Effect of temperature on the biodiesel yield from Nigerian physic nut,castor bean,dika nut and sandbox seed oils

Biodiesel fuels were synthesised from Nigerian physic nut seed (Jatropha curcas), castor bean seed (Ricinus communis), dika nut (Irvingia gabonensis) and sandbox seed (Hura crepitans) oil. The direct base-catalysed transestetification process was employed in the biodiesel production using methanol and sodium hydroxide (NaOH) as alcohol and catalyst, respectively. The trans esterification process involved 500 ml of J. curcas, castor bean seed, dika nut and sandbox seed oils, 100 ml of methanol and 1.0% of NaOH by weight for each oil. The process was carried out at different reaction temperatures in order to examine the effect of temperature on biodiesel yield of the oils. An average maximum biodiesel yield of 89.00% at 50°C, 61.50% at 45°C, 74.33% at 50°C and 88.50% at 55°C were obtained for Jatropha, castor, dika nut and sandbox oils, respectively. The result showed that the biodiesel yield from the various oils increased with temperature up to certain points beyond which it decreased.     

Performance and emission characteristics of cashew nut shell oil on the CI engine

This article is an effort to address the need for a non-cooking oil-based biodiesel. Here, the experimental work is done on a single cylinder, direct injection CI engine using cashew nut shell oil biodiesel blends under constant speed. The cashew nut shell liquid (CNSL) biodiesel is blended with the diesel fuel and used as biodiesel blend. Blends used for testing are B20, B40 and B60. The effect of the fuels on engine power, brake thermal efficiency (BTE) and exhaust gas temperature was determined by performance tests. The influences of blends on CO, CO₂, HC and NO_x emissions were investigated by emission tests. The BTE values of biodiesel are closer to diesel. Compared to diesel, all the biodiesel blends gave lesser unburnt hydrocarbon (HC), carbon monoxide (CO) and smoke emissions. Slightly higher NO_x emissions were found in CNSL biodiesel blends, which is typical of the other biodiesels.     

Soil microbial diversity shift as affected by conversion of shallow and rocky wastelands to Jatropha curcas L. plantation

The cultivation in wastelands of Jatropha curcas as a biofuel crop avoids the alleged food vs. fuel dilemma. Converting wastelands into Jatropha plantation will produce changes in microbial composition which in turn may have a profound effect on biochemical activities and physico-chemical properties of soil. These changes may be permanent and the soil may attain a different equilibrium through this land use change. The objective of this study was to compare the microbial diversity of native undisturbed soil of barren rocky wasteland and soil drawn from 24 months old J. curcas plantation. Cultivation of Jatropha employing suitable agronomic practices improved soil organic carbon, available P and K. Total soil DNA extracts were used as template DNA to amplify 16S and 18S rDNA gene fragments that were further sequenced and taxonomically assigned by comparisons with gene bank resources. Diversity indices showed that the microbial diversity was higher and more evenly distributed in native soil than in Jatropha planted soil. A prominent diversity shift from Ascomycota in the native soil to Basidiomycota and Chytridiomycota in the Jatropha bulk soils was observed. Interestingly, the conversion from barren land to Jatropha cultivation with recommended agricultural practices also brought about a marked decrease in population of several fungal pathogens. There was a striking increase in members of Proteobacteria (1.7-fold) as well as of Bacteroidetes in Jatropha planted soil as compared to native soil. In contrast, there was a decrease in the Acidobacteria and Chloroflexi community in Jatropha planted soil. It would be useful to follow the microbial pattern over the long term and to study the evolution of the Jatropha soil ecosystem on wastelands.     

Emission analysis on cashew nut biofuel in compression-ignition engine

In this present work, the impact of blending n-Pentanol, a next-generation bio fuel with cashew nut shell liquid (CNSL) biodiesel, on the performance of a diesel engine is examined. Tests were performed on a constant-speed compression-ignition engine using n-Pentanol/CNSL biodiesel blends. n-Pentanol was added to CNSL biodiesel by 5% and 10% by volume. Performance parameters such as break thermal efficiency (BTE), Brake-specific fuel consumption and Exhaust gas temperature (EGT) were analysed in this work. It was experimentally found that by adding n-Pentanol to neat CNSL biodiesel, significant reduction in viscosity was observed. In addition, BTE was increased by 0.8% due to improved atomisation of the blends. Further, brake-specific fuel and EGT were further reduced due to lower viscosity and improved combustion rate with addition of n-Pentanol to CNSL biodiesel. Emission parameters such as Hydro carbon (HC), Carbon monoxide, Nitrogen oxides (NO_x) and Smoke emissions were examined at different load conditions. Addition of n-Pentanol as additive improves the rate of combustion, mixing and vaporisation of the blends with air and reduces the emissions associated with it. Components were observed during the trail.     

Effects of blends on the physical properties of bioethanol produced from selected Nigerian crops

Bioethanol fuel was synthesised from various Nigerian crops (palm (Elaeis Guineensis) wine, raffia (Raphia vinifera) trunk and sugar cane (Saccharum L.)) to serve as alternative fuels for internal combustion engines. Bioethanol was obtained through fermentation and distillation from these selected Nigerian crops and was then purified. Physical properties of the bioethanol and various petrol–bioethanol blends such as vapour pressure, octane number, flash point, heating values, auto ignition temperature and density were evaluated using the American Society for Testing and Materials methods. The calorific value of petrol decreased from 44.40 to 44.22 MJ/kg with a blend of 10% of alcohol (E₁₀). The calorific value of the produced ethanol (E₁₀₀) is 29.78 MJ/kg. The research octane number (RON) of petrol increased from 91 to 94 with a blend of 10% of alcohol (E₁₀). The RON of the produced ethanol (E₁₀₀) is 114. The flash point increased from -40°C at E₁₀ to 12.6°C at E₁₀₀. The results showed that the addition of bioethanol to petrol increases the octane number, flash point and auto ignition temperature, but on the other hand reduces the calorific value of the produced blend. The optimal petrol–bioethanol blends of E₂₀ and below were recommended for vehicles running on spark ignition engines.     

Assessment of toxic content in Balanites aegyptiaca seed cake and use of enzymatic-catalysed biodiesel in diesel engine

The present study deals with the estimation of toxic phorbol esters in Balanites aegyptiaca seed cake and to evaluate the performance and combustion characteristics of different blends of biodiesel in a diesel engine. The seeds were manually collected from arid regions of Rajasthan, India and the oil extracted from the powdered kernel with Solvent extraction process. The extracted oil processed by enzymatic catalytic reactions are carried out at optimum operating conditions such as the molar ratio of 8:1 (methanol:oil), reaction temperature at 40°C for 4?h reaction time and xylanase 1% based on oil weight. The total conversion rate of extracted oil to methyl ester by enzymatic reactions yields up to 98.3%. The toxic content of seed cake was determined by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC, Shimadzu). The performance and combustion parameters such as BP, BTE and CP decreased, whereas BSFC and DP increased with biodiesel blends.     

Performance and emissions characteristics of a diesel engine with internal jet piston using biodiesel

The paper reports an attempt to test the feasibility of Jatropha methyl ester as a fuel in the engine fuel of a compression ignition engine (C.I.) with turbulence inducements in the combustion chamber. The inefficient mixing of biodiesel oils with air contributes to incomplete combustion. These problems can be eliminated by enhancing in‐cylinder turbulence by providing two holes on the piston crown (internal jet piston) and esterification of the vegetable oil into biodiesel. The performance characteristics revealed that the brake thermal efficiency of the Jatropha methyl ester with an internal jet piston was higher than with a base engine piston. The internal jet piston operation with Jatropha methyl ester exhibited desirable characteristics for other emissions such as lower carbon monoxide (CO), hydrocarbons (HCs) and smoke. The oxides of nitrogen (NOx) emissions were higher for the internal jet piston with increasing load, compared to the base engine piston.     

On residual strength of high-performance concrete with and without polypropylene fibres at elevated temperatures

Cubes of 100×100×100 mm³ and cylinders of 100×100×515 mm³ were designed and fabricated with C50, C80 and C100 high-performance concrete (HPC) mixed with and without polypropylene (PP) fibres, respectively. These specimens were heated in an electric furnace, approximately following the curve of ISO-834, with a series of target temperatures ranging from 20 to 900 °C. No explosive spalling was observed during the fire test on HPC specimens with PP fibres, whereas some spalling occurred for HPC specimens without PP fibres. The relationship between the mass loss and the exposure temperature was investigated. In addition, the heated and cooled cubes and prisms were tested under monotonic compressive loading and four-point bending loading, respectively. The degradation of both the residual compressive strength and the residual flexural strength was analyzed. Furthermore, the effects of PP fibres on the residual mechanical strength of HPC specimens at elevated temperatures were also investigated. Finally, a fire-resistance design curve relating the residual compressive strength to temperature, as well as a design curve relating the residual flexural strength to temperature, were proposed based on the statistical analysis of the test data.     

Estimating recharge rates for qanat-based water supply in northern Cyprus: a case study using remotely sensed and in-situ data

The qanat water supply technology, by which gravity drains mountain aquifers into valleys, is considered as a culturally appropriate and ecological sustainable design to meet freshwater development needs in northern Cyprus. This work provides a first-order analysis of the surface water budget to estimate qanat feasibility. The proposed qanat recharge area of 370 km² is in the upper elevations of the limestone dominated Five Finger Mountain Range, is analysed using technical data reports, field visits, and satellite elevation data. Satellite based tropical rainfall measuring mission (TRMM) monthly rainfall totals at a 0.25° grid were tested for complementing sparse precipitation gauge data, but TRMM underestimated gauge observations by 43% in narrow zones of high rainfall during the wet winter months. A water budget for qanat supply used 30-year average gauge records within the qanat recharge region, which set annual precipitation at 529 mm year^?1. A calibrated complementary relationship areal evapotranspiration model established atmospheric outputs at 222 mm year^?1, slightly below the island-average of 280 mm year^?1 estimated by the Cyprus Water Department. Recharge to the qanat aquifer was determined by subtracting evaporation from precipitation, and then allocating 50% of the remainder to environmental services. In the proposed qanat recharge region, this water budget yields an estimated recharge volume of 57 mm³ year^?1. At less than 25% development, this volume satisfies the 13 mm³ annual deficit in northern Cyprus and protects against saltwater intrusion. Additional freshwater conservation measures in northern Cyprus are needed to ensure ecological sustainability in northern Cyprus.     

Effects of Nano additives on performance and emission characteristics of Mentha longifolia biodiesel

ABSTRACT

Sustainable development of natural resources in this technological world goes hand in hand with the issues like cleaner environment, plantation of oil providing trees, etc. The overall objective of the national mission is to increase the creation of national infrastructure for production of biodiesel through cultivation of Jatropha plant and processing of its oil. Therefore, the objective of this paper is to provide a clean economical solution to this problem. The use of biodiesel leads to reduction in NO_x, HC, CO₂ and CO, and increase in fuel consumption on diesel engine. The present diesel engine. The Nano particles were dispersed in the biodiesel. If the additives added in the biodiesel at appropriate proportion, it will helpful to increase the engine combustion and performance characteristics. Nano-additives reduce the fuel consumption and improve the thermal efficiency during combustion additives release the energy to the fuel. The current Investigation is to study the effect of Nano-fuel additives cerium oxide (CeO₂) the performance and emission characteristics of Mentha longifolia biodiesel in a single cylinder, four stroke.     

The impact of heat and water stress conditions on the growth of the biofuel plant Jatropha curcas

Pot experiments were carried out to evaluate the effects of drought and salinity stresses and mulch amendment on Jatropha in sand dune soil under three conditions: glasshouse, shade house and open area. Plants were irrigated with freshwater and diluted seawater adjusted to two levels of electrical conductivity- 3 and 6 dS m^-1. The results showed that experimental conditions remarkably affected the evapo-transpiration rate, soil moisture, salts accumulation and plant biomass production. Low temperature (23°C) conditions exhibited highest plant growth and soil moisture and lowest salts deposition. Plants showed no symptoms of heat stress in the glasshouse. The shade house and the open area profoundly reduced plant biomass and water content in the soil. Compared to the control, the mulch amended treatments had sufficient water for plant growth even in the high temperature of the open area. High salt content was found in salinity treated pots but the salinity level did not reduce Jatropha growth. Salt accumulated in the salinity treated pots helped retain more water, reduced the temperature and provided nutrients to the plants, with results which were almost similar to those from the mulch effect. The temperature conditions of the shade house and the open area (max>40°C) caused substantial water loss and induced death of plants. Jatropha is a succulent and drought tolerant plant and a close irrigation interval is not the best option for Jatropha growth. But, organic amendment is needed when there is a big loss of soil water due to heat stress condition.     

Dégradation des eaux de rejets issues d’une raffinerie d’huile de coton par plasma d’arc électrique rampant à pression atmosphérique

Wastewater samples from liquid effluents of cotton oil refinery in Far-Northern Cameroon were exposed to a gliding arc discharge for various exposure times in a cold plasma reactor. The analysed results showed high levels of organic pollution parameters (TOC = 4635 mg/L, COD = 6943, 98 mg/L) before treatment. More than 56% TOC and 75% COD abatement were obtained after 30 min treatment in batch conditions with a laboratory reactor. The resultant pollution abatement is attributed both to strong oxidizing effects of °OH and NO° radicals formed in the plasma and their derivatives (H₂O₂, ONO₂H and NO₃H). The conductivity and TDS increase linearly and the pH, TOC and COD decrease with increasing exposure time to the discharge. The oxidation obeys a pseudo first-order kinetics law (kinetic rate: k_1DCO = 0, 0381 min^?1 and k_1COT = 0, 0245 min^?1).     

Psychrophilic glucose mineralization in lake sediments during winter

Glucose mineralization rates were measured at 4°C and 18°C in sediment samples taken during ice-cover from an oligotrophic lake and a eutrophic lake and were found to fit Michaelis-Menten kinetics. Turnover times for glucose mineralization were 20.7 h and 2.6 h at 4 and 18°C, respectively, for the oligotrophic lake, and 26.2 and 5.4 h at 4 and 18°C, respectively, for the eutrophic lake. V_max values, in units of μg/h/viable cell, were 5.0 × 10^?6 and 6.0 × 10^?6 at 4 and 18°C, respectively, for the oligotrophic lake, and 1.2 × 10^?5 and 3.9 × 10^?5 at 4 and 18°C, respectively, for the eutrophic lake. The implications concerning the contribution of psychrophiles to mineralization activity and how well temperature adapted the sediment bacteria are, are discussed.     

Production and immobilization of alkaline protease by Bacillus polymyxa which degrades various proteins

An aerobic gram positive spore forming bacterium, identified as Bacillus polymyxa was isolated from an alkaline soil. This isolated Bacillus produced maximum protease in milk at pH 7. The protease activity against casein was 580 Uml^??1 in milk, as the only source of carbon and energy. However, the maximum activity of protease on sorghums extracts, as the only carbon source was 525 Uml^??1. The best pH for enzyme production was 7, but the enzyme was active at pH 11. It was shown that the enzyme was stable at 55°C for 10 min. The imobilized enzyme with perlite was stable for more than 6 months. This enzyme hydrolyzed casein, gelatin and fibres. Hence it could be used in wastewater treatment, detergents and leathering.     

Thermal performance analysis of evacuated tubes solar air collector in Indian climate conditions

The thermal performance of one-ended evacuated tubes solar air collector is experimentally investigated during the winter season at NIT Kurukshetra, India [29 ° 58^′(latitude) North and 76 ° 53 ^′ (longitude) East]. The collector consists of 15 one-ended evacuated tubes with different lengths of directional inner aluminium tubes (inserted tubes) and a manifold channel, with air used as a working fluid. The inlet air flows through the directional inner aluminium tubes as a result of forced convection. In this experiment, evacuated tubes are used for producing hot air corresponding to different lengths of directional aluminium tubes without using any intermediate fluid. The temperature of the outlet air depends on the air flow rate, length of the directional aluminium tube and solar intensity. The maximum temperature difference between outlet air and inlet air at solar intensity 904 W/m² was found to be 72.7 °C with a flow rate of 5.06 kg/h and length of 0.83 m.     

Assessment of heavy metals contamination and its effects on oyster (Saccostrea cucullata) biometry parameters in the Asaluyeh port coasts,Persian Gulf,Iran

The current study examines biometric parameters and concentration of some heavy metals in soft tissues of Saccostrea cucullata in the Asaluyeh coast, Persian Gulf, Iran. The metals concentration in the soft tissue of the Saccostrea cucullata ranged as: Zn: 765–3411 mg kg^?1, Cu: 120.3–580.6 mg kg^?1, Cd: 0.13–3.5 mg kg^?1, As: 0.39–3.3 mg kg^?1, Pb: 0.05–1.64 mg kg^?1, Ni: 0.02–0.44 mg kg^?1, V: 0.06–0.32 mg kg^?1, Cr: 0.02–0.16 mg kg^?1 and Hg: 0.002–0.068 mg kg^?1. The results showed that the concentration of total heavy metals in oysters of the control station (CA) is usually lower. The results also indicated lack of correlation between oyster biometric parameters and bioaccumulated heavy metals, except between Cu and longitudinal diameter (R = 0.77). The concentration of heavy metals is higher than limits recommended by the World Health Organization, except for Cd and Pb.     

An Analytical Study on global radiation and meteorological parameters for India

ABSTRACT

A study is carried out for global radiation (global horizontal and global tilted radiation) and meteorological parameters (humidity and temperature) recorded for a period of one year (2011) at the National Institute of Solar Energy (NISE), Gwal Pahri (28.42°N, 77.15°E), India. Maximum global horizontal radiation of 7.22?kWh/m² is recorded in the month of June while minimum of 0.91?kWh/m² is observed in February. The highest value of the tilted radiation 7.27?kWh/m² is recorded in March and the lowest value 0.90?kWh/m² is noticed in February. The maximum temperature of 36.5°C and humidity of 87.6% are observed in the months of June and July, respectively. Conversely, minimum temperature of 6.1°C and humidity 21.7% are noticed in the months of January and April, respectively. Furthermore, meteorological parameters have been correlated with global radiation on horizontal and tilted surface. The study is vital for the performance analysis of different solar energy applications.     

Influence of injection timing on cerium oxide nanoparticle doped in waste cooking palm oil bio-diesel and diesel blends fuelled in diesel engine

ABSTRACT

Injection timing (IT) is a vital factor among different injection parameters which governs the emissions and performance factors of the engine. This work portrays the effect of IT on cerium oxide nanoparticle doped Waste Cooking Palm Oil biodiesel and diesel blends. The doping is made at 30, 60 and 90?ppm. The modified fuels are introduced in reducing IT of 19°, 21° and 23°bTDC. 1500?rpm engine is made use in this study. Results revealed a significant reduction in emissions (CO, NO_X, HC and Smoke) at IT?=?23°bTDC. Furthermore, performance (BSFC, BTE) is improved for fuel blends at IT?=?23°bTDC.     

Variation of Intumescent Coatings Revealing Different Modes of Action for Good Protection Performance

Thermal insulation and mechanical resistance play a crucial role for the performance of an intumescent coating. Both properties depend strongly on the morphology and morphological development of the foamed residue. Small amounts (4 wt%) of fiberglass, clay and a copper salt, respectively, are incorporated into an intumescent coating to study their influence on the morphology and performance of the residues. The bench scale fire tests were performed on 75 × 75 × 2 mm³ coated steel plates according to the standard time–temperature curve in the Standard Time Temperature Muffle Furnace⁺ (STT Mufu⁺). It provided information about foaming dynamics (expansion rates) and thermal insulation. Adding the copper salt halved the expansion height, whereas the clay and fiberglass change the height of the residue only moderately. The time to reach 500°C was improved by 31% for clay and 15% for the other two fillers. Nondestructive micro computed tomography is used to assess the inner structure of the residues. A transition of the residue from a black, carbonaceous foam with closed cells into an inorganic, residual open cell sponge occurs at high temperatures. This transition is due to a loss of carbon; the change in microstructure is analyzed by scanning electron microscopy. Additional mechanical tests are performed and interpreted with respect to the results of the morphology analysis. Adding clay or copper salt improved the mechanical resistance tested by a factor 4. The additives significantly influence the thickness and foaming dynamics as well as the inner structure of the residues, whereas their influence on insulation performance is moderate. In conclusion, different modes of action are observed to achieve similar insulation performance during the fire test.     

An economical and efficient protocol for total RNA isolation from Jatropha curcas

Jatropha curcas is an important non feed crop, increasingly important as a biofuel crop. It is hardy and resistant to different stress conditions in the field. In the wastelands of Gujarat (India), it is being grown for land reclamation and for socio-economic benefits. The long coastline in this state also promotes the growth of a large number of halophytes. Exploiting the genetic resource of Jatropha and halophytes for drought and salt-induced gene is an important area of research. For the isolation of genes and to study the molecular mechanism a good qualitative and quantitative RNA is a prerequisite. Jatropha leaves have latex, and therefore isolating RNA using guanidine thiocyanate or cetyltrimethylammonium bromide did not yield desirable quality of RNA. This paper reports a very simple and economical protocol for the isolation of good quality RNA from Jatropha and a few halophytes. The sodium dodecyl sulphate was used as a detergent for lysis of plant cells in the extraction buffer along with bentonite, which inhibits the ribonuclease’s activity. The addition of water saturated phenol in mortar-pestle, during grinding, facilitated better homogenisation of the tissues. Absolute RNA precipitation was obtained with the help of 2-butoxyethanol. Further this RNA was used successfully in preparation of complementary DNA and subsequently used for gene isolation.