Abstract
Biodiesel obtained from vegetable oils as an alternative fuel for diesel engine is becoming increasingly important. The biodiesel quality and yield are affected by the properties of the oil used. The properties of the oil vary from region to region depending on the nature of the soil in which oil crops are cultivated, agricultural practices, rainfall etc. In this study the raw oil from Jatropha Curcas seeds grown in the western Ghat section of South India was tested for its physiochemical properties to determine its suitability for biodiesel production. A bench scale, compact biodiesel processor was developed locally by the authors and biodiesel was produced from raw Jatropha Curcas oil using alkali based transesterification process. The physiochemical properties of the biodiesel produced meet the ASTM standards but the yield was comparatively low (80%v/v) because of the high free fatty acid content (13.7 mg KOH/g of oil) in the raw Jatropha Curcas oil. The brake thermal efficiency of the biodiesel produced as a fuel in a four stroke single cylinder diesel engine coupled with an electric generator (34.19%) at maximum load conditions shows the possibility of utilization of biodiesel produced as a fuel in the diesel engine.
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