Research of viscosity characteristics of biofuels based on vegetable oils

Abstract

Depletion of oil fields and environmental deterioration demand the search of alternative sources of energy. Actuality of the article is driven by the need for increased use of alternative fuels in internal combustion engines. As advanced alternative fuels for diesel engines, the article considers fuels extracted from vegetable oils and animal fatty substances. These fuels are produced from renewable feedstocks and characterized by good environmental qualities. The advantages of use of vegetable origin fuels as motor fuel are shown. One of the problems of use of fuels based on vegetable oils is their increased viscosity. The viscosity characteristics of mixtures of petroleum diesel fuel and vegetable oils are investigated. Various vegetable oils, namely rapeseed oil, sunflower oil, soybean oil, corn oil, mustard oil, as well as oil extracted from the Pongamia Pinnata plant are considered. A method of approximation of viscosity characteristics of mixed biofuels in the form of algebraic polynomial is suggested. Experimental data on viscosity of these oils and their mixtures with petroleum diesel fuel are used in calculation researches. Approximating dependences of these experimental data with the use of the familiar logarithmic method and a suggested algebraic method are obtained. The analysis of approximation accuracy of experimental data on viscosity of biofuel is carried out with the use of mentioned methods. Parameters of the D-245.12S diesel engine operating on mixtures of rapeseed and sunflower oils with petroleum diesel fuel are presented. The effectiveness of the suggested method of approximation of viscosity characteristics of petroleum diesel fuel and vegetable oils mixtures is shown. The method is characterized by high accuracy and can be used for the approximation of viscosity characteristics of various fuel mixtures.