Innovative biodiesel production plant: Design, development, and framework for the usage of biodiesel as a sustainable EDM fluid

Abstract

Biodiesel is a chemically modified eco-friendly fuel mainly used as a fuel in compression ignition engines. It is prepared from vegetable oil or animal fat. It is gaining worldwide popularity because it is a renewable, non-toxic, biodegradable, and non-flammable fuel. This paper gives an insight into various aspects of biodiesel. Literature review of biodiesel production, its performance in diesel engine, and the electrical discharge machining process are discussed along with other applications. An innovative biodiesel production plant of 20 L capacity has been designed and developed successfully. The conversion reaction was carried out for 20 L of used cooking oil and 4 L of methanol. The biodiesel production yield of 95.8% was observed for a 1:6 M ratio of methanol and used cooking oil using 200 gm of KOH catalyst at 60 °C for 1 h. In the second phase of the work, a framework for using biodiesel as a dielectric fluid during spark machining is presented. Using biodiesel during the spark machining process can reduce pollution and also enhances the sustainability of the process.