Abstract
Over the past few decades, biodiesel produced from oilseed crops and animal fat is receiving much attention as a renewable and sustainable alternative for automobile engine fuels, and particularly petroleum diesel. However, current biodiesel production is heavily dependent on edible oil feedstocks which are unlikely to be sustainable in the longer term due to the rising food prices and the concerns about automobile engine durability. Therefore, there is an urgent need for researchers to identify and develop sustainable biodiesel feedstocks which overcome the disadvantages of current ones. On the other hand, artificial neural network (ANN) modeling has been successfully used in recent years to gain new knowledge in various disciplines. The main goal of this article is to review recent literatures and assess the state of the art on the use of ANN as a modeling tool for future generation biodiesel feedstocks. Biodiesel feedstocks, production processes, chemical compositions, standards, physio-chemical properties and in-use performance are discussed. Limitations of current biodiesel feedstocks over future generation biodiesel feedstock have been identified. The application of ANN in modeling key biodiesel quality parameters and combustion performance in automobile engines is also discussed. This review has determined that ANN modeling has a high potential to contribute to the development of renewable energy systems by accelerating biodiesel research.
Highlights
Since the beginning of the Industrial Revolution in the late 18th and early 19th century, energy has become an indispensible tool for mankind, contributing to economic growth and increased standards of living
Similar conclusions have been made by Pasadakis et al [189,190] while predicting pour point (CP), cloud point (CP) of diesel and octane number of gasoline based on the chemical composition of the respective fuels
First-generation biodiesels used around the World today are unlikely to be sustainable in the long term as a result of being produced from edible oil feedstock
Summary
Since the beginning of the Industrial Revolution in the late 18th and early 19th century, energy has become an indispensible tool for mankind, contributing to economic growth and increased standards of living. The availability of conventional crude oil is geographically restricted impacting on the security and cost of supply These issues have forced researchers to seek alternative carbon neutral transport fuels which promote sustainable development, energy efficiency and environmental preservation [6]. Biofuels offer many benefits over conventional petroleum fuels, including the wide regional distribution of biomass feedstocks, high greenhouse gas reduction potential, biodegradability and their contribution to sustainability [8]. Biofuels produced by conventional technologies (ethanol and biodiesel) typically contain oxygen levels of 10%–45% by mass, while petroleum fuels (gasoline and diesel) contain very low oxygen levels This makes the chemical properties of biofuels more favorable for complete combustion, it reduces energy density. Findings from this literature review contain valuable information to assist biodiesel manufacturers and researchers to make important decisions to accelerate the technological development of biofuels
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