Desert Palm Date Seeds as a Biodiesel Feedstock: Extraction, Characterization, and Engine Testing

Mohammed Kamil,Abdul Ghani Olabi,Abrar Inayat,Mugdad H. Rajab,Chaouki Ghenai,Khalid Ramadan

doi:10.3390/en12163147

Mohammed Kamil, Abdul Ghani Olabi + Show 4 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3390/en12163147

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Abstract

The development of alternative fuels is increasingly important in order to maintain ongoing global economic and technological progress in the face of fossil fuel depletion and increasing environmental damage. Desert palm date seeds have clear potential as feedstock for biodiesel production given their high oil content and availability as food waste that requires no further cultivation. In this study we investigated the optimum production processes and conditions for date seed oil biodiesel, including characterizing the intermediate product and correcting its composition to meet international fuel standards. Four biodiesel blends were prepared (B5, B10, B15, and B20) and tested in a compression ignition engine at engine speeds from 1600 to 3600 rpm (200 rpm increments) and three engine loads (50%, 75%, and 100%). The highest oil yield and biodiesel conversion achieved were 10.74 wt.% and 92%, respectively. The biodiesel properties conformed well with the standards; the values for brake power, brake thermal efficiency, and brake specific fuel consumption were comparable with petrol diesel, though the latter was slightly superior. All blends produced lower levels of CO2, CO, and HC but higher levels of NOx emissions. These results demonstrate the fundamental suitability of date seeds as biodiesel feedstock, deserving of further research.

Highlights

The rapidly increasing global consumption of liquid fossil fuels suggests that oil reserves may soon be depleted; oil supply shortages may occur by 2020–2030 [1]
We collected seeds from the Sharjah Dates facility in Sharjah, United Arab Emirates (UAE), which handles 25 date cultivars from the UAE and other countries in the region
TESCAN) was used to determine the elemental composition of the ground seeds (Table 3), which affects the properties of the date seed oil (DSO) and the produced biodiesel (Section 2.3); we examined the microstructure before and after oil extraction (Figure 4)

Summary

Introduction

The rapidly increasing global consumption of liquid fossil fuels suggests that oil reserves may soon be depleted; oil supply shortages may occur by 2020–2030 [1] This presents a dual challenge to humanity: To sustain global economic and technological development without compromising resources for future generations [2]. Renewable energy resources that command a significant share of the global energy market include solar, hydrogen, wind, geothermal, and energy derived from biomass (bioenergy), such as biodiesel The latter has many advantages as a renewable fuel, including diversified potential feedstocks including an extended array of vegetable oils and animal fats, high cetane number, oxidative stability, biodegradability, lubricity characteristics, and compatibility with existing transportation infrastructure [4]

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