Effects of ethanol addition to biodiesel fuels derived from cottonseed oil and its cooking waste as fuel in a generator diesel engine

Abstract

ABSTRACTExploration of energy sources such as renewable and non-edible vegetable oils has been continued during the recent two decades of 2000s. Cottonseed oil is a non-edible, abundant oil and is generally used as cooking oil. In the present study, the usability of biodiesel derived from both cottonseed oil and its cooking wastes was investigated by blending them with ULSD or ethanol in 50 percentages. B50, WB50, B50E50 and WB50E50, biodiesel and ethanol-contained fuels and ULSD were prepared for experiments. Combustion, performance, and emissions tests were conducted on a diesel engine used for power-producing electrical generator. In the combustion tests, cylinder pressure, HRR, CHR, MGT, and MFB were analyzed while MFC, BSFC, exhaust manifold temperature, and thermal efficiency were obtained in the performance tests. In the emissions tests, CO, HC, and NOx emissions were measured and compared with the results of ULSD. Combustion and performance findings of ULSD contained biodiesel blends were found more similar to those of ULSD. The duration of combustion stage can clearly be seen to be narrowed for ethanol-contained blend because of the rabid combustion characteristics of ethanol. Besides, the peak of HRR was found 10% higher for B50E50 while it was found averagely 8% for WB50E50 blends. NOx emissions were found 48% lower averagely for ethanol contained biodiesel blends that it is the most important finding of ethanol using with biodiesel. Besides, HC emissions were also found about 75% for biodiesel contained diesel fuel blends.