Showing papers on "Biodiesel published in 2004"

Diesel engine emissions and performance from blends of karanja methyl ester and diesel

Abstract: This paper presents the results of investigations carried out in studying the fuel properties of karanja methyl ester (KME) and its blend with diesel from 20% to 80% by volume and in running a diesel engine with these fuels. Engine tests have been carried out with the aim of obtaining comparative measures of torque, power, specific fuel consumption and emissions such as CO, smoke density and NOx to evaluate and compute the behaviour of the diesel engine running on the above-mentioned fuels. The reduction in exhaust emissions together with increase in torque, brake power, brake thermal efficiency and reduction in brake-specific fuel consumption made the blends of karanja esterified oil (B20 and B40) a suitable alternative fuel for diesel and could help in controlling air pollution.

Comparative study on lipase-catalyzed transformation of soybean oil for biodiesel production with different acyl acceptors

Abstract: Methyl acetate, a novel acyl acceptor for biodiesel production has been developed, and a comparative study on Novozym 435-catalyzed transesterification of soybean oil for biodiesel production with different acyl acceptors was conducted and reported in this paper. Methanol has a serious negative effect on enzymatic activity. A molar ratio of methanol to oil of above 1:1 leads to serious inactivation of the enzyme. However, when methyl acetate was used as the acyl acceptor, a yield of 92% of methyl ester could be obtained with a molar ratio of methyl acetate to oil of 12:1, and methyl acetate showed no negative effect on enzymatic activity. Additionally, with crude soybean oil as the oil source and methanol as acyl acceptor, a much lower methyl ester yield was obtained than that with refined soybean oil, while with methyl acetate as acyl acceptor, an equally high yield of methyl ester (92%) was achieved for both soybean oils. Lipase loses its activity very rapidly during repeated experiments with methanol as the acyl acceptor, while there is almost no detected loss in lipase activity, even after being continuously used for 100 batches, when methyl acetate was used for biodiesel production. Moreover, the by-product triacetylglycerol is an important chemical with a higher value than glycerol, and this novel acyl acceptor seems very promising for lipase-catalyzed large-scale production of biodiesel.

Biodiesel Preparation by Lipase-Catalyzed Transesterification of Jatropha Oil

Abstract: Alkyl esters of long chain fatty acid are called biodiesel. These esters can be obtained from vegetable oils by transesterification with methanol/ethanol. The transesterification can be carried out chemically or enzymatically. In the present work three different lipases (Chromobacterium viscosum, Candida rugosa, and Porcine pancreas) were screened for a transesterification reaction of Jatropha oil in a solvent-free system to produce biodiesel; only lipase from Chromobacterium viscosum was found to give appreciable yield. Immobilization of lipase (Chromobacterium viscosum) on Celite-545 enhanced the biodiesel yield to 71% from 62% yield obtained by using free tuned enzyme preparation with a process time of 8 h at 40 °C. Further addition of water to the free (1%, w v-1) and immobilized (0.5%, w v-1) enzyme preparations enhanced the yields to 73 and 92%, respectively. Immobilized Chromobacterium viscosum lipase can be used for ethanolysis of oil. It was seen that immobilization of lipases and optimization of...

The Impact of the Bulk Modulus of Diesel Fuels on Fuel Injection Timing

Abstract: In this paper, we examine the interaction between the bulk modulus of compressibility of various fuel samples and its effect on fuel injection timing. The fuels considered range from soy oil-derived biodiesel, unrefined soybean oil, and paraffinic solvents to ultralow-sulfur and conventional diesel fuels. Both the impact on injection timing and the variation in the bulk modulus of compressibility are measured. The present work confirms that the higher bulk modulus of compressibility of vegetable oils and their methyl esters leads to advanced injection timing with in-line pump−line−nozzle fuel injection systems. This has been shown in the literature to contribute to the well-documented increase in NOx emissions with the use of biodiesel fuel. An opposite trend, a retarding of injection timing, is observed with paraffinic fuels, because they have a lower bulk modulus of compressibility than conventional diesel fuels. This supports the observation that paraffinic fuels such as Fischer−Tropsch diesel yield lo...

Two-step preparation for catalyst-free biodiesel fuel production

Abstract: Biodiesel fuel was prepared by a two-step reaction: hydrolysis and methyl esterification. Hydrolysis was carried out at a subcritical state of water to obtain fatty acids from triglycerides of rapeseed oil, while the methyl esterification of the hydrolyzed products of triglycerides was treated near the supercritical methanol condition to achieve fatty acid methyl esters. Consequently, the two-step preparation was found to convert rapeseed oil to fatty acid methyl esters in considerably shorter reaction time and milder reaction condition than the direct supercritical methanol treatment. The optimum reaction condition in this two-step preparation was 270°C and 20 min for hydrolysis and methyl esterification, respectively. Variables affecting the yields in hydrolysis and methyl esterification are discussed.

Development of a Novel Biofuel Blend Using Ethanol−Biodiesel−Diesel Microemulsions: EB-Diesel

Abstract: Oxygenated diesel fuel blends have advantages over regular diesel. Oxygenation significantly reduces particulate matter (PM) and reduces toxic gases such as CO, sulfur oxides (SOx), and, at times, nitrogen oxides (NOx) from tailpipe emissions. Ethanol, which is the oxygenate in E-diesel, is a renewable fuel that reduces the dependency of non-oil-producing countries on foreign petroleum. However, a major drawback with E-diesel is that ethanol is immiscible in diesel over a wide range of temperatures. Studies have revealed that biodiesel, which is another renewable fuel, can be used successfully as an amphiphile (a surface-active agent) to stabilize ethanol and diesel. Research also has revealed that ethanol−biodiesel−diesel (EB-diesel) fuel blend microemulsions are stable well below sub-zero temperatures and have shown equal or superior fuel properties to regular diesel fuel. Microemulsions of certain component concentrations have shown substantially increased lubricity without compromising the cetane numb...

The impact of antioxidants on biodiesel oxidation stability

Abstract: The potential of 11 different synthetic phenolic antioxidants to improve the oxidation stability of biodiesel prepared from different feedstocks was investigated. Measurements of oxidation stability were carried out according to the European biodiesel specifications with a Rancimat instrument at 110 °C. At antioxidant concentrations of 1000 mg/kg, an improvement in oxidation stability could be achieved with all antioxidants tested. Especially the antioxidants DTBHQ, IONOX 220, Vulkanox ZKF, Vulkanox BKF, and Baynox were able to significantly improve the oxidation stability, leading to stabilization factors between 1.89 and 13.07. Variation of antioxidant concentrations between 100 and 1000 mg/kg showed that the efficiency of the antioxidants varied depending on the different types of biodiesel. When used as additives, Baynox showed good effects on rapeseed oil methyl ester (RME) stability, DBHQ on recycled cooking oil methyl ester (RCOME) stability, Vulkanox BKF on distilled RCOME (DRCOME) stability, and IONOX 220 on tallow methyl ester (TME) stability. Evaluation of the influence of the antioxidants on critical biodiesel fuel parameters showed no negative impacts on viscosities, densities, carbon residues, CFPP, and sulphated ash contents of the different biodiesel samples. However, in terms of acid values, a noticeable increase could be observed at antioxidant levels of 1000 mg/kg. At lower antioxidant concentrations, this increase was much lower and the values remained within the required limits.

Impact of cold flow improvers on soybean biodiesel blend

Abstract: The use of biodiesel as a diesel fuel extender and lubricity improver is rapidly increasing. An import aspect of using these extenders is their transport in cold climates and subsequent mixing with cold diesel fuel. In this paper, the cold flow properties of biodiesel (B100) and 80% (B80) to 90% biodiesel in kerosene were evaluated with pour point depressants, toward the objective of identifying approaches to transport and mix biodiesel with diesel in cold climates. Four cold flow improver additives were tested at 0.1–2% in B80, B90, and B100 blends. Two additives significantly decreased the pour points of soybean biodiesel blends, but all the four additives had little effect on cloud points. A mixture of 0.2% additive, 79.8% biodiesel, and 20% kerosene reduced the pour point of B100 by 27 °C.

Optimization of Base-Catalyzed Transesterification Reaction of Used Cooking Oil

Abstract: Biodiesel is one of the environmentally friendly alternative liquid biofuels that has proven itself commercially, with international standards all around the world. Industrial and scientific studies on reducing biodiesel production costs are one of the major contributions that have strengthened the position of biodiesel commercially. The type of vegetable oil used for biodiesel production is the parameter that has the greatest effect on biodiesel production cost. For this reason, investigations on the types of no-to-low-cost vegetable oils become crucial. In this study, the optimum conditions for biodiesel production from restaurant-originated used cooking oil (which is composed primarily of oleic and linoleic acids) and the refining procedure were investigated. A refining method of “washing with hot water” was used for biodiesel refinement. One of the properties of biodiesel that has an influence on biodiesel purity is glycerin content. In the refining studies, the effects of glycerin amount, used washin...

Biodiesel Production Technology: August 2002--January 2004

Abstract: Biodiesel is an alternative fuel for diesel engines that is gaining attention in the United States after reaching a considerable level of success in Europe. The purpose of this book is to describe and explain the process and issues involved in producing this fuel.

Two-step preparation for catalyst-free biodiesel fuel production: hydrolysis and methyl esterification.

Abstract: Biodiesel fuel was prepared by a two-step reaction: hydrolysis and methyl esterification. Hydrolysis was carried out at a subcritical state of water to obtain fatty acids from triglycerides of rapeseed oil, while the methyl esterification of the hydrolyzed products of triglycerides was treated near the supercritical methanol condition to achieve fatty acid methyl esters. Consequently, the two-step preparation was found to convert rapeseed oil to fatty acid methyl esters in considerably shorter reaction time and milder reaction condition than the direct supercritical methanol treatment. The optimum reaction condition in this two-step preparation was 270°C and 20 min for hydrolysis and methyl esterification, respectively. Variables affecting the yields in hydrolysis and methyl esterification are discussed.

Biodiesel production from Karanja oil.

Abstract: Import dependence for oil in India, which is about 70 per cent, is likely to increase further. The study is initiated to investigate the potential of Karanja oil as a source of biodiesel. Biodiesel is an alternative fuel made from renewable biological resources such as, vegetable oil and animal fat. It is completely biodegradable and non-toxic. Main objectives of the study are feasibility of Karanja oil for the production of biodiesel, optimization of different parameters for high yield/conversion of Karanja oil to biodiesel. Optimum conditions were found to be: Pressure 1 atmos, Temperature 68-70 "C, Reactant ratio 8-10 (Moles of MeOH: Moles of oil), Reaction time 30-40 min, Catalyst (KOH) 1.5 per cent w/w. Tests were also conducted to compare the biodiesel with diesel fuel in terms of engine performance and emissions.

Conversion of Soybean Oil to Biodiesel Fuel Using Lipozyme TL IM in a Solvent-free Medium

Abstract: The conversion of soybean oil to biodiesel fuel was investigated in the presence of a lipase from Thermomyces lanuginosus (commercially called Lipozyme TL IM) in a solvent-free medium. The lipase was inactivated when more than 1.5 molar equivalent of methanol was added to the oil mixture. To fully convert the oil to its corresponding methyl esters, the reaction was performed successfully by a three-step addition of 1 molar equivalent of methanol and under the optimized conditions (40°C, 150 rpm, 10% enzyme quantity based on oil weight), the maximum methyl ester (ME) yield was 98% after 12 h reaction. By-product glycerol had a negative effect on enzymatic activity and iso-propanol was found to be effective for glycerol removal, in the presence of which lipase expressed relatively high activity and more than 94% of the ME yield was maintained after being used repeatedly for 15 batches.

The Engine Tests of Biodiesel from Used Frying Oil

Abstract: Biodiesel is an environmentally friendly and a renewable alternative diesel fuel that can be used in diesel engines with little or no modification. Used frying oil is one of the raw materials which can be used for biodiesel production. The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of used frying oil originated from biodiesel on engine performance and emissions in a Fiat Doblo 1.9 DS, four-cylinder, four-stroke, 46 kW power capacity diesel engine. Comparative measurements with no. 2 diesel fuel were conducted on both engine power and emission characteristics of each of the fuel used. Biodiesel, when compared to no. 2 diesel fuel, showed reduction in wheel force over 3.35% and it also reduced the wheel power by over 2.03%. In the acceleration tests, 40–100 km/h and 60–100 km/h acceleration periods were measured and a reduction of 7.32% and 8.78% were observed, respectively. According to emission tests, as a result of biodiesel consumption, a reduction of 8.59% in CO emission and an increase of ...

Methanolysis of Pongamia pinnata (karanja) oil for production of biodiesel

Abstract: The present study deals with the transesterification of Pongamia pinnata oil by means of methanol to study the feasibility of methanolysis process by using potassium hydroxide catalysts. The yield of biodiesel obtained was >97 per cent by using oil/methanol molar ratio 12:1, potassium hydroxide as catalyst, at 65 o C and stirring at 360 rpm in 3 h. The biodiesel was characterized by TLC and HPLC analysis to determine the fatty acid methyl esters, mono-, di- and triglycerides and glycerol. The properties like viscosity, flash point, cloud point, and pour point have been determined for accessing the fuel quality of karanja based biodiesel.

Production of biodiesel and other valuable chemicals from waste water treatment plant sludges

Abstract: A process for producing biodiesel has been invented by first extracting lipids from the sludges generated during primary and/or biological treatment of municipal, agricultural, and industrial wastewaters using primary, secondary, and tertiary treatments followed by the transesterification of the extracted lipids using transesterification conversion into alcohol-based esters The resulting products from this process include biodiesel, glycerol, lipid-free proteins, various other useful chemicals and an aqueous-based substrate well suited for optimized digestion within subsequent biological digestion (either aerobic or anaerobic) The lipids extracted from the sludges containing high levels of microorganisms are phospholipids which can also be directly used as lecithin The extraction of the lipids from the sludges will be performed using chemical extraction techniques with the transesterification of the extracted lipids accomplished using basic, acidic, and/or a combination of the two transesterification techniques

Environmental evaluation of biodiesel production from palm oil in a life cycle perspective

Abstract: Biodiesel is one of the most promising alternative fuels for transportation in Thailand It is a very good candidate for substituting petroleum-diesel in engines because of its similar properties Obtained from transesterification of fatty materials, biodiesel can be produced from various vegetable and/or animal oils Regarding raw material supply and production cost, palm oil is found to be a wonderful suitable raw material for biodiesel production in Thailand In this study, an environmental evaluation of biodiesel production from palm oil has been developed in a life cycle perspective in order to assess the environmental implications of the proposed substitution To this end, the study is divided into 3 stages: oil palm plantation, palm oil production and transesterification into biodiesel For each stage, the materials and energy flows are presented and discussed The emissions to air, water and soil compartments are inventoried The emissions such as wastewater discharge, solid waste load,