Vegetable oil fuel

biodiesel

1. Vegetable oil fuel Rohil kumar 17M713

2. INDEX Introduction History Why vegetable oil? Comparison b/t SVO and Diesel Application and usability Availability Sources of vegetable oil Vehicle suitability Engine Setup Advantages of Vegetable Oils Challenges In Using Vegetable Oils As Diesel Fuels Scope In India Pros and Cons References

3. Introduction Vegetable oil can be used as an alternative fuel in diesel engines and in heating oil burners. When vegetable oil is used directly as a fuel, in either modified or unmodified equipment, it is referred to as Straight Vegetable Oil (SVO) or Pure Plant Oil (PPO). Conventional diesel engines can be modified to help ensure that the viscosity of the vegetable oil is low enough to allow proper atomization of the fuel. This prevents incomplete combustion, which would damage the engine by causing a build-up of carbon. Straight vegetable oil can also be blended with conventional diesel or processed into biodiesel or bioliquids for use under a wider range of conditions.

4. History Rudolf Diesel was the father of the engine which bears his name. His first attempts were to design an engine to run on coal dust, but later designed his engine to run on vegetable oil( fueled by peanut oil). With idea to make engines more attractive to farmers having a source of fuel readily available. Periodic petroleum shortages spurred research into vegetable oil as a diesel substitute during the 1930s and 1940s, and again in the 1970s and early 1980s when straight vegetable oil enjoyed its highest level of scientific interest. The 1970s also saw the formation of the first commercial enterprise to allow consumers to run straight vegetable oil in their automobiles, Elsbett of Germany. In the 1990s Bougainvillea conflict, islanders cut off from oil supplies due to a blockade, used coconut oil to fuel their vehicles. [

5. Why vegetable oil? India’s demand for diesel fuels is roughly 6 times that of gasoline. protecting the global environment and concerns for long-term energy security, it becomes necessary to develop alternative fuels with properties comparable to conventional fuels. The crops being used as a fuel actually suck out the same amount of Carbon dioxide that they will release when in fuel form. Almost carbon neutral. Renewable fuels do not contribute significantly to Global Warming.

6. Comparison b/t SVO and Diesel Vegetable oils and their derivatives in diesel engines lead to substantial reductions in sulphur , carbon monoxide (CO), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), smoke, noise, and particulate emissions. Contribution of bio-fuels to greenhouse effect is insignificant, since CO2 emitted during combustion is recycled in the photosynthesis process in the plants. Vegetable oils have about 10% lower heating value than diesel due to its O2 content. Kinematic viscosity of vegetable oils is higher than that of diesel. Higher viscosity of vegetable oils (35–45 cSt at 40°C) as against diesel (3-4 cSt at 40°C) leads to problems in pumping and atomization, ringsticking , carbon deposits on the piston, cylinder head, ring grooves, etc. So modifications are required.

7. Application and usability Modified fuel systems: With certain modifications, straight vegetable oil (SVO) can be used in diesel car engines . Reducing Viscosity and Surface Tension by Preheating, using waste heat from the engine or electricity, otherwise poor atomization, incomplete combustion and carbonization may result. One common solution is to add a heat exchanger and an additional fuel tank for the petrodiesel or biodiesel blend and to switch between this additional tank and the main tank of SVO/PPO. Engine starts on diesel, switched over to warmed vegetable oil then switched back to diesel shortly before being switched off, to ensure that no vegetable oil remains in the engine or fuel lines.

8. Vegetable oil blending High kinematic viscosity of vegetable oils must be reduced to make them compatible with conventional compression-ignition engines and fuel systems. Cosolvent blending is a low-cost and easy-to-adapt technology that reduces viscosity . Blending is done with: diesel fuel kerosene Gasoline Mixing proportions of the two must be very accurate An extra fuel tank is also necessary in the vehicle. Higher rates of wear and failure in fuel pumps and piston rings when using blends, so this method does not always produce very reliable results

9. Availability Recycled vegetable oil Used Vegetable Oil (UVO), Waste Vegetable Oil (WVO), Used Cooking Oil (UCO), or yellow grease (in commodities exchange), is recovered from businesses and industry that use the oil for cooking. Utilizing recycled vegetable oil as a replacement for gasoline would reduce the price of gasoline by preserving the supply of petroleum. Virgin vegetable oil Virgin vegetable oil, also termed pure plant oil or straight vegetable oil, is extracted from plants solely for use as fuel. Production of vegetable oils for use as fuels is theoretically limited only by the agricultural capacity of a given economy. However, doing so detracts from the supply of other uses of pure vegetable oil.

10. Plant types lb/oil acre kg. oil/hectare Oil Palm 4585 5,000 Coconut 2070 2,260 Jatropha 1460 1,590 Rapeseed 915 1,000 Peanut 815 890 Sunflower 720 800 Safflower 605 655 Soybean 345 375 Hemp 280 305 Corn 135 145 Sources of vegetable oil There are over 350 different plant types that can supply the oil, here are a few

11. Yields : Typical oil extraction from 100 kg. of oil seeds : Castor Seed 36 kg Copra 62 kg Cotton Seed 13 kg Groundnut Kernel 42 kg Mustard 35 kg Palm Kernal 36 kg Palm Fruit 20 kg Rapeseed 37 kg Sesame 50 kg Soyabean 14 kg Sunflower 32 kg

12. Vehicle suitability Not all diesel vehicles are suitable to convert to SVO. Diesel vehicles fitted with most types of rotary pump produced by Lucas, CAV, Delphi, Stanadyne and Rotodiesel are not recommended for conversion by Elsbett (Germany) . Vehicles with common-rail direct injection and unitary direct injection engine designs cannot be generally converted with ‘one tank’ kits as they require start up on diesel. Conversions involving ‘ two tank’ kits are required for these vehicles.

13. Engine Setup

14. Advantages of Vegetable Oils Vegetable oils are locally available resources in rural areas. Development of bio-fuel industry would strengthen rural agricultural economy. Biodegradable and non-toxic. Engine compatible fuel characteristics , used as a diesel substitute with no/ very little hardware modifications. Low sulphur content fuels hence environment friendly. Enhanced fuel lubrication properties. Lower safety issues involved because of substantially higher flash points compared to mineral diesel. Vegetable oils have a reasonable cetane number and hence possess less knocking tendency. Low aromatic content and reduce costly petroleum imports.

15. Challenges In Using Vegetable Oils As Diesel Fuels The price of vegetable oil is dependent on the feedstock price. Feedstock homogeneity, consistency and reliability are questionable. Homogeneity of the product depends on the supplier, feedstock and production method used. Storage and handling is difficult (particularly stability on long-term storage). Flash point of blends is unreliable. Compatibility with materials used in IC engine needs to be investigated. Cold weather operation of the engine is not easy with vegetable oils. Acceptance by engine manufacturers is another major difficulty. Continuous availability of the vegetable oils needs to be assured before embarking on the large-scale usage in IC engines.

16. Scope In India In India, there is a tremendous interest to utilize non-edible vegetable oils and their derivatives as fuels in diesel engines. India is producing host of non-edible oils such as Linseed, Castor, Jatropha, Karanja (Pongamia glabra), Neem (Azadirachta indica), Palash (Butea monosperma), Kusum (Schlelchera trijuga) etc. Some of these oils are not being adequately utilized, and it has been estimated that some plant-based forest derived oils have a much higher production potential.

17. Pros and Cons PROS: Widely Available Renewable: SVO is essentially captured sunlight energy. Reduces Air Pollution: reduces carbon dioxide emissions. Increased Range: improves the range of a car. Come from domestic crop , boosting local economy & supporting agricultural community . CONS: Cost of Conversion, additional fuel tank. High Maintenance: find a source of vegetable oil, clog the fuel injectors.

18. References https://www.iitk.ac.in/erl/Index_files/Manuscipt_Avinash_Agarwal_IITK.pdf https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vegetable_oil_fuel