Abstract
The aim of this work is to analyze the effect of using diethyl ether (DEE) as an oxygenated additive of straight vegetable oils (SVOs) in triple blends with fossil diesel, to be used in current compression ignition (C.I.) engines, in order to implement the current process of replacing fossil fuels with others of a renewable nature. The use of DEE is considered taking into account the favorable properties for blending with SVO and fossil diesel, such as its very low kinematic viscosity, high oxygen content, low autoignition temperature, broad flammability limits (it works as a cold start aid for engines), and very low values of cloud and pour point. Therefore, DEE can be used as a solvent of vegetable oils to reduce the viscosity of the blends and to improve cold flow properties. Besides, DEE is considered renewable, since it can be easily obtained from bioethanol, which is produced from biomass through a dehydration process. The vegetable oils evaluated in the mixtures with DEE were castor oil, which is inedible, and sunflower oil, used as a standard reference for waste cooking oil. In order to meet European petrodiesel standard EN 590, a study of the more relevant rheological properties of biofuels obtained from the DEE/vegetable oil double blends has been performed. The incorporation of fossil diesel to these double blends gives rise to diesel/DEE/vegetable oil triple blends, which exhibited suitable rheological properties to be able to operate in conventional diesel engines. These blends have been tested in a conventional diesel engine, operating as an electricity generator. The efficiency, consumption and smoke emissions in the engine have been measured. The results reveal that a substitution of fossil diesel up to 40% by volume can be achieved, independently of the SVO employed. Moreover, a significant reduction in the emission levels of pollutants and better cold flow properties has been also obtained with all blends tested.
Highlights
Nowadays, so many countries have established a climate and energy policy framework, advancing in decarbonization to arrive towards a new friendly climate economy [1]
The results show that the B20 triple blends exhibited the highest calorific value, 41.6 MJ/kg in the case of sunflower oil and 41.4 MJ/kg for castor oil
The present study aims to make the process of replacing fossil diesel feasible, without making mechanical changes in the engines of the current car fleet
Summary
Many countries have established a climate and energy policy framework, advancing in decarbonization to arrive towards a new friendly climate economy [1]. There is no such equivalent in transport, since vehicles using fuel cells or electric motors cannot compete yet with fossil fuel engines, especially in the field of heavy trucks [4], aviation [5], or the shipping sector. In this context, the incorporation of biofuels as fossil fuel substitutes is the strategy assumed to accomplish this necessary energetic progress since there is no need of modifying the compression-ignition (CI). Biodiesel is obtained through homogeneous or heterogeneous alkaline transesterification of vegetable oil or animal fat with methanol, giving rise to a mixture of mono-alkyl esters of long-chain fatty acids (FAMEs) [8,9]
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