Indian Streams Research Journal

Volume 2, Issue. 7, Aug 2012

Available online at www.isrj.net

ISSN:-2230-7850 ORIGINAL ARTICLE

Biodiesel: The Use of Vegetable Oils and Methyl Esters as Alternative Diesel Fuels

Venkata Ramesh Mamilla1, M.V.Mallikarjun2 and G.Lakshmi Narayana Rao3

1

Associate Professor, QIS College of Engineering & Technology 2 Professor,QIS College of Engineering & Technology 3 Principal, QIS Institute of Technology,Ongole,Andhra Pradesh Email: maa_ram@yahoo.co.in,

Abstract: On the face of the upcoming energy crisis, vegetable oils have come up as a promising source of fuel. They are being studied widely because of their abundant availability, renewable nature and better performance when used in engines. Many vegetable oils have been investigated in compression ignition engine by fuel modification or engine modification. The vegetable oils have very high density and viscosity, so we have used the methyl ester of the oil to overcome these problems. Their use in form of methyl esters in non modified engines has given encouraging results. Vegetable oils and their derivatives are attractive as alternative fuels, fuel extenders, and an additive for compression ignition (diesel) engines because they also enhance engine performance. Worldwide there is interest in biodiesel as a renewable transportation fuel and blending agent. Biodiesel has the potential to displace petroleum, lower net global warming gas emissions from the transportation sector and reduce the mass and carcinogenicity of particulate matter emissions.

To this end various vegetable and animal fat derived biofuels have been widely tested as alternative fuels. Current technology, however, has not solved all problems associated with the use of vegetable oils and their derivatives in alternative diesel fuel formulations. Challenges remain in the production of biodiesel fuels that meet oxidative stability, performance and emissions requirements. Biodiesel production is a very modern and technological area for researchers due to the relevance that it is winning everyday because of the increase in the petroleum price and the environmental advantages. KEYWORDS: Biodiesel; Vegetable Oils; Methyl Esters ; Alternative Diesel Fuels 1.0 INTRODUCTION Biodiesel is a domestic, renewable fuel for diesel engines derived from natural oils like vegetables oils. Biodiesel can be used in any concentration with petroleum based diesel fuel in existing diesel engines with little or no modification. Biodiesel is not the same thing as raw vegetables oils. It is produced by a chemical process which removes the glycerol from vegetable oil. Chemically, it is a fuel a mix of monoalkyl esters of long chain fatty acids. A lipid transPlease cite this Article as : Venkata Ramesh Mamilla1, M.V.Mallikarjun2 and G.Lakshmi Narayana Rao3 , Biodiesel: The Use of Vegetable Oils and Methyl Esters as Alternative Diesel Fuels : Indian Streams Research Journal (Aug. ; 2012)

Biodiesel: The Use of Vegetable Oils and Methyl Esters as Alternative Diesel Fuels

esterification production process is used to convert the base oil to the desired esters and remove free fatty acids. After this processing, unlike straight vegetable oils, biodiesel has very similar uses. However, it is most often used as an additive to petroleum diesel, improving the otherwise low lubricity of pure ultra low sulpur petro-diesel fuel. It is one of the possible candidates to replace fossil fuels as the worlds primary transport energy source, because it is a renewable fuel that can replace petro-diesel in current engines and can be transported and sold using today's infrastructure. Biodiesel is typically produced by a reaction of vegetable oil or animal fat with an alcohol such as methanol or ethanol in the presence of a catalyst (acidic or basic) to yield mono-alkyl esters and glycerol, which is removed. 1.1 History TRANSESTERIFICATION of a vegetable oil was conducted as early as 1853, by scientists E. Duffy and J. Patrick, many years before the first diesel engine became functional. Rudolf Diesel's prime model, a single 10ft (3m) iron cylinder with a flywheel at its base, ran on its own power for the first time in Augsburg, Germany. This engine stood an example of diesel's vision because it was powered by peanut oila bio-fuel, though not strictly biodiesel, since it was not transesterified. He believed that the utilization of biomass fuel was real future of hiss engine. During the 1920, diesel engine manufactures altered their engines to utilize the lower viscosity of the fossil fuel (petro-diesel) rather than vegetable oil, a biomass fuel. The petroleum industries were able to make in roads in fuel markets because their fuel much cheaper to produce than the biomass alternatives. The result was, for many years, a near elimination of the biomass fuel production infrastructure. Only recently have environmental impact concerns and a decreasing cost differential made biomass fuels such as biodiesel a growing alternative. In the 1990s, France launched the local production of bio-diesel fuel (known locally as diester) obtained by the trans-esterification of rapeseed oil. It is mixed to the proportion of 5% into regular diesel fuel, and to the proportion of 30% into the diesel fuel used by some captive fleets (public transportation). Renault, Peugeot and other manufactures have certified truck engines for use with up to this partial biodiesel. Experiments with 50% bio-diesel are underway. From 1978 to 1996, the U.S National Renewable Energy Laboratory experimented with using algae as a bio-fuel source in the Aquatic Species Program. 2.0 NON-RENEWABLE SOURCES OF ENERGY 2.1 Fossil Fuels Oil is formed in the deep interiors of the earth. When carbonaceous material accumulated at the bottom of the earth's surface gets compacted due to the high pressures, it gets converted to oil. Oil is nonrenewable. The resources in earth are finite and there could be a point where we can no more depend on oil. The staggering fact remains that the increase in population in turn triggers an increase in the demand and consumption of oil. We are theoretically, closing in on the half way stage in the extraction of oil from earth. The total estimate of oil in earth is around 1802 billion barrels as of 1987 & 807 billion barrels of oil had been extracted from the earth and 995 billion barrels remained. If the worldwide rate of consumption of oil remained constant at the current amount of 25 billion barrels of oil a year, we could run out of oil by 2040. But the fact remains that he consumption is also increasing exponentially. Hence scientists and analysts feel that there could be a point between 2010 and 2025 where we could run out of oil and the price of oil could become so high that it would not be economically viable for countries to import oil. Hence countries like India, whose oil import-export ratio is on the higher side will suffer. 2.2 Disadvantages of Fossil-Fuels Fossil fuels are non-renewable. Once exhausted they take millions of years to form again. Hence they cannot be replenished and need to be used conservatively. Another disadvantage of burning fossil fuels is pollution. This pollution occurs in many forms. It can be categorized into air, water and land pollution. Pollution can be controlled at times, but majority of them are irreversible in nature. Once polluted, we have to bear the brunt of the consequences.

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Biodiesel: The Use of Vegetable Oils and Methyl Esters as Alternative Diesel Fuels

3.0 REBEWABLE SOURCES OF ENERGY Renewable sources of energy are those that can be produced continuously. There is no point of exhaustion and they can be produced on a day-to-day basis. These sources are among a wide rage of sustainable rural energy options. Some of these are methane (biogas) digesters that turn livestock and crop wastes into cooking and heating gas, solar energy wind power and waterpower. Bio-diesel can be categorized as a renewable source of energy. This is because the primary constituent of bio-diesel, namely oil, is renewable through cultivation of oil seeds. More over, these oil seeds can be shown in wasteland and fallow lands. These seeds need to be crushed in order to produce the oil. The other components of reactants, namely, alcohol and catalyst, can also be produced in large quantities without concern over its regeneration. Methanol is a petro-based product and hence it is nonrenewable. On the other hand ethanol, which can be produced from molasses by the process of fermentation, is renewable. Hence by suitable production of alcohol, we can achieve production of biodiesel in a large manner. 4.0 METHODS OF MANUFACTURE Different technologies are currently available and used in the industrial production of bio diesel, which is sold under different trademarks. For example there are the Italian process Novamont and Ballestra, the Franch IFP, the German Henkel and ATT. Bio diesel is manufactured by the transesterification of fats and oils. Triglycerides are readily transesterified batch wise in the presence of alkaline catalyst at atmospheric pressure and at a temperature of approximately 60C to 70C with an excess of methanol. The mixture at the end of reaction is allowed to settle. The lower glycerine layer is drawn out while the upper methyl ester layer is washed to remove entrained glycerine and is then processed further. The excess methanol is recovered in the condenser, sent to a rectifying column for purification and recycled. 4.1 Henkel Process The Henkel process operates at 9000Kpa and 240C uses unrefined oil as feedstock. Unrefined oil, methanol in excess and catalyst are metered and heated to 240C before feeding into the reactor. The bulk of the excess methanol is flashed of as it leaves the reactor and is fed to a bubble tray column for purification. The recovered methanol is recycled into the system. The mixture from the reactor enters a separator where the glycerine in excess of 90% concentration is removed. The methyl is subsequently fed to a distillation column for purification. Further fractionation into special cuts may follow if desired. 4.2 Lurgi Process The Lurgi process operates at normal pressure. This process requires the use of a degummed and deacidified feedstock. The refined vegetable oil and methanol is reacted in a two stage mixer-settler arrangement in the presence of a catalyst. The glycerine produced in the reaction column, dissolved in the surplus methanol, is recovered in the rectification column. Most of the entrained methanol and glycerine are recovered from the methyl ester in the countercurrent scrubber. The methyl ester can be further purified by distillation. 5.0 PROCESS VARIABLES The most important variables that influence transesterification reaction time and conversion are: Reaction temperature Ratio of alcohol to oil Catalyst type and concentration Mixing intensity Purity of reactants 5.1 Reaction Temperature The rate of reaction is strongly influenced by the reaction temperature. However, given enough time, the reaction will proceed to near completion even at room temperature. Generally, the reaction is
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Biodiesel: The Use of Vegetable Oils and Methyl Esters as Alternative Diesel Fuels

conducted close to the boiling point of methanol (60 to 70C) at atmospheric pressure. These mild reaction conditions, however, require the removal of free fatty acids from the oil by refining or pre-esterification. The pretreatment is not required if the reaction is carried out under high pressure (9000kpa) and high temperature (2408C). Under these conditions, simultaneous esterification and transesterification take place. The maximum yield of esters occurs at temperatures ranging from 60 to 80C at a molar ratio (alcohol to oil) of 6:1. Further increase in temperature is reported to have a negative effect on the conversion. 5.2 Ratio of Alchol to Oil Another important variable affecting the yield of ester is the molar ratio of alcohol to vegetable oil. The stoichiometry of the transesterification reaction requires 3mol of alcohol per mole of triglyceride to yield 3mol of fatty esters and 1 mol of glycerol. To shift the transesterification reaction to the right, it is necessary to use either a large excess of alcohol or to remove one of the products from the reaction mixture. The second option is preferred wherever feasible, since in this way, the reaction can be driven to completion. When 100% excess methanol is used, the reaction rate is at its highest. A molar ratio of 6:1 is normally used in industrial processes to obtain methyl ester yields higher than 98% by weight. Higher molar ratio of alcohol to vegetable oil interferes in the separation of glycol. 5.3 Catalyst Type and Concentration Alkali metal alkoxides are the most effective transesterification catalyst compared to the acidic catalyst. Sodium alkoxides are among the most efficient catalysts used for this purpose, although NAOH and KOH can also be used. Transmethylations occurs approximately 4000 times faster in the presence of an alkaline catalyst than those catalyzed by the same amount of acidic catalyst. Partly for this reason and partly because alkaline catalysts are less corrosive to industrial equipment than acidic catalysts, most commercial transesterifications are conducted with alkaline catalysts. The alkaline catalyst concentration in the range of 0.5 to 1% by weight yields 94 to 99% conversion of vegetable oil into esters. Further, increase in catalyst concentration does not increase the conversion and it adds to extra costs because it is necessary to remove it from the reaction medium at the end. 5.4 Mixing Intensity In the transesterification reaction, the reactants initially from a two phase liquid system. The reaction is diffusion controlled and poor diffusion between the phases results in a slow rate. As methyl esters are formed, they act as a mutual solvent for the reactants and a single phase system is formed. The mixing effect is most significant during the slow rate region of the reaction. As the single phase is established, mixing becomes insignificant. The understanding of the mixing effects on the kinetics of the transesterification process is a valuable tool in the process scale up and design. 5.5 Purity of Reactants Impurities present in the oil also affect conversion levels. Under the same conditions, 67 to 84% conversion into esters using crude vegetable oils can be obtained, compared with 94 to 97% when using refined oils. The free fatty acids in the original oils interfere with the catalyst. However, under conditions of high temperature and pressure this problem can be overcome. 6.0 BIODIESEL PRODUCTION PROCESSES Jon van Gerpen of Iowa state university in conjunction with the US national renewable energy laboratory has come up with the following methods for production of biodiesel. 6.1 Batch Processing This is the simplest method for producing biodiesel. It is done in a batch, stirred tank reactor. The reactor may be sealed or equipped with a reflux condenser. This reactor or may be sealed or equipped with a reflux condenser. This reactor can be used for a wide variety of oils and alcohols. The most commonly used catalyst is sodium hydroxide. Sometimes potassium hydroxide or ever acidic catalysis can be achieved. Through mixing is necessary for intimate mixing of the oil, alcohol and the catalyst. This is especially
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Biodiesel: The Use of Vegetable Oils and Methyl Esters as Alternative Diesel Fuels

required in the initial stages of the reaction, when almost 80% of the reaction is completed. The esters so produced are washed gently with the help of an aerator. The aerator provides for the agitation that is required for washing the fuel. Warm, slightly acidic, water is used in order to wash the biodiesel. 6.2 Continuous Process Systems A popular variation of the batch processing system is the continuous stirred tank reactors (CSTR's). The CSTR's can be varied in volume to allow for larger residence time in CSTR 1 to achieve a greater extent of the reaction. After the initial product glycerol is decanted, the reaction in CSTR 2 is rather rapid with 98% completion rate is not uncommon. An essential component in the design of a CSTR is sufficient mixing input to ensure that the composition throughout the reactor is maintained uniformly. This has the effect of increasing the dispersion of the glycerol product formed in the ester phase. The result is that the time required for the phase separation is extended. There are several processes that use intense mixing, either from pumps or motionless mixers to initiate the trans-esterification process. Instead of allowing time for the reaction in the agitation tank, the reactor is tubular. The reaction mixture moves this type pod reactor in a continuous plug, with little mixing in the axial direction. This type of reactor is called a plug flow reactor and can be visualized as a series of CSTR's in action. 6.3 High Free Fatty Acid (FFA) Systems High free fatty acid will result in formation of soap or saponification in base catalyzed system. The maximum amount of free fatty acids allowed in a system can be 2%, preferably less that 1%. In case the oil has a high FFA content then there needs to be neutralization reaction with a base, NaOH. This reaction, carried with an indicator, is used to neutralize the excess acid present in the oil with the help of the base. Example of oil that can contain a significant quantity of FFA is waste vegetable oil (WVO). Sometimes this caustic is also added to the WVO directly and a process called caustic stripping is utilized. In this process, the resulting soaps are separated with the help of a centrifuge where in the high centrifugal forces can lead to separation. 6.4 Non-Catalyzed Systems or Biox Process Co-solvent options are designed to overcome slow reaction time caused by extremely low solubility of alcohol. One such process which helps in fast dissolution of methanol in the catalyst is Biox Process .this process uses a co-solvent, tetrahydrofuran, in order to help in the fast dissolution of methanol. The traditional base catalyzed method for producing fatty acid methyl esters from triglycerides and methanol has several disadvantages, including: The reaction is slow at ambient temperatures. The reaction does not go to completion and therefore requires a second and event third pass to achieve the necessary purity. The reaction cannot handle substrates which have fatty acid contents much above one percent, simple because the acids neutralize the catalyst to form soaps. The new process addresses these problems in the following ways: Uses an inert, cheap, recyclable co-solvent to make the reaction one phase, thus improving mass transfer and there by, the reaction rate. Uses more methanol to increase the polarity of the mixture, which maintains the ionizations the catalyst. For substrates containing fatty acids, it first uses a one-phase acid-catalyzed step to convert the fatty acids, before using base catalysis to convert the triglycerides. In the two-step process, approximately 30 minutes is required to convert the fatty acids at close to the boiling temperature of the methanol (60C). The base-catalyzed step is complete in seconds. Has a recycle stream methanol and a co-solvent, and the latent heat of condensation is used to heat the incoming feedstock. 6.5 Non-Catalyzed Systems Supercritical Process When a fluid or gas is subjected to temperatures and pressures in excess of kits critical point, there
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Biodiesel: The Use of Vegetable Oils and Methyl Esters as Alternative Diesel Fuels

are a number of unusual properties exhibited. There is no longer a distinct liquid vapor phase but a single uniform fluid phase. Solvents containing a hydroxyl group take up the special properties of a super-acid. A non-catalytic approach is the use of high alcohol to oil ratio sometimes even up to (42:1). Under supercritical conditions (about 350C to 400C temperature and pressure >80 atm) the reaction is complete in about 4 min. Capital and operating cost is expensive and the energy consumption of this process is higher. 7.0 PROCEDURE FOR PRODUCTION OF BIODIESEL Raw materials required: Used or fresh vegetable oil (strained with a coffee filter or cloth) Lye (Catalyst) Methanol Isopropyl Alcohol (for tests. Use 99% IPA) 7.1 Titration Process to Determine Lye Quantity Free fatty acids will increase with the amount of time vegetable oil has been heated. Oil which has been used for cooking will require more of the reactive agents (lye and methanol) than fresh oil. The presence of too many free fatty acids will retard or stop the reaction which produces biodiesel, so it is necessary to detect the exact amount of LYE (Sodium Hydroxide or NaOH) needed to neutralize. Adding too much or too little NaOH will just make excessive amounts of bi-products (soap). 1.Dissolve 1gram NaOH (Sodium Hydroxide Lye) in 1000ml of water. This is your NaOH solution. 2.Dissolve 1ml of waste vegetable oil (WVO) in 10ml Isopropyl Alcohol (IPA). This is your WVO solution. 3.With an eyedropper drop the diluted NaOH into WVO mixture a milliliter at a time. Count the drops. After each ml drop, check the ph level of the WVO solution with standard ph paper you will see an eventual rise in the ph level. 4.Continue to add the NaOH solution into the WVO solution a drop at a time until it reaches a ph 8-9 5.In the experiments conducted we found that in the case of fresh vegetable oils, the amount of NaOH to be added for neutralizing the FFA is 0.35- 0.4grams. 7.2 To Determine Reaction Proportion To find the total amount of NaOH to be added we add the numder of drops of NaOH needed for the WVO solution to reach a ph of 8-9 and 3.5 grams NaOH to catalyze the oil (stoichiometric). An example formula used with one particular batch of WVO-wasted vegetable oil: 1ml of oil was titrated with a 1gm NaOH/1000ml H2O solution. It required 6.0ml to raise the ph level to 8. Hence 6.0gm/1000ml to neutralize the free fatty acids + 3.5g NaOH as catalyst = 9.5g per 1000ml oil. Vegetable Oil Diesel has a chain of 11-13 carbons and new vegetable oil has a chain of about 18, but waste vegetable oil, which has been heated, has chain of up to 32 carbons. To burn in an engine the chain needs to be broken down to be similar in length to diesel. Lye (Catalyst) Lye is the catalyst used for transesterification. It works by "cracking" the vegetable oil molecules, splitting the triglycerides from the hydrocarbons and shortening the carbon chain of 3.5gm or 0.35% is the standard amount of lye necessary to create a reaction, when using fresh vegetable oil. Due to the presence of a very small quantity of FFA we add an additional 0.3 to 0.4 grams in order to neutralize completely. Methanol The amount of methanol needed will also vary, but the ideal is to use the least amount of methanol necessary in order to get the highest yield. The yield is related to completion so if you get 90% yield that means that 90% of the fatty acids have been eliminated from the vegetable oil. We have found that the best is to use 15% to 20% methanol, based upon the total weight of batch of oil.
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Biodiesel: The Use of Vegetable Oils and Methyl Esters as Alternative Diesel Fuels

A hydrometer can also be used to check the amount of completion according to density. Vegetable Oil has a specific density of .910 Biodiesel has a specific density of .850-870 7.3 STEPS FOR PRODUCTION OF BIODIESEL Weight 6 kg of vegetable oil (refined sunflower oil) and pour it into the reactor for preliminary heating to temperature of about 60-70C. In separate container, dissolve 22.8grams of NaOH (3.8grams per liter of oil, got by 3.5grams stoichiometric equivalent and 0.3grams for neutralizing FFA) in 1.2L methanol (200ml per liter of oil) add the NaOH slowly. This combined mixture makes sodium methoxide. Add this to the vegetable oil. Provide rigorous mixing with the use of a stirrer. The cloudy looking free fatty acids, called glycerine, will sink to the bottom and the methyl ester- a translucent liquid, will remain on top. When the separation appears not to be advancing any more, stop mixing. Let the mixture settle overnight. Meanwhile another batch can be started as the reactor is not being used. The liquid on top is methyl ester, but before using it any remaining soaps or salts which could cause engine damage have to be removed. The glycerin which has sunk to the bottom can be used in production of cosmetics 7.4 Rinsing Methyl Ester Methyl ester was poured off into a separate clean container, where it was washed free of any remaining soaps, salts or free fatty acids. Warm water was added to the methyl ester. It was stirred lightly and then allowed to settle. The warm water was heated in the main reactor itself. When the water had cleanly separated from the methyl esters, the water was drained out from the bottom. The process was repeated until the discarded rinse water reached ph level of 6-7 and no soap bubbles appeared in it. If the liquid remaining is cloudy, there is water being retained in the fuel, and it will need to be reheated slowly to evaporate out the water. Any white substances forming at the bottom or any bubbles forming at the surface is a sign of soaps and should be removed or the liquid should be re-washed. The cleaned methyl ester is a version of biodiesel. 8.0 OBSERVATION FOR PRODUCTION OF BIODIESEL The optimum condition for the reaction was found to be the following: for every liter of oil used, 200ml of methanol needed to be used. The optimum temperature for the reaction was identified to be in the range of 53C to 58C for methanol. Vigorous stirring and heating is of paramount importance for better conversion efficiency. The ideal time for the completion of reaction is around 3-4hrs. Reaction with ethanol is difficult unless 2 conditions are met a) Requirement of anhydrous ethanol and b) Requirement of closed system to prevent ethanol from absorbing water. The FFA content of oil needs to be determined and appropriate quantity of Lye needs to be added in order to neutralize excess acid. This excess acid is present when the oil gets heated. Care must be taken to prevent the process of saponification from occurring. This can be ensured by proper heating and stirring. About 4.5 Liters of Biodiesel has been obtained for an input quantity of 6L oil. Photographs of neat vegetables oils and their methyl esters

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Biodiesel: The Use of Vegetable Oils and Methyl Esters as Alternative Diesel Fuels

Jatropha oil and its methyl ester

Karanja oil and its methyl ester

Waste cooking oil and its methyl ester

Sunflower oil and its methyl ester

Palm oil and its methyl ester

9.0 EMISSIONS OF BIODIESEL The production and use of bio diesel creates 78% less carbon dioxide emissions than conventional diesel. Carbon dioxide is a greenhouse gas that contributes to global warming by preventing some of the sun's radiation from escaping the Earth. Burning biodiesel fuel also effectively eliminates sulfur oxide and sulfate emissions, which are major contributors to acid rain. That's because, unlike petroleum-based diesel fuel, biodiesel is free of sulfur impurities. Combustion of biodiesel additionally provides a 56% reduction in hydro-carbon emissions and yields significant reductions in carbon monoxide and soot particles compared to petroleum-based diesel fuel. Also, biodiesel can reduce the carcinogenic properties of diesel fuel by 94%. Overall Biodiesel Emissions are lower than petrol or diesel fuel emissions (with the exception of NOx). Compared to diesel, biodiesel produces no sulphur, no net carbon dioxide, up to 20 times less carbon monoxide and more free oxygen. Biodiesel has the following emissions characteristics when compared with petroleum diesel fuel: Reduction of carbon dioxide emissions (CO2) by 100%. Reduction of sulphur dioxide (SO2) emissions by 100%.
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Biodiesel: The Use of Vegetable Oils and Methyl Esters as Alternative Diesel Fuels

Reduction of soot emissions by 40-60%. Reduction of carbon monoxide (CO) emissions by 10-50%. Reduction of hydrocarbon (HC) emissions by 10-50%. 10.0 BIODIESEL PRODUCERS IN INDIA Naturol bioenergy limited. Reliance life sciences. Southern online biotechnologies limited. Gomti biotech ltd. Royal energy limited. Chemical biotech limited. Coastal energy limited 11.0 ADVANTAGES OF BIO-DIESEL There are numerous advantages of bio-diesels. Some of the most important are listed: Biodiesel runs in any conventional, unmodified diesel engine. No engine modifications are necessary to use bio-diesel and there is no engine conversion. In other words, you just pour it into the fuel tank. Biodiesel can be stored anywhere that petroleum diesel fuel is stored. All diesel fuelling infrastructure including pumps, tanks and transport trucks can use bio-diesel without any major modifications. Biodiesel reduces carbon dioxide emissions, the primary cause of the greenhouse effect, by up to 100%. Since bio-diesel comes from plants and plants breathe carbon dioxide, there is no net gain in carbon dioxide from using bio-diesel. Biodiesel can be used alone or mixed in any amount with petroleum diesel fuel. A 20% blend of bio-diesel with diesel fuel is called B20; a 5% blend is called B5 and so on. Biodiesel is more lubricating than diesel fuel, it increases the engine life and it can be used to replace sulfur, a lubricating agent that, when burned, produces sulfur dioxide. The primary component in acid rain. Instead of sulphur, all diesel fuel sold in France contains 5% bio-diesel. Biodiesel is safe to handle because it is biodegradable and non-toxic. According to the national bio-diesel board, neat diesel is as biodegradable as sugar and less toxic than salt. Biodiesel is safe to transport. Bio-diesel has a high flash point, or ignition temperature, of about 150C compared to petroleum diesel fuel, which has a flash point of 52C. Engines running on bio-diesel run normally and have similar fuel mileage to engines running on diesel fuel. Auto ignition, fuel consumption, power output, and engine torque are relatively unaffected by biodiesel. Biodiesel has a pleasant aroma similar to popcorn popping in comparison to the all-too-familiar stench of petroleum diesel fuel. 12.0 DISADVANTAGES OF BIODIESEL The NOx emission is somewhat higher than the conventional diesel engines. Since the biodiesel contains O2 the specific fuel consumption would be higher than that of pure diesel oils. 13.0 CONCLUSOION Alternative fuels and energy sources are an issue of increasing importance - not only among the scientific and engineering community, but also in economics and public policy. Alternatives need to be compared on scientific and economic terms - which are not done well in the media. Biodiesel is an renewable fuel for diesel engines that can be made from virtually any oil or fat feedstock. The technology choice is a function of desired capacity, feedstock type and quality, alcohol recovery, and catalyst recovery. The dominant factor in biodiesel production is the feedstock cost which around 70%, with capital cost contributing only about 7 % of the product cost. Therefore high FFA, lower quality feedstock should be promoted for biodiesel production. For meeting energy security and energy for all, it is necessary to develop and commission small to medium capacity biodiesel unit. Maintaining product quality is essential for the growth of the biodiesel industry.
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14.0 REFERENCES
1.Barnwal B.K. and Sharma M.P. (2005), Prospects of biodiesel production from vegetable oils in India, Journal of Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 9, 363-378. 2.Houfang Lu, Yingying Liu, Hui Zhou, Ying Yang, Mingyan Chen and Bin Liang. (2009), Production of biodiesel from jatropha curcas L. oil, Journal of Computers and Chemical Engineering, 33, 10911096. 3.Sanjib Kumar Karmee and Anju Chadha.,Preparation of biodiesel from crude oil of pongamia pinnata, Bioresource Technology Vol.96, 2005 pp.14251429. 4.Shashikant Vilas Ghadge and Hifjur Raheman, , Biodiesel production from mahua (Madhuca indica) oil having high free fatty acids, Biomass and Bioenergy Vol.28, 2005 pp 601605. 5.Siti Zullaikah, Chao-Chin Lai, Shaik Ramjan Vali and Yi-Hsu Ju., A two- step acid-catalyzed process for the production of biodiesel from rice bran oil, Bioresource Technology, Vol. 96, 2005 pp 18891896. 6.Raheman, H. and Phadatare, A.G., Diesel engine Emissions and performance from blends of karanja methyl ester and diesel, Biomass and Bioenergy Vol. 27 , 2004 pp 393-397. 7.Pedro Benjumea, John Agudelo, Andres Agudelo Basic properties of palm oil biodiesel-diesel blends Journal of Fuel 87 (2008) 2069-2075. 8.M.Pugazhvadivu, K.Jeyachandran Investigations on the performance and exhaust emissions of a diesel engine using preheated waste frying oil as fuel Journal of Renewable energy 30 (2005) 2189-2202. 9.Y.C.Sharma, B.Singh, S.N.Upadhyay Advancements in development and characterization of biodiesel: A review Journal of Fuel 87 (2008) 2355-2373. 10.Fangrui Ma,Milford A.Hanna Biodiesel production : A review 1 Journal of Bioresource Technolgy 70(1999) 1-15. 11.Onkar S.Tyagi,Neeraj Atray,Basant Kumar and Arunabha Datta Production, Characterization and development of standards for biodiesel- A review Journal of metrology society of India ,Vol.25,No.3,2010 ,pp 197-218. 12.K.Khalisanni,K.Khalizani,M.S.Rohani and P.O.Khalid Analysis of waste cooking oil as raw material for biofuel production Global journal of environmental research 2 (2):81-83,2008. 13.Arjun B.Chhetri,K.Chris watts and M.Rafiqul Islam Waste cooking oil as an alternate feedstock

Indian Streams Research Journal Volume 2 Issue 7 Aug 2012