Analysis of the Use of Fatty Acid Methyl Esters as an Additive to Diesel Fuel for Internal Combustion Engines

Łukasz Muślewski,Tomasz Kałaczyński,Marietta Markiewicz,Davor Kolar,Michał Pająk

doi:10.3390/en14217057

Abstract

This study presents pro-ecological activities focused on an analysis of the use of biofuels as an environmentally friendly fuel. The research objects were different concentration mixtures of diesel fuel and fatty acid methyl esters, that is, transesterified plant oils. The tests involved an assessment of the performance parameters of a drive unit in a vehicle powered by diesel fuel for different mixtures of diesel oil and fatty acid methyl esters in the following proportions: 10%, 30%, 50% and 50% with chemical additives. The tests were comparative and were conducted for ‘pure’ diesel (ON). The study presents test results of selected performance parameters of the analyzed power unit. The object of the tests was a self-injection engine with a maximum power of 81 kW. The main tests which were most important for assessment of the mixtures, from the point of view of their effect on the analyzed performance parameters, involved measuring power and torque, and the toxic components of exhaust gases. Based on the obtained results, a statistical analysis was carried out, and a model for the evaluation of how the research object functions when fed with different fuel mixtures was developed. The research found which mixture can be considered the most optimal, and what the influence of individual fuel mixtures is on the analyzed performance parameters of the tested power unit.

Highlights

Due to rapid technological and economic development, many countries have introduced economic changes to improve efficiency of production and management, focusing on the ecological character of legislation and the relevant actions to be taken
The goal of this study is to analyze the advisability of the application of one type of alternative fuel, mixtures of diesel and fatty acid methyl esters, as well as evaluate their impact on the selected performance parameters that characterize the operation of the research object—the power unit of a transport means
This study presents a detailed comparative analysis of the values of the performance parameters of a transport-means power unit fueled with mixtures of diesel oil and fatty acid methyl esters

Summary

Introduction

Due to rapid technological and economic development, many countries have introduced economic changes to improve efficiency of production and management, focusing on the ecological character of legislation and the relevant actions to be taken. The use of renewable energy sources to produce transport fuel for combustion engines is dictated by a high demand for fuel and the depletion of natural resources. The structures of combustion engines enable their modernization and, subsequently, a return to the idea of plant fuels. Plant oils are considered to be the best for this purpose. The above-listed plant fuels, referred to as biofuels, must undergo chemical processing to achieve physical-chemical properties similar to those of diesel oil. Rape oil is most frequently used for economic, technical, structural and technological reasons. The results of research provided by many scientific centers prove that the physical-chemical properties of rape biofuel are the most similar to diesel, which makes it the number one biofuel when compared to other biofuels

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