
problems in developing countries like China, India, Brazil, refractive index, density and compressibility of kerosene,
Greece etc[6][10]. Adulteration in automobile fuels is often gasoline, diesel, kerosene and binary mixtures to estimate
occurring in day to day modern life. It is a very significant the percentage of adulteration[26][31]. The applicability of
problem which requires immediate attention for its solution. ultrasonic waves for detection/estimation of adulteration
The adulterants are generally inexpensive and low-quality provides easy, quick and inexpensive technique.
liquids which are miscible with the pure samples of fuels
and their presence will reduce the quality of the fuel sample. Very few number of research studies have been carried out
The effects of these adulterants will bring threat to the living to detect/estimate the fuel adulteration using ultrasonic.
beings and environment etc. The presence of diesel and There is a requirement to conduct anintense research study
kerosene in gasoline produces enormous smoke and pollutes to develop ultrasonic based sensor devices for effective on-
the environment[11][16]. The major cause of the field detection of fuel adulterants. This review article
adulteration is due to the heavy taxation on petroleum describes in detail of the ultrasonic based sensors design and
products particularly in countries of SouthAsia[2], [3], [7],

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Volume 2, Issue 10, October 2017 International Journal of Innovative Science and Research Technology
ISSN No: - 2456 2165

modeling methods for implementation in propagated sound waves reflected back from the brass cap
detection/estimation of fuel adulteration. and returned to the transducer. The amount of time elapsed
between the transducer and the brass cap was used to
estimate the speed of ultrasound in the sample.
A. Detection/Estimation of Fuel Adulteration Using The signals attained by the oscilloscope were transmitted to
Ultrasonic a computer through a general-purpose interface bus.
B. Liu et al.[31]had described an ultrasonic based method to Averaging the pulses transmitted from the oscilloscope
determine water concentration in ethanol fuel using artificial reduced the error of random noises. The temperature
neural networks. In this study, adulteration of ethanol was assessment system consists of a shielded input/output
simulated by blending anhydrous ethanol with known connector block, which is employed to obtain the
concentrations of water. In this experimental study, temperature readings from the J-type thermocouple
anhydrous ethanol and water were distilled by using (temperature range 40o to +750 C), and a data acquisition
Millipore water purification system. A total of 21 sample (DAQ) terminal box transmitted the temperature readings to
mixtures of ethanol-water were prepared with concentrations the computer. The ultrasound and temperature signal data
of water between 0% to 100% with intervals of 5%. The were captured using program scripted in MATLAB (version
prepared samples were put in a temperature controlled 7.11.0). The sample holder was immersed in a temperature
circulating-liquid bath, and speed of ultrasound was assessed controlled circulating-liquid bath unit, which can control
at varying temperatures between 10oC and 40oC. This the temperature of coolant between 30oC and 100oC. In the
experimental setup shown in Fig.1consists of a computer, sample holder, the space between the transducer surface and
pulse-receiver,sample holder,digital oscilloscope, and a brass cap (acoustic path) was filled with sample.
temperature acquisition system. The system employed an Ultrasound speed and temperature measurements were
ultrasonic transducer with 2.25MHz central frequency and utilized to assess the concentration water in ethanol using
diameter of 10mm. An ultrasonic pulse-receiver was used to two mathematical models. The first model was designed
drive the ultrasonic transducer. The pulse-receiver was based on statistical curve fitting to the experimental data,
operated in apulse-echo mode, and the two-channel digital and the second model was designed based on a feed
oscilloscope captured the signals which are received and forward, back-propagation neural network(BPNN)
transmitted by the transducer.In this study, resonance algorithm. Proposed models were validated by preparing
technique was adopted to assess the speed of ultrasound. In known concentrations of ethanol and water mixtures. It has
this resonance technique, a short electrical pulse was applied been showed that water concentration in ethanol-water
to a piezoelectric transducer, and the electrical signal is mixtures can be assessed by using thespeed of ultrasound
transformed into an acoustic wave, which propagates and temperature of themixture with a standard error of
through the medium. A brass cup was built and positioned at prediction of 12.4% with anempirical model and 8.6% with
a distance of 27mm from the surface of the transducer. The theneural network model.

Fig 1.Experimental Setup and the Components of the System

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Volume 2, Issue 10, October 2017 International Journal of Innovative Science and Research Technology
ISSN No: - 2456 2165

Yusuf C and his co-workers[32]proposed a sensor system adulteration in thesample. The samples used in this
that can assess the concentration of alcohol present in the experimental study were blends of ethanol and water, and
mixture composed of water and ethanol using ultrasound ethanol from thecommercial store. The samples were poured
waves. It has been established that water-ethanol mixtures into a glass cylinder of 35mm diameter and 80mm height
can constitute acoustic velocities higher than the individual and its bottom were completely sealed with a polyvinyl
acoustic velocities of ethanol and water. In this study, chloride(PVC) film. Distilled water used in thereference
Acoustic density and velocity of the mixture have been sample and the sample to be evaluate contained a blend of
measured simultaneously to estimate the concentration of ethanol and water with aconcentration range of ethanol from
alcohol in the mixture. The sensor system, using Scholte 89.94% to 93.71% by mass. The concentrations were
waves, enables measurements inside a closed container accurately estimated using the gas chromatography [2]. In a
through a wave guide, without mixture exposed to air. transmitter/receiver scheme, a waveform generator was
Following an exhaustive dispersion analysis, Scholte waves employed to excite the transducer (Transmitter) with 20Vp-p.
are used through mode conversion from Lamb waves The signal from the transducer (reception) was digitized
employing a piezoelectric transducer mounted on a thin with an oscilloscope. One pair of 15MHz central frequency
wave-guiding plate to estimate the density and acoustic transducers was employed to transmit and receive the signal.
velocity of such mixtures. Representation of experimental setup has shown in
Fig.2.LabVIEW 8.5 was used to calculate the attenuation,
Monique K et.al [2] had described a detection technique to propagation velocity, and related uncertainties. The
estimate the biofuel ethanol adulteration using ultrasonic calibrated digital thermometer was used to calculate the
measurement method. This experimental study has been temperature of thesystem.
carried out based on the measurement of ultrasonic
propagation velocity and attenuation to detect the

Fig.2: Experimental Setup and Components of the System.

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Volume 2, Issue 10, October 2017 International Journal of Innovative Science and Research Technology
ISSN No: - 2456 2165

Anotherexperimental study has beencarried out to assess the in the fuel sample. It has been described that adulteration
percentage of adulteration present in the gasoline using leads to the change in the viscosity as well as thedensity of
ultrasonic propagation velocity and attenuation.The test the fuel. Since the both parameters show significant
samples were used in this experiment are mixtures of influence on thespeed of the ultrasound in a fluid, it is
gasoline and various organic compounds: concentrations of predicted that speed of ultrasound in the unadulterated fuel
anhydrous ethanol with gasoline varying in mass from would be different from that in adulterated fuel.The working
52.3% to 80.3%, pure gasoline, mixtures of gasoline, principle of this experiment is to determine the speed of
commercial gasoline and organic solvents such as sound by calculating the time taken by the ultrasound to
hexane,toluene, and turpentine.The samples were arranged travel a known distance (Generally termed as the Time of
in a cylindrical glass recipient with 35mm diameter and flight). The two basic methods have been proposed to
80mm height, with its boundaries sealed with 12 m thick determine the Time of flight: a) Pulse echo method b)
plastic film (polyvinyl chloride PVC). Distilled water used Continuous wave method.
as areference sample to measure the ultrasonic parameter.
The temperature ranges between 22.2oC to 23.1oC was a). Pulse Echo Method
recorded during the all the measurements.Transmission and The experimental setup of this method consists of signal
reception technique has been employed with two source, ultrasonic transmitter TX and receiver RX, reflector,
transducers. The arbitrary wave generator was used to excite signal processing unit and display. The block diagram of
the transmitting transducer, which produces 20 cycles of theexperimental setup is shown in Fig.3. Ultrasonic
sinusoidal waves of 20V peak to peak at afrequency of 15 transmitting transducer serves as transmitter TX as well as
MHz The transmitted signals were detected by the reception receiver RX. A pulse of acoustic energy emits when
transducer and by using oscilloscope signals were transmitter excited by the electrical signal of ultrasonic
digitalized. The both transducers had 15MHz central frequency and receiver receives the incoming signal after
frequency and they were arranged 10mm apart.A digital reflection from the target. The time delay TD between the
thermometer was used to monitor the temperature. Each transmitted and received pulse is determined. To determine
sample was evaluated five times under the repeatability the speed of sound, the value of TD is substituted in the
conditions[30]. equation of speed of sound which is given by Vs =2d/TD,
Anil Kumar et al.[33]implemented an ultrasonic based whered is thedistance between the ultrasonic TX/TR and
method to determine the percentage of adulteration present the reflector. The signal processing unit has been used to
measure the TD more accurately.

Fig.3: Block Diagram of Experimental Setup

b). Continuous Wave Method sum of the transit time (Time of flight) of the ultrasound of
acoustic signal anddelay produced by the transducers and
The typical experimental setup of this method consists of electronic circuits. The transit time is given by the phase
signal source, power amplifier, transmitter, receiver, signal- difference between the transmitted signal and received
processing unit and display.The block diagram of signal. Continuous wave method can be applied to estimate
theexperimental setup is shown in Fig.4.The medium has the velocity of fluid flow. In this method, measurements are
excited with acoustic vibrations of signal frequency. The more sensitive to external noise so that this method does not
received signal is computed to measure the time-delayed seem to have attracted much.
replica of the transmitted signal. The time delay (TD) is the

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Volume 2, Issue 10, October 2017 International Journal of Innovative Science and Research Technology
ISSN No: - 2456 2165

Fig.4: Block Diagram of Experimental Setup

Sharma R.K et.al[29] performed an experimental study to physicochemical techniques utilize the higher quantity of
estimate the percentage of adulteration present in the samples and they are laboratory based techniques and
gasoline and diesel using ultrasonic. The ultrasound speed in expensive. Quick, on thefield and inexpensive technique
the not adulterated and adulterated gasoline and diesel has such as ultrasonic would be the better choice for the
been estimated using pulse echo method. It has been noted detection/estimation of fuel adulteration. This article has
down that adulteration results in achange in the calculated reviewed some of the important research reports, which
speed of ultrasound, which can be standardized in terms of involved ultrasonic based techniques for
adulteration percentage. It is observed that the speed of detection/estimation of adulterants present in the automobile
ultrasound in samples of gasoline increases with respect to fuel.
increase in adulteration percentage while the same in the
samples of diesel decrease with adulteration percentage. The
speed of sound graph has been plotted as a function of REFERENCES
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