Bio Diesel as the Next Generation Sustainable Fuel-an Overview

Abstract

Demand of petroleum based fuels is increasing and contrary to that the fossil fuels are depleting. India being a developing country, with multi fold increase in population needs more energy resources. The vegetable oils, edible and non edible, have promised an opportunity to utilize them as an alternative source as a fuel in place of diesel.Edible oil being costly, researchers have given more emphasis on non-edible oils and investigation was done after proper experimentation in IC engines. Major problems associated with vegetable oils are higher viscosities, lower heating values, chocking of nozzles, engine compatibility, higher engine wear and high price of bio diesel, cold start problem, lower energy content, higher copper strip corrosion etc. Esterification of vegetable oils and their conversion to bio-diesels have opened a new opportunity to experiment and know the performance in the existing CI engines with no modifications.