Performance and Emission Characteristics of Diesel Engine Fuelled with Waste Frying Oil Derived Biodiesel-Petroleum Diesel Blend

Abstract

Direct use of vegetable oil as a fuel on compression ignition engine has been described as impossible, because of its high viscosity and density. Transesterification process and other methods have been identified as ways of reducing these two properties. The high cost of virgin vegetable oils and its competition for food have made the biodiesel unable to compete with fossil diesel and also hike its cost. In order to solve these menaces, in this study, waste frying oil was used as a feedstock for production of biodiesel via transesterification using anthill-eggshell promoted Ni-Co mixed oxides (NiCoAE) as heterogeneous catalyst. The composite catalyst was prepared via incipient wetness impregnation (IWI) method and thermally treated at 1000 °C for 4 h. The developed catalyst was characterized using FTIR and SEM techniques. The biodiesel produced under the favourable reaction conditions was blended with petroleum diesel in three different proportions (B20, B50 and B80) and were tested on diesel engine to evaluate their performance and emission characteristics. The blended fuel containing 20% by volume biodiesel (B20) emitted lowest percentage of CO and CO2. The result obtained herein indicates that the mixture of biodiesel and petroleum diesel containing 20% biodiesel (B20) emitted less carbon monoxide (CO) and carbon dioxide (CO2), thus, indicating best dual fuel combination, which can be used in diesel engines without any adjustment or modification in the engines. This result is in agreement with the findings reported in the literature and Energy Policy Act (EPA) of 1992.