Biodiesel production in a serpentine minireactor—Effect of flow distribution

The present work aims to find out the influence of flow pattern on pressure drop and fatty acid methyl ester (FAME) yield in a reactive system. Experiments are carried out with Jatropha oil and methanol by using potassium hydroxide (KOH) as catalyst for biodiesel production in two serpentine minireactors made of glass capillary of 2‐mm internal diameter. One is having a circular cross section, and the other is annulus. Slug flow, slug with droplet flow, and dispersed flow are observed in both the reactors. Effects of flow distribution on pressure drop and FAME yield have been studied. FAME yield of 98.5% is observed in both reactors for a molar ratio 20 (methanol to Jatropha oil), and the time for this yield in the first reactor is 16.6 minutes and that for the second reactor is 7.7 minutes. Higher yield also resulted in lower pressure drop due to lower viscosity of biodiesel in comparison with oil.     

Experimental investigations of spray generated by a pressure swirl atomizer

This paper has focused on the droplets behavior of kerosene RP-3 spray produced by a pressure swirl atomizers in terms of spray pattern, droplet size spatial distribution, mean droplet size, and distribution index with variations of pressure differential. The analyses have been carried out experimentally with the aid of optical diagnostic methods. The spray pattern, such as spray cone angle and fuel spatial distribution, has been measured by the technique of planar laser induced fluorescence of kerosene. A method for correction of fuel distribution measurement error induced by laser attenuation in spray is proposed and validated. The droplet size spatial distribution in central axis plane of the spray has been measured by a planar droplet sizing method which combining laser induced fluorescence and Mie scattering. The spray pattern in axial center plane and cross-sectional plane perpendicular to axis of the atomizer indicate that the droplets in spray concentrate around the outer periphery and in a narrow annular zone at the near-field of fuel injector exit, and then disperse to produce a solid spray at downstream of the spray. The analyses of droplet size spatial distribution, Sauter mean diameter, and distribution index with pressure differential clearly show the presence of droplets collision and its adverse effects on droplet size uniformity. The spray outline, droplet mass spatial distribution, and droplet size spatial distribution, droplets dispersion and collision in the process of atomization provide a great insight into the processes of atomization and spray development, which are key information for fuel injector design and quality control. The visualizations of spray pattern and droplet size spatial distribution with variations of pressure differential for pressure swirl atomizer are key issues in swirl cup or internally staged airblast fuel injectors because pressure swirl atomizer provides primary atomization or pilot spray which affects the quality of air/fuel mixing in lean-burn combustion. Moreover, a well-defined and complete database regarding the isothermal hollow cone spray is provided for validation of spray model.     

Analysis of blended fuel properties and engine performance with palm biodiesel–diesel blended fuel

Depleting fossil fuel sources accompanied by continuously growing energy demands lead to increased interest in alternative energy sources. Blended biodiesel–diesel fuel has been approved as a commercial fuel at a low blending ratio. However, problems related to fuel properties are persistent at high blending ratios. Hence, in this study, the feasibility of biodiesel produced from palm oil was investigated. Characterization of blended fuel properties with increasing palm biodiesel ratio is conducted to evaluate engine performance test results. The qualifying of blended fuel properties was used to indicate the maximum blending ratio suitable for use in unmodified diesel engines according to the blended fuel standard ASTM D7467. The property test results revealed that blended fuel properties meet blended fuel standard requirements at up to 30% palm oil biodiesel. Furthermore, blending is efficient for reduction of the pour point from 14 °C for unblended biodiesel to less than 0 °C at a 30% biodiesel blending ratio. However, the energy content reduces by about 1.42% for each 10% increment of biodiesel. Engine test results demonstrated that there was no statistically significant difference for engine brake thermal efficiency among tested blended fuels compared to mineral diesel, and the lowest engine cyclic variation was achieved with blended fuel B30.     

Study on the spray characteristics of methyl esters from waste cooking oil at elevated temperature

In Taiwan, millions of tons of waste cooking oil are produced each year, and less than 20% of it, about 150,000 ton/a, is reclaimed and reused. Most waste oil is flushed down the drain. Utilizing waste cooking oil to make biodiesel not only reduces engine exhaust gas pollution, but also replaces food-derived fuels, and reduces ecologic river pollution. This study employed two-stage transesterification to lower the high viscosity of waste oil, utilized emulsion to reduce the methyl ester NOx pollution, and used methanol to enhance the stability and viscosity of emulsified fuel. To further analyze spray characteristics of fuels, this experiment built a constant volume bomb under high temperature, used high speed photography to analyze spray tip penetration, spray angle, and the Sauter mean diameter (SMD) of fuel droplets, and compared the results with fossil diesel. The experimental results suggested that, two-stage transesterification can significantly lower waste oil viscosity to that which is close to fossil diesel viscosity. At a temperature above 300 °C, waste cooking oil methyl esters had a water content of 20%, spray droplet characteristics were significantly improved, and NOx emission dropped significantly. The optimal fuel ratio suggested in this experiment was waste cooking oil methyl ester 74.5%, methanol 5%, water 20%, and composite surfactant Span–Tween 0.5%.     

引射比对生物柴油斯特林发动机喷雾特性影响的仿真研究

基于斯特林发动机的喷雾特性,建立了某斯特林发动机旋流引射、喷雾的数学物理模型,模拟了高背压下生物柴油斯特林发动机在不同引射比下的喷雾过程。研究发现:生物柴油喷雾锥角随引射比的增大而增大,大引射比下的喷雾油束前端出现了明显的凹型回缩锋面;引射比越大,喷雾贯穿距越小;增大引射比,液滴速度增大,索特平均直径减小,粒径方差减小。高背压下,增大引射比能增大燃油混合气的空间分布,提高喷雾雾化效果。     

Nozzle flow and atomization characteristics of ethanol blended biodiesel fuel

This study was conducted to investigate the injection and atomization characteristics of biodiesel–ethanol blended fuel. The injection performance of biodiesel–ethanol blended fuel was analyzed from the injection rate characteristics using the injection rate measuring system, and the effective injection velocity and effective spray diameter using the nozzle flow model. Moreover, the atomization characteristics, such as local and overall SMD distributions, overall axial velocity and droplet arrival time were analyzed and compared with these from diesel and biodiesel fuels to obtain the atomization characteristics of biodiesel–ethanol blended fuel.It was revealed that ethanol fuel affects the decrease of the peak injection rate and the shortening of the injection delay due to the decrease of fuel properties, such as fuel density and dynamic viscosity. In addition, the ethanol addition improved the atomization performance of biodiesel fuel, because the ethanol blended fuel has a low kinematic viscosity and surface tension, then that has more active interaction with the ambient gas, compared to BD100.     

Development of engine oil using palm oil as a base stock for four-stroke engines

The use of palm oil as a base stock for an environmentally friendly lubricant for small four-stroke motorcycle engines is investigated. Palm oil was blended with mineral oil at different compositions to the viscosity requirement of commercial lubricant. A liquid additive package was added to improve the viscosity of the lubricant. A blend that meets the viscosity requirement was then chosen for physical and chemical property characterization and subjected to an engine test. The blend consists of 50.6% (wt.) palm oil, 41.6% mineral oil, and 7.8% additive package. The properties evaluated include viscosity, viscosity index, flash point, foaming characteristics, and wear scar. The engine performance and emission tests were carried out with a 125-cc motorcycle on a chassis dynamometer using a Bangkok Driving Cycle. Compared to a mineral-based commercial oil, the palm oil-based lubricant exhibits superior tribological properties, but offers no clear advantage on engine and emission performance.     

Property modification of jatropha oil biodiesel by blending with other biodiesels or adding antioxidants

The feasibility of biodiesel production from jatropha (Jatropha curcas) oil was investigated with respect to the biodiesel blending properties and its oxidation stability with antioxidants. The JME (jatropha oil methyl esters) had the cetane number of 54, cold filter plugging point of −2 °C, density of 881 kg/m³ at 15 °C, ester content of 99.4 wt.%, iodine value of 96.55 g I₂/100 g, kinematic viscosity of 4.33 mm²/s at 40 °C, and oxidation stability of 3.86 h. Furthermore, the JME was blended with palm oil biodiesel and soybean oil biodiesel at various weight ratios and evaluated for fuel properties as compared to the relevant specifications. In addition, several antioxidants at concentrations between 100 and 1000 ppm were studied for their potential to improve the oxidation stability of the JME. The relationship between the IP (induction period) in the measurement of the oxidation stability associated with the antioxidant consumption in the JME was described by first-order reaction rate kinetics. Moreover, the ln IP (natural logarithm of the IP) at various concentrations of pyrogallol showed a linear relationship with the test temperature. The oxidation stability at ambient temperatures was predicted on the basis of an extrapolation of the temperature-dependent relationship.     

Production of FAME by palm oil transesterification via supercritical methanol technology

The present study employed non-catalytic supercritical methanol technology to produce biodiesel from palm oil. The research was carried out in a batch-type tube reactor and heated beyond supercritical temperature and pressure of methanol, which are at 239 °C and 8.1 MPa respectively. The effects of temperature, reaction time and molar ratio of methanol to palm oil on the yield of fatty acid methyl esters (FAME) or biodiesel were investigated. The results obtained showed that non-catalytic supercritical methanol technology only required a mere 20 min reaction time to produce more than 70% yield of FAME. Compared to conventional catalytic methods, which required at least 1 h reaction time to obtain similar yield, supercritical methanol technology has been shown to be superior in terms of time and energy consumption. Apart from the shorter reaction time, it was found that separation and purification of the products were simpler since no catalyst is involved in the process. Hence, formation of side products such as soap in catalytic reactions does not occur in the supercritical methanol method.     

Optimization of biodiesel production from waste fish oil

The present study deals with the production of biodiesel using waste fish oil. The research assesses the effect of the transesterification parameters on the biodiesel yield and its properties, including temperature (40–60 °C), molar ratio methanol to oil (3:1–9:1) and reaction time (30–90 min). The experimental results were fitted to complete quadratic models and optimized by response surface methodology. All the biodiesel samples presented a FAME content higher than 93 wt.% with a maximum, 95.39 wt.%, at 60 °C, 9:1 of methanol to oil ratio and 90 min. On the other hand, a maximum biodiesel yield was found at the same methanol to oil ratio and reaction time conditions but at lower temperature, 40 °C, which reduced the saponification of triglycerides by the alkaline catalyst employed. Adequate values of kinematic viscosity (measured at 30 °C) were obtained, with a minimum of 6.30 mm²/s obtained at 60 °C, 5.15:1 of methanol to oil ratio and 55.52 min. However, the oxidative stability of the biodiesels produced must be further improved by adding antioxidants because low values of IP, below 2.22 h, were obtained. Finally, satisfactory values of completion of melt onset temperature, ranging from 3.31 °C to 3.83 °C, were measured.     

Review of biodiesel composition, properties, and specifications

Biodiesel is a renewable transportation fuel consisting of fatty acid methyl esters (FAME), generally produced by transesterification of vegetable oils and animal fats. In this review, the fatty acid (FA) profiles of 12 common biodiesel feedstocks were summarized. Considerable compositional variability exists across the range of feedstocks. For example, coconut, palm and tallow contain high amounts of saturated FA; while corn, rapeseed, safflower, soy, and sunflower are dominated by unsaturated FA. Much less information is available regarding the FA profiles of algal lipids that could serve as biodiesel feedstocks. However, some algal species contain considerably higher levels of poly-unsaturated FA than is typically found in vegetable oils.Differences in chemical and physical properties among biodiesel fuels can be explained largely by the fuels’ FA profiles. Two features that are especially influential are the size distribution and the degree of unsaturation within the FA structures. For the 12 biodiesel types reviewed here, it was shown that several fuel properties - including viscosity, specific gravity, cetane number, iodine value, and low temperature performance metrics - are highly correlated with the average unsaturation of the FAME profiles. Due to opposing effects of certain FAME structural features, it is not possible to define a single composition that is optimum with respect to all important fuel properties. However, to ensure satisfactory in-use performance with respect to low temperature operability and oxidative stability, biodiesel should contain relatively low concentrations of both long-chain saturated FAME and poly-unsaturated FAME.     

混合室结构对气泡雾化喷嘴喷雾特性的影响

利用激光颗粒动态分析仪对一种内旋流式气泡雾化喷嘴进行了实验测试与分析,探讨了混合室结构对喷嘴流量特性、颗粒平均直径分布特性、液雾平均速度分布特性的影响规律。气泡雾化喷嘴的流量特性主要受工作压力和喷口孔径影响,混合式结构对流量特性没有影响;但混合式结构对液雾颗粒平均直径分布和平均速度分布的影响十分显著,适当提高混合室长径比有助于减小液滴颗粒质量平均直径D10和索泰尔平均直径D32,同时可使液雾颗粒平均直径和平均速度的径向分布更加均匀;相对于渐缩型混合室,突缩型混合室可在一定程度上改善雾化效果,颗粒平均直径D10和D32径向分布均匀性更好,但喷雾主流平均速度略有降低。在喷嘴出口下游40~100mm时,液雾主流区域内的轴向平均速度未发生明显的速度衰减。     

Mechanisms of film boiling heat transfer of normally impacting spray

The heat transfer mechanisms of horizontally impacting sprays were studied experimentally. An impulse-jet liquid spray system and a solid particle spray system were used. The liquid spray system is capable of producing uniform droplets with the independent variables of droplet size, velocity, liquid flow rate, and air velocity. The horizontally impacting sprays give a lower heat transfer at film boiling than the corresponding vertically impacting spray. The film boiling heat transfer is mainly controlled by the liquid mass flux. At low liquid mass flux and low droplet Weber number, the heat transfer increases with the droplet Weber number. At high droplet Weber number or high liquid mass flux, the heat transfer is not significantly affected by the droplet Weber number.     

Biodiesel from Jojoba oil-wax: Transesterification with methanol and properties as a fuel

The Jojoba oil-wax is extracted from the seeds of the Jojoba (Simmondsia chinensis Link Schneider), a perennial shrub that grows in semi desert areas in some parts of the world. The main uses of Jojoba oil-wax are in the cosmetics and pharmaceutical industry, but new uses could arise related to the search of new energetic crops.This paper summarizes a process to convert the Jojoba oil-wax to biodiesel by transesterification with methanol, catalysed with sodium methoxide (1 wt% of the oil). The transesterification reaction has been carried out in an autoclave at 60 °C, with a molar ratio methanol/oil 7.5:1, and vigorous stirring (600 rpm), reaching a quantitative conversion of the oil after 4 h. The separation of the fatty acid methyl esters (the fraction rich in FAME, 79% FAME mixture; 21% fatty alcohols; 51% of methyl cis-11-eicosenoate) from the fatty alcohols rich fraction (72% fatty alcohols; 28% FAME mixture; 26% of cis-11-eicosen-1-ol, 36% of cis-13-docosen-1-ol) has been accomplished in a single crystallization step at low temperature (−18 °C) from low boiling point petroleum ether.The fraction rich in FAME has a density (at 15 °C), a kinematic viscosity (at 40 °C), a cold filter plugging point and a high calorific value in the range of the European standard for biodiesel (EN 14214).     

Performance and emission characteristics of a Kirloskar HA394 diesel engine operated on fish oil methyl esters

The high viscosity of fish oil leads to problem in pumping and spray characteristics. The inefficient mixing of fish oil with air leads to incomplete combustion. The best way to use fish oil as fuel in compression ignition (CI) engines is to convert it into biodiesel. It can be used in CI engines with very little or no engine modifications. This is because it has properties similar to mineral diesel. Combustion tests for methyl ester of fish oil and its blends with diesel fuel were performed in a kirloskar H394 DI diesel engine, to evaluate fish biodiesel as an alternative fuel for diesel engine, at constant speed of 1500 rpm under variable load conditions. The tests showed no major deviations in diesel engine's combustion as well as no significant changes in the engine performance and reduction of main noxious emissions with the exception on NO_x. Overall fish biodiesel showed good combustion properties and environmental benefits.     

Direct measurement of entrainment during nanoparticle synthesis in spray flames

Using phase Doppler anemometry the scale of turbulence and the spray dilution by air entrainment are investigated during nanoparticle synthesis by flame spray pyrolysis (FSP). Ethanol and a solution of 0.5 M zirconium propoxide in ethanol are dispersed and combusted using an external-mixing, gas-assisted atomizer resulting in product ZrO₂ particles of about 11 nm in diameter as determined by nitrogen adsorption at a production rate of 100 g/h. Solution droplet size distributions of the solid cone spray are measured and related to standard correlations of spray atomization. Air entrainment and the radial spread of the expanding jet are determined from the gas velocities in horizontal planes across the spray cone at different heights above the nozzle. The isotropy of the turbulence is investigated using measured axial and radial velocity fluctuations. The turbulent flow is characterized by the integral time and Kolmogorov scales as well as the average shear rates acting on droplets and particles. The flow structure of these spray flames is of major importance as it determines product particle size, polydispersity, morphology, and crystallinity.     

Life cycle assessment of two palm oil production systems

In 2009 approx. 40 Mt of palm oil were produced globally. Growing demand for palm oil is driven by an increasing human population as well as subsidies for biodiesel and is likely to increase further in coming years. The production of 1 t crude palm oil requires 5 t of fresh fruit bunches (FFB). On average processing of 1 t FFB in palm oil mills generates 0.23 t empty fruit bunches (EFB) and 0.65 t palm oil mill effluents (POME) as residues. In this study it is assumed that land use change does not occur. In order to estimate the environmental impacts of palm oil production a worst and a best case scenario are assessed and compared in the present study using 1000 kg of FFB as functional unit.The production and treatment of one t FFB causes more than 460 kg CO_2eq in the worst case scenario and 110 kg CO_2eq in the best case scenario. The significant greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reduction is achieved by co-composting residues of the palm oil mill. Thus treating those residues appropriately is paramount for reducing environmental impacts particularly global warming potential (GWP) and eutrophication potential (EP).Another important contributor to the EP but also to the human toxicity potential (HTP) is the biomass powered combined heat and power (CHP) plant of palm oil mills. Frequently CHP plants of palm oil mills operate without flue gas cleaning. The CHP plant emits heavy metals and nitrogen oxides and these account for 93% of the HTP of the advanced palm oil production system, of which heavy metal emissions to air are responsible for 79%. The exact emission reduction potential from CHP plants could not be quantified due to existing data gaps, but it is apparent that cleaning the exhaust gas would reduce eutrophication, acidification and toxicity considerably.     

Biodiesel fuels from palm oil via the non-catalytic transesterification in a bubble column reactor at atmospheric pressure: A kinetic study

Biodiesel has become more attractive recently because of its environmental benefits and the fact that it is made from renewable resources. Transesterification of vegetable oils with short-chain alcohol has long been a preferred method for producing biodiesel fuel. A new reactor was developed to produce fatty acid methyl esters (FAME) by blowing bubbles of superheated methanol vapor continuously into vegetable oil without using any catalysts. A kinetic study on the non-catalytic transesterification of palm oil was made in a reactor without stirring at atmospheric pressure. The effects of reaction temperatures (523, 543, and 563 K) on the rate constant, conversion, yield of methyl esters (ME) and composition of the reaction product under semi-batch mode operation are investigated. The activation energy and the frequency factor values of the transesterification reaction obtained in this experiment are 31 kJ/mol and 4.2, respectively. The optimum reaction temperature which gives the highest ME content (95.17% w/w) in the reaction product is 523 K, while the rate constant of the total system increased with reaction temperature.     

掺混燃油在离心喷嘴内的流动与雾化特性研究

燃料性质的改变会导致雾化特性的变化,针对乙醇掺混航空煤油在离心式压力雾化喷嘴内的流动与雾化特性开展了研究。通过耦合流体体积法(VOF)和离散相模型(DPM),研究了不同乙醇掺混体积分数下掺混燃油在离心式喷嘴中的内部流动和外部雾化过程。研究结果表明：在压差不变时,喷嘴内空气芯直径随着掺混燃油内乙醇体积分数的增加而增大;而液膜厚度则与空气芯直径成反比,随着乙醇体积分数的增加而减小。喷嘴出口的速度随着乙醇体积分数的增加而增大;在油膜表面的波动及气动力的共同作用下,油膜失稳形成液滴,获得了不同比例下掺混燃油在喷雾外流场内的喷雾粒径分布特征,随着掺混乙醇体积分数的增加,液滴的平均直径逐渐减小。     

Potential hybrid feedstock for biodiesel production in the tropics

Recently, mixture of different oils at various proportions have been used as feedstock for biodiesel production. The primary aim is to improve fuel properties which are strongly influenced by the fatty acid composition of the individual oil that makes up the feedstock mix. The tropics are renowned for abundant oil-bearing crops of which palm kernel oil (PKO) from palm seed and groundnut oil (GNO) are prominent. This present paper investigated biodiesel production from hybrid oil (HO) of PKO (medium carbon chain and highly saturated oil) and GNO (long carbon chain and highly unsaturated oil) at 50/50 (v/v) blending. The principal fatty acids (FAs) in the HO are oleic (35.62%) and lauric acids (24.23%) with 47.80% of saturated FA and 52.26% of unsaturated FA contents. The chemical conversion of the oil to methyl ester (ME) gave 86.56% yield. Fuel properties of hybrid oil methyl ester (the HOME) were determined in accordance with standard test methods and were found to comply with both ASTM D6751 and EN 14214 standards. The oxidative stability, cetane number and kinematic viscosity (KV) of HOME were observed to be improved when compared with those of GNO methyl ester from single parent oil, which could be accredited to the improved FA composition of the HO. The KV (3.69 mm²/s) of HOME obtained in this paper was remarkably low compared with those reported in literature for most biodiesels. This value suggests better flow, atomization, spray and combustion of this fuel. Conclusively, the binary blend of oils can be a viable option to improve the fuel properties of biodiesel feedstock coupled with reduced cost.