Evaluation of performance and emissions of Hibiscus cannabinus (Ambadi) seed oil biodiesel

New and alternative oil crops must be explored for extending the horizon of plant based fuels for the increasing number of engines in agriculture sector. To preserve the biodiversity, locally available oil crops need to be identified and evaluated for its biodiesel potential. In this study, one of such oil crop, i.e., Hibiscus cannabinus (Ambadi) was selected for exploring the potential to be used as alternative fuel in diesel engines. The oil is found to be good as the properties of its methyl ester (biodiesel) are well within the range prescribed by ASTM. The biodiesel so prepared posses 8% lesser heat content when compared to diesel on volume basis but thermal efficiency and specific fuel consumption improves with blend of 20% (B20). Improved combustion regimes are also seen with the biodiesel blends.     

An experimental investigation on the performance,combustion and emission characteristics of a variable compression ratio diesel engine using diesel and palm stearin methyl ester

An attempt has been made to use biodiesel prepared from non-edible portion of palm oil as fuel of a conventional mono-cylinder compression ignition engine. The present experimental investigation takes into account the combined effect of using blends of diesel–palm stearin biodiesel as fuels and the compression ratio on different performance, combustion and emission characteristics of the said engine. The experiments have been carried out on a single-cylinder, direct injection diesel engine at varying compression ratio of 16:1–18:1 in four steps. It is observed that the brake thermal efficiency reduces by 7.9% when neat biodiesel is used instead of diesel. But, it increases with the increase in compression ratio for all the blends. Brake specific fuel consumption and exhaust gas temperature increase with the addition of biodiesel to diesel and also with the increase in compression ratio. Heat release rate decreases with biodiesel, and it is minimum at the rated compression ratio of 17.5:1 for all the fuels considered here. On the other hand, ignition delay is found to be more with neat diesel, and it increases with the decrease in compression ratio. Significant reductions in emissions of carbon monoxide (CO), hydrocarbon (HC) and smoke are observed with biodiesel, while the emissions of oxides of nitrogen (NO_x) and carbon dioxide (CO₂) increase. The decrease in compression ratio increases the emissions of CO, HC and smoke, but the emissions of NO_x and CO₂ decrease with the decrease in compression ratio.     

正交法探讨均相碱催化制备生物柴油的优化条件

以菜籽油为原料,甲醇钠为催化剂,二异丙醚为共溶剂,通过酯交换法制取生物柴油,并考察了醇油摩尔比、催化剂用量、共溶剂用量、反应时间和温度对生物柴油产率的影响.通过正交试验得出菜籽油与甲醇酯交换反应的最优条件为:醇油比为6:1,甲醇钠催化剂用量为油重的1.2%,共溶剂与油的摩尔比为1.2 :1,反应温度60℃,反应时间80min,低速120r/min搅拌强度下,转化率达到96.45%.制得的生物柴油各理化指标均符合美国和德国生物柴油测试标准.     

Facile synthesis of layered sodium disilicates as efficient and recoverable nanocatalysts for biodiesel production from rapeseed oil

In this study, α, β and δ phases of layered sodium disilicates were synthesized and used as heterogeneous catalysts for transesterification of rapeseed oil with methanol to methyl esters (biodiesel). The catalysts were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) technique, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), N₂ adsorption-desorption, and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA-DTA). δ-Na₂Si₂O₅ showed better catalytic efficiency than the other two phases of sodium disilicate, and showed excellent activity at the optimized conditions. The transesterification conditions, such as the catalyst dosage, molar ratio of methanol to oil, reaction temperature and reaction time were investigated. The results revealed that with a catalyst loading of 4?wt%, methanol to oil ratio of 30:1, reaction temperature of 65?°C and reaction time of 3?h, conversion of biodiesel reached 97.8%.     

The influence of the age of biodiesel and heating oil with 10 % biodiesel on the resistance of sealing materials at different temperatures

The objective of this research was to determine the resistance of frequently used sealing materials such as fluorocarbon rubber (FKM), fluorosilicone rubber (FVMQ), silicone rubber (VMQ), ethylene‐propylene‐diene rubber (EPDM), chloroprene rubber (CR), chlorosulfonated polyethylene (CSM), butyl rubber (IIR), acrylonitrile butadiene rubber (NBR), polyester urethane rubber (PUR) and polyamide (PA) in non‐aged/aged biodiesel and heating oil with 10 % biodiesel at 20 °C, 40 °C and 70 °C. Mass, tensile properties and shore hardness A/D (for polyamide) of the test specimens were determined before and after the exposure for 84/42 days in the aged and non‐aged fuels of different age. Biodiesel fuels are easily oxidized and contain acids and water. The sealing materials: acrylonitrile butadiene rubber, butyl rubber, chloroprene rubber, chlorosulfonated polyethylene and ethylene‐propylene‐diene rubber and were generally not resistant to biodiesel and heating oil with 10 % biodiesel. Fluorocarbon rubber, fluorosilicone rubber and polyamide were the most resistant materials in all tested fuels up to 70 °C. The degree of damage to the sealing materials increased with higher test temperatures and the age of the fuels.     

Modification of FAU zeolite as an active heterogeneous catalyst for biodiesel production and theoretical considerations for kinetic modeling

In this work, a high purity FAU-type zeolite catalyst was prepared from shale rock and modified as a heterogeneous efficient catalyst for biodiesel production from sunflower oil. The characterization properties for both of the prepared catalysts were determined using X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDAX), Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET), and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The incipient wetness impregnation method was adopted for loading the catalyst with three base precursors: NaOH, KOH, and Ca(OH)3. Different factors affecting transesterification reaction onto modified Na-K-Ca-FAU zeolite were investigated such as; temperature (35, 45, 55, and 65 °C), catalyst concentrations (2, 3,4, 5, and 6 wt%) and the molar ratio of methanol to sunflower oil (3:1, 6:1, 9:1 and 12:1). The optimum conditions of transesterification reactions were obtained for reaction time (4 h) and agitation rate (700 rpm) in a batch reactor at 65 °C reaction temperature, 5% catalyst concentration, and a 9:1 M ratio of methanol to oil. The experimental results showed that the conversion of triglyceride in sunflower oil to fatty acid methyl ester (FIME) increased from 48.62 to 91.6% when the FAU zeolite was loaded with 15 wt% of the three bases. The properties of the produced biodiesel were evaluated within the standard performance ASTM D-6751. This study shows that the three base precursors (i.e., NaOH, KOH, and Ca(OH)3) were successfully loaded onto support FAU zeolite and functioned as excellent catalysts for biodiesel production. Theoretical considerations for kinetic modeling in the heterogeneous transesterification reaction were investigated using MATLAB programming. The experimental and theoretical considerations for kinetic modeling were fitted well.     

Production of biodiesel as a renewable energy source from castor oil

The constantly increasing demand for energy can result in a huge crisis at the end of fossil fuels era. To prevent such an awkward situation, studies on finding alternatives have been seriously undertaken since the first oil crisis in the 1970s. Biodiesel, with a history of more than a century, has always been a potential candidate. In this research, the process of producing biodiesel from castor oil, which is a highly adaptable plant to Iran’s climates was studied. Methanol and castor oil as reactants with 10:1 molar ratio and sulfuric acid as catalyst with mass percent of 3 were allowed to react through trans-esterification reaction under mild conditions. The results from gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS) showed the purity of more than 94 % esters for any conducted experiments which count as a success for an oil with more complicated structure than other raw vegetable oils. GPC analysis illustrated that the castor oil has a molecular weight of 1,068, which is almost three times that of colza oil. Some significant chemical and physical properties of the product, such as kinematic viscosity, flash point, pour point, etc. were calculated to approve conformity to ASTM D6751 standards. Eventually, the polluted emissions were measured by an Orsat gas analyzer. The outcomes completely corroborate the assumption which claims that adding biodiesel to conventional diesel fuels has a strong influence on lowering CO₂, CO, HC, and smoke.     

Biodiesel production using waste cooking oil: a waste to energy conversion strategy

In this study, biodiesel was produced using waste cooking oil that was discarded as a waste in the environment. The properties of the feedstock were determined using standard ASTM methods. The transesterification process was implemented to extract the biodiesel, and this process was optimized and standardized by selecting three different parameters: molar ratio (methanol:oil), catalyst concentration (KOH) and reaction temperature. The physicochemical properties of the biodiesel so produced were tested and analyzed using gas chromatography. Biodiesel and diesel were mixed in different volumetric ratios, and the exhaust emission characteristics of the blends were determined by testing the blends on a variable compression ratio engine. The study concluded that waste cooking oil has a great potential for waste to energy process. The highest yield of 93.8% was obtained by optimizing the process. Emission characteristics of CO for B50 blend showed a downward trend while NO _x emission was found to be greater for blending ratios above 10%. B10 showed the best results pertaining to lower NO _x and CO emissions.     

Sustainability assessment of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Ricinus communis</Emphasis> biodiesel using LCA Approach

Biofuels are considered as eco-friendly fuels and can readily replace fossil fuels while helping to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and promoting sustainable rural development. Although Algeria is an oil producer and exporter, the development of renewable energies is a strategic goal for public authorities, which are giving new impetus to this sector to replace the fossil energy resources of which are becoming increasingly scarce. In this context, the life-cycle assessment (LCA) of a second-generation biodiesel derived from Ricinus communis feedstock is undertaken. LCA is a tool that can be used effectively in evaluating various renewable energy sources for their sustainability and can help policy makers to choose the optimal energy source for specific purpose. The life cycle of Castor bean-based biodiesel production includes the stages of cultivation, oil extraction, and biodiesel production. The impact categories studied were global warming, Energy return-on-energy investment (EROEI), human health, and ecosystem. We have used the impact 2002 + evaluation method which is implemented in the SimaPro© software package. Moreover, it is the most useful method for identifying and measuring the impact of industrial products on the environment. Results show that among all the production stages, the cultivation process of Ricinus communis and the conversion of oil to biodiesel are the largest contributors to most of environmental impact categories. Life-cycle analysis revealed that the use of castor for biodiesel production could have many advantages like an energy return-on-energy investment (EROEI) of 2.60 and a positive contribution to climate-change reduction as revealed by a positive carbon balance.     

Influence of fatty acids in waste cooking oil for cleaner biodiesel

Physiochemical properties of biodiesel, a sustainable and green alternative fuel produced from renewable resources, are greatly influenced by the structural features of polyunsaturated, monounsaturated and saturated fatty acids. Two feedstock oils, potentially contribution to cleaner technologies, refined cooking oil and waste cooking oil derived from palm olein have been studied. Fatty acid compositions of the refined cooking oil and waste cooking oil were analysed and confronted with other literature sources. Critical parameters such as cetane number (CN), iodine value, cold filter plugging point (CFPP) and oxidation stability (OS) were correlated with long-chain saturated factor and degree of unsaturation (DU) of fatty acid to match the international standards of cleaner biodiesel. OS in biodiesel has been met with the absence of linolenic acid. High saturated fatty acid provides high CN. The iodine value of feedstock oil met the European standard where the DU of the oils was less than 138. However, CFPP of refined cooking oil and waste cooking oil did not meet the demanding Spanish regional (RD 61/2006) standard due to the presence of stearic and palmitic acid, which tended to clog the fuel filter by precipitating while the biodiesel becomes cool. With the proposed triangular chart for biodiesel properties prediction, potential biodiesel fuels from various feedstock oils can be analysed.     

Design and analysis of biodiesel production from algae grown through carbon sequestration

This paper addresses the design and techno-economic analysis of an integrated system for the production of biodiesel from algal oil produced via the sequestration of carbon dioxide from the flue gas of a power plant. The proposed system provides an efficient way to the reduction in greenhouse gas emissions and yields algae as a potential alternative to edible oils currently used for biodiesel production. Algae can be processed into algal oil by various pathways. The algal oil can then be used to produce biodiesel. A flowsheet of the integrated system is synthesized. Then, process simulation using ASPEN Plus is carried out to model a two-stage alkali catalyzed transesterification reaction for converting microalgal oil of Chlorella species to biodiesel. Cost estimation is carried out with the aid of ICARUS software. Further economic analysis is performed to determine profitability of the algal oil to biodiesel process. The results suggest that, for the algal oil to biodiesel process analyzed in this study, factors such as choosing the right algal species, using the appropriate pathway for converting algae to algal oil, selling the resulting biodiesel and glycerol at a favorable market selling prices, and attaining high levels of process integration can collectively render algal oil to be a competitive alternative to food-based plant oils.     

Engineering the Surface Chemistry and Morphology of Polymeric Carbon Nitrides Towards Greener Heterogeneous Catalysts for Biodiesel Synthesis

Biodiesel remains one of the most promising alternatives to replace fossil fuel-derived petrodiesel. Nonetheless, conventional biodiesel synthesis relies on homogeneous alkali-based catalysts that involve long and tedious purification steps , increasing biodiesel production costs. Heterogeneous catalysts have emerged as promising alternatives to circumvent these drawbacks, as they can easily be recovered and reused. Herein, polymeric carbon nitride dots and nanosheets are synthesized through a solid-phase reaction between urea and sodium citrate. Their morphology and surface chemistry are tuned by varying the precursor's ratio, and the materials are investigated as catalysts in the transesterification reaction of canola oil to biodiesel. A conversion of > 98% is achieved using a 5 wt% catalyst loading, oil to methanol ratio of 1:36 at 90 °C for 4 h, with the performance maintained over at least five reuse cycles. In addition, the effect of the transesterification reaction parameters on the reaction kinetics is evaluated, which follows a pseudo-first-order (PFO) regime. Combined with a deep understanding of the catalyst's surface, these results have allowed us to propose a reaction mechanism similar to the one observed for homogenous alkali catalysts. These carbon nitride-based nanoparticles offer a metal-free and cost-effective alternative to conventional homogeneous and metal-based heterogeneous catalysts.     

Investigation of Thermophysical Properties of Thermal Degraded Biodiesels

Biofuels are an alternative to fossil fuels and can be made from many different raw materials. The use of distinct catalyst and production processes, feedstocks, and types of alcohol results in biofuels with different physical and chemical properties. Even though these diverse options for biodiesel production are considered advantageous, they may pose a setback when quality specifications are considered, since different properties are subject to different reactions during usage, storage and handling. In this work, we present a systematic characterization of biodiesels to investigate how accelerated thermal degradation affects fuel properties. Two different types of biodiesel, commercially obtained from distinct feedstocks, were tested. The thermal degradation process was performed by maintaining the temperature of the sample at \(140 \,^{\circ }\hbox {C}\) under constant air flux for different times: 0 h, 3 h, 6 h, 9 h, 12 h, 24 h and 36 h. Properties such as density, viscosity, activation energy, volumetric thermal expansion coefficient, gross caloric value, acid value, infrared absorption, and temperature coefficient of the refractive index were used to study the thermal degradation of the biodiesel samples. The results show a significant difference in fuel properties before and after the thermal degradation process suggesting the formation of undesirable compounds. All the properties mentioned above were found to be useful to determine whether a biodiesel sample underwent thermal degradation. Moreover, viscosity and acid value were found to be the most sensitive characteristics to detect the thermal degradation process.     

The effect of greenhouse gas policy on the design and scheduling of biodiesel plants with multiple feedstocks

With the increasing attention to the environmental impact of discharging greenhouses gases, there has been a growing public pressure to reduce the carbon footprint associated with the use of fossil fuels. In this context, one of the key strategies is the substitution of fossil fuels with biofuels such as biodiesel. The design of biodiesel production facilities has traditionally been carried out based on technical and economic criteria. Greenhouse gas (GHG) policies (e.g., carbon tax, subsidy) have the potential to significantly alter the design of these facilities, the selection of the feedstocks, and the scheduling of multiple feedstocks. The objective of this article is to develop a systematic approach to the design and scheduling of biodiesel production processes while accounting for the effect of GHG policies in addition to the technical, economic, and environmental aspects. An optimization formulation is developed to maximize the profit of the process subject to flowsheet synthesis and performance modeling equations. Furthermore, the carbon footprint is accounted for with the help of a life cycle analysis (LCA). The objective function includes a term which reflects the impact of the LCA of a feedstock and its processing to biodiesel. A multiperiod approach is used to discretize the decision-making horizon into time periods. During each period, decisions are made on the type and flowrate of the feedstocks, as well as the associated design and operating variables. A case study is solved with several scenarios of feedstocks and GHG policies.     

Experimental investigation on performance and emission characteristics of a compression ignition engine fueled with biodiesel from waste tallow

Tallow oil being one of the non-edible oils can be explored for biodiesel production; however, limited information is available in literature regarding the use of tallow biodiesel as an alternate form of energy. This study deals with systematic characterization of tallow biodiesel to find its suitability for diesel engines. The chemical nature and composition of tallow biodiesel as determined by NMR, FTIR and GC analyses are closely related to established biodiesel properties. In this investigation, tallow biodiesel blends (B10, B20 and B100) were used to study the performance and emission of compression ignition engine at different loads (20, 40, 60, 80 and 100%), and the results were then compared with baseline results of conventional base diesel. The fuel properties of biodiesel and its blends were also determined which were comparable with that of diesel. Brake thermal efficiency for biodiesel blends were in comparable range with that of base diesel. The average reduction in carbon monoxide, hydrocarbon and smoke emission for B100 blend of biodiesel was observed to be 16.04, 28.09 and 28.57%, respectively, compared to base diesel. However, there was an average increase in NOx emission (15.34%) for B100 blend compared to diesel. The overall results show that tallow biodiesel could be recommended as a diesel fuel alternate.     

Compatibility of High‐Density Polyethylene Grades with Biofuels

The aim of this work was to study the interaction between high‐density polyethylene (HDPE) grades as material for dangerous goods packagings and biofuels such as E85 and biodiesel. Jerricans made of two polyethylene (PE) grades were filled with these fuels and exposed to temperatures of 20°C and 40°C for 1 year. Tensile properties (tensile strength, breaking elongation and elasticity modulus) and melt flow rate (MFR) were determined once a month, and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy was used to evaluate changes in the chemical structure. Measurements of the MFR and tensile properties of the PE grades after 1 year of exposure to E85 showed only a slightly damaging influence. An increase in the peak of 1585 cm^‐1 (C=C) stretching vibrations is visible in the FTIR spectra after the immersion tests with E85. Therefore, packagings made of HDPE grades are suitable for the transport of E85. An increase in the MFR with immersion time of the grades in biodiesel was measured, in particular, after 1 year of exposure. The elasticity modulus of the PE grades was reduced with immersion time. The FTIR spectra showed a broadening of the C?O peak of 1740 cm^‐1 and the appearance of the hydroxyl group at 3500 cm^‐1. Both results are explained by secondary degradation products of the PE decomposition process caused by increasing unsaturated fatty acid content in the biodiesel. In light of the above mentioned, it was concluded that HDPE grades are not suitable as packaging materials for the transport of biodiesel. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Preparation and characterization of hydrotalcite-like materials from flyash for transesterification

In the present study, attempts were made to synthesize Mg–Al hydrotalcite-like materials with bifunctional properties from flyash and flyash-based zeolite by coprecipitation method. The synthesized hydrotalcite and their corresponding Mg–Al mixed oxides obtained after calcination were characterized for their structural, compositional, thermal, and morphological properties. The synthesized hydrotalcite had Mg/Al ranging from 1.3 to 2.3. The activity of the synthesized catalyst was estimated in transesterification of mustard oil, and the effects of reaction time, catalyst concentration, and methanol-to-oil molar ratio on biodiesel production were also investigated. A maximum yield of 93.4 % was obtained with methanol-to-oil molar ratio of 12:1, 7 wt% catalyst concentration for 6 h of reaction at 65 °C. The average value of activation energy of biodiesel in the conversion range of 0.2 < X < 0.9 was 130.5 kJ mol^?1. This study showed the potential application of flyash and its use in modified Mg–Al hydrotalcite materials as heterogeneous catalysts in biodiesel production.     

响应面法优化PSSA/PVA共混膜催化酯化制备生物柴油

采用响应面法考察聚苯乙烯磺酸(PSSA)/聚乙烯醇(PVA)共混型催化膜催化酯化制备生物柴油工艺中催化膜用量、醇油质量比、反应时间和反应温度及其交互作用对酯化率的影响,结果发现,各因素对转化率影响顺序为:醇油比＞催化剂用量＞反应温度＞反应时间;同时,醇油比与催化剂量的交互作用对转化率的影响最强,而与反应时间相关的交互作...     

Numerical prediction of the performance,combustion and emission characteristics of a CI engine using different biodiesels

An attempt has been made to investigate numerically the energetic, combustion and environmental performances of a single-cylinder naturally aspirated direct injection diesel engine using the commercial software, Diesel-RK. Diesel and five different biodiesels, namely jatropha biodiesel, soybean biodiesel, palm stearin biodiesel, karanja biodiesel and rapeseed biodiesel, are used separately as fuels in this study. Experiments have also been conducted with diesel and palm stearin biodiesel to validate the predicted results. The experimental and the numerical results match both qualitatively and quantitatively with slight deviations. The analysis of the numerical results shows that the engine performance deteriorates with the use of different biodiesels as fuels. Brake thermal efficiency decreases by 3% (maximum) in case of palm stearin biodiesel. On the other hand, brake specific fuel consumption and brake specific energy consumption increase and the maximum values are found to be 25.8 and 3.6%, respectively. Among the biodiesels, jatropha biodiesel showed the best performance and palm stearin biodiesel showed the worst. When the combustion characteristics were compared, it was noted that both the ignition delay period and the heat release rate decrease to some extent for different biodiesels compared to diesel. The use of biodiesel gives a cleaner exhaust compared to that of diesel, and jatropha biodiesel gives the cleanest exhaust in terms of particulate matter and smoke emissions. However, the formation of nitrogen oxides increases with the use of biodiesels and the maximum increase was noted with rapeseed biodiesel.     

CO2 mitigation potential from biodiesel of castor seed oil in Indian context

Biodiesel has become an interesting alternative to be used in diesel engine, because it has similar properties to the traditional fossil diesel fuel and may, thus, substitute conventional fuel with none or very minor engine modification. This article deals with alkaline transesterfication of castor oil and their properties for engine application. The purpose of the transesterfication process is to lower the viscosity of the oil from 226.82 cS to 8.50 cS ‘at’ 38°C. The flash point values of castor methyl esters are lower than that of castor oil. The density and gross calorific value of castor methyl ester are much closer to those of diesel. If 10% of total production of castor seed oil is transesterfied into biodiesel, then about 79,782 tones of CO₂ emission can be saved on annual basis. The CO₂ released during combustion of biodiesel can be recycled through next crop production, therefore, no additional burden on environment.