Analysis of the biodiesel blend ratio of blended fuel oils based on ultraviolet spectrophotometry

Abstract

ABSTRACT As a green alternative fuel for petrochemical diesel, biodiesel is currently mainly used by blending with petrochemical diesel, but the blended fuels with different ratios have different physical and chemical properties and price costs. At present, there is not a method for quickly and accurately detecting the blending ratio to distinguish whether it is necessary to mix with vegetable oil and the blending ratio of biodiesel when mixed with vegetable oil, to promote the use of blended biodiesel fuels. Mixtures of standard diesel (hereinafter referred to as diesel), jatropha oil and jatropha biodiesel were investigated based on UV-Vis in combination with the OLS and PLS. The blending ratios of jatropha oil and its biodiesel were analyzed in mixtures of diesel/jatropha biodiesel, diesel/jatropha oil/jatropha biodiesel. The results show that in the diesel/jatropha biodiesel mixture, the absorbance of the mixture decreases as the biodiesel concentration increased. Based on the blending ratio and absorbance, a UV-Vis-OLS model is established to analyze the blend ratio, and the error is within the range of ± 0.1. Additionally, for the diesel/jatropha oil/jatropha biodiesel mixture, a UV-Vis-PLS model based on the partial least squares method is established to analyze the concentrations of jatropha oil and its biodiesel in the diesel/jatropha oil/jatropha biodiesel blend, obtaining a calculation error in the range of ± 0.9. Thus, both models can quickly and accurately analyze the blending ratio of the fuel.