DOI: https://doi.org/10.14710/ijred.3.2.99-105

Castor Seed from Melkasa Agricultural Research Centre, East Showa, Ethiopia and it’s biodiesel performance in Four Stroke Diesel Engine

1Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Gondar, Lecturer, P.O.Box 196, Ethiopia

2Department of Environmental Health, University of Gondar, Lecturer, P.O.Box 196, Ethiopia

3Department of Mechanical and Vehicle Engineering, Adama University, Associate professor, P.O.Box 1888, Ethiopia

4 Department of Mechanical Engineering, Addiss Ababa University, Associate Professor, 1176, Ethiopia

View all affiliations
Published: 15 Jul 2014.
Editor(s):

Citation Format:
Abstract

This study focused in investigating the fuel properties of Castor oil Methyl Ester (CME) and its blend with diesel fuel in running a diesel engine. Engine tests have been carried out with the aim of obtaining comparative measures of torque, power, and specific fuel consumption. Castor oil was extracted by using a mechanical pressing machine and trans-esterification was made by methyl alcohol and potassium hydroxide as a catalyst.  So that its viscosity and density were reduced and by increasing its volatility.  By following the procedures given in American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) book the fuel characteristics were identified whether it fulfil the requirements needed to be used as a fuel in internal combustion engines or not. From the characterization result, it was proved that trans-esterified castor oil was found to be a promising alternative fuel for compression ignition (diesel) engines. But the viscosity of CME was still higher and the energy content was a little bit less as compared to petro diesel. To solve these problems CME was blended with petro diesel in some proportion (B5, B10, B20, B40, B80). The torque, power and brake specific fuel consumption performances of CME and its blends with petro diesel were tested in a four stroke diesel engine. The analyzed results were compared with that of petro diesel and found to be very nearly similar, making CME a suiTable alternative fuel for petro diesel.

Fulltext View|Download
Keywords: Castor oil Methyl Ester; Characterization; Diesel engine; Performance evaluation; Trans-esterification

Article Metrics:

Article Info
Section: Original Research Article
Language : EN
Statistics:
Most cited articles
Multi-Criteria Decision Making (MCDM) Approach for Selecting Solar Plants Site and Technology: A Review Improving Stability and Convergence for Adaptive Radial Basis Function Neural Networks Algorithm. (On-Line Harmonics Estimation Application) Adaptation of VSC-HVDC Connected DFIG Based Offshore Wind Farm to Grid Codes: A Comparative Analysis The Social Aspects and Public Acceptance of Biomass Giving the Example of a Hungarian Region Evaluation of Physico-Mechanical-Combustion Characteristics of Fuel Briquettes made from blends of Areca Nut Husk, Simarouba Seed Shell and Black Liquor More cited articles
  1. Ali, R. (2013) Preparation and characterization of protein isolate and biodiesel from garden cress seed. European Journal of Chemistry, 4 (2), 85‐91
  2. ASTM International. (2002) Annual book of ASTM standards, for Transparent and Opaque Liquids, West Conshohocken
  3. Charles, L. & Peterson, C.L. (1986) Vegetable Oil as a Diesel Fuel: Status and Research Priorities. Transactions of ASAE, 29:(5), 1413
  4. Demirbas, A. (2003) Biodiesel fuels from vegeTable oils via catalytic and non catalytic supercritical alcohol trans-esterifications and other methods: a survey. Energy Conversion and Management, 44, 2093-2109
  5. Gerpen, JV., et al., (2004) Biodiesel Production Technology, National Renewable Energy Laboratory 1617 Cole Boulevard, Golden, Colorado
  6. John, B. (1998) Heywood, Internal combustion engine fundamentals, McGraw-Hil
  7. Knothe, G. & Steidley, K.R. (2005) Lubricity of Components of Biodiesel and Petrodiesel
  8. The Origin of Biodiesel Lubricity. Energy & Fuels. Vol. 19, pp. 1192-1200
  9. Lapuerta, M., et al., (2008) Diesel particulate emissions from used cooking oil biodiesel. Bioresource Technology, vol. 99(4), pp. 731-740
  10. Mushtaq, A., et al., (2011) Biodiesel from Non Edible Oil Seeds: a Renewable Source of Bioenergy, Economic Effects of Biofuel Production, Dr. Marco Aurelio Dos
  11. Musharraf, SG., et al., (2012) Biodiesel production from microalgal isolates of southern Pakistan and quantification of FAMEs by GC-MS/MS analysis. Chemistry Central Journal, 6, 149
  12. Shay, E.G. (1993) Diesel fuel from vegeTable oils: status and opportunities, Biomass Bioenergy, 4, 227–242
  13. Santos Bernardes (Ed.), ISBN: 978-953-307-178-7, InTech, Available from: http://www.intechopen.com/books/economic-effects-of-biofuel-production/biodiesel-from-non-edible-oil-seedsa-renewable-source-of-bioenergy

Last update:

No citation recorded.

Last update:

No citation recorded.