Jatropha Biodiesel Production Research Articles

Environmental footprint evaluation of Jatropha biodiesel production and utilization in Ethiopia: a comprehensive well-to-wheel life cycle analysis

In Ethiopia, a Life Cycle Analysis of Jatropha-based biodiesel was conducted using the Greenhouse Gases, Regulated Emissions, and Energy Use in Transportation model to assess energy consumption, efficiency, and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in the well-to-tank (WTT) and well-to-wheel stages. The inventory analysis involved field surveys and scenarios to evaluate energy savings, emission reductions, and air pollutants in biodiesel-diesel blends. In the WTT analysis, the energy consumption for producing 1 MJ of Jatropha-based biodiesel was found to be 0.43 MJ under rain-fed and 0.68 MJ under irrigated conditions. The net energy value was positive, and the net energy ratio was higher compared to that in other countries. The results show that GHG emissions at 19.8 g CO2 eq/MJ during the WTT stage can reduce environmental impacts by up to 45–87% depending on the type of irrigation used. When examining the global warming potential, it was found that the cultivation of Jatropha accounted for the highest share of GHG at 57.58%, followed by the biodiesel production process at 23.88%. On the other hand, vehicles employing B20 blend could replace 14.78% of fossil energy use and reduce 13.95% of GHG emissions per km, compared to pure diesel vehicle.

The sustainability of Jatropha biodiesel production in Southwest China

Biodiesel is an ideal alternative to fossil fuels. To ensure sustainable development, the Chinese government and relevant market entities have conducted in-depth research and production practices on Jatropha biodiesel Southwest China for over a decade. However, few integrated and dynamic assessments of the sustainability of biodiesel projects have been conducted. Therefore, in this study, we constructed an integrated sustainability evaluation system (ISES) for Jatropha biodiesel projects, that applies the inclusive wealth (IW) and system dynamics (SD) modeling approach to analyze the integrated sustainability of Jatropha biodiesel projects. The results showed that: (1) the launch of the Jatropha biofuel project increased the IW by 826 million yuan; (2) the inclusive investment that represents the sustainability trends of the project was commonly positive, and the IW at the end of the project accumulated to about 29 billion yuan; and (3) the sensitivity analysis showed that the stable unit output and biodiesel output rate have a sensitive positive effect on inclusive investment. Finally, policy recommendations to promote the sustainable development of biodiesel production are proposed.

Life cycle assessment and life cycle cost analysis of Jatropha biodiesel production in China

In this study, a Life Cycle Cost (LCC) is integrated within a life cycle assessment (LCA) model to comprehensively evaluate the energy, environment, and economic impacts of the Jatropha biodiesel production in China. The total energy consumption of producing 1 ton of Jatropha biodiesel is 17566.16 MJ, in which fertilizer utilization and methanol production consume 78.14% and 18.65% of the overall energy consumption, respectively. The production of 1 ton of Jatropha biodiesel emits a number of pollutants, including 1184.52 kg of CO2, 5.86 kg of dust, 5.59 kg of NOx, 2.67 kg of SO2, 2.38 kg of CH4, and 1.05 kg of CO. By calculating and comparing their environmental impacts potentials, it was discovered that NOx and dust emissions during the fertilizer application, combustion of Jatropha shells, and methanol production urgently require improvement, as they contribute to serious global warming and particulate matter formation issues. LCC study shows that the cost of Jatropha biodiesel is 796.32 USD/ton, which is mostly contributed by Jatropha oil cost (44.37% of the total cost) and human input (26.70% of the total cost). Additional profits are generated by the combustion of Jatropha shells and glycerol by-product, which can compensate 16.76% of the cost of Jatropha biodiesel.Graphical

Optimization of Trans-esterification Processes from Three Indigenous Feedstock using Calcium Oxide-Based Catalyst

Using calcium oxide-based catalyst, optimization of two-stage trans-esterification processes at a fixed catalyst (1.0 wt. %) and molar ratio (1:6) was achieved. Processes were tested on Jatropha, Sweet Almond and Sesame seed oils to produce and compare biodiesel yields. An optimization solution of speed (629.630 rpm), temperature (26.661 oC), and time (60 min) resulted in an 83.304% for refined jatropha biodiesel (RJB) production, with an overall attractiveness of 0.853. The expected optimal yield rates of 86.915–90% obtained from various models were higher than the ASTM D 6751 and EN 14214 standards, which both required an experimental range of 46–55 % in conventional biodiesel production. The effects of speed and temperature on biodiesel yield from the refined jatropha oil (RJO), refined sweet almond oil (RSAO), and refined sesame oil (RSO) were major parameters that greatly influenced the yield, although time only changed the yield moderately.

Effect of Nitromethane and Jatropha Biodiesel on the Combustion, Performance and Emission Characteristics of Diesel Engine

The experimental work reported has been carried out in two parts; Jatropha biodiesel production and engine test. The engine test has been carried out on a direct injection, single-cylinder, water-cooled stationary diesel engine. Several diesel fuel blends which contain 10% and 20% by volume of JBD and 1% and 3% nitromethane were prepared. The effects of these blends on the combustion, performance, and emission characteristics of diesel engine were studied. The tests were performed under constant speed and varying load conditions without altering injection timing. A maximum increase of 11.73%, 3.2 % and 7.68 % in the brake thermal efficiency, the brake specific fuel consumption and exhaust gas temperature were achieved respectively for 20% Jatropha biodiesel and 3% nitromethane at full engine load. Compared to the pure diesel operation, the peak in-cylinder pressure of blended fuels was lower at the full load conditions. Also, the maximum net heat release rate of blended fuels was lower than that of diesel at all loading conditions. In regards to the engine emissions, the results showed that the blended fuels reduced carbon monoxide at 18.6–28.9% and unburned hydrocarbon of 7.5-24.2%, while increased the emission of nitrogen oxides at 6.9–14.3% and carbon dioxide at 4.3-10.5%.

Clean Energy Production from Jatropha Plant as Renewable Energy Source of Biodiesel

Population of the world is increasing very rapidly, due to which energy demand is also is increasing unfortunately Pakistan has deficiency of petroleum of reservoir. Pakistan is producing about 64% of its primary energy from fossil fuel which has serious burden on its economy. At the same Pakistan has been blessed by bio-energy production from different types of biomass waste, jatropha is a wild plant which can at any type of land like in Thar, Thal, Cholistan, and other barren land zones. Sample of jatropha raw oil was collected from local market and it was converted into bio-diesel by transesterification process. Purified jatropha oil was used to produced bio-diesel by Transesterification method, Due to transesterification being reversible, excess alcohol is used to shift the equilibrium towards the product. This project can be started in bellow 10 million capital cost and operating cost is about 0.6 million per month. According to our calculation the bio-diesel production cost will be approximately less than Rs. 30 per liter. If the government and concern department focused on the production of jatropha plant and bio-diesel production by jatropha, it will great contribution in saving import expenditures.

Jatropha Curcas Biodiesel: A Lucrative Recipe for Pakistan’s Energy Sector

One of the greatest challenges of the 21st century is to fulfill the growing energy needs sustainably and cost-effectively. Among the different sources of energy, biodiesel is one of the alternative energy sources that has tremendous potential to become a major mainstream renewable energy mix. Jatropha is an important raw input for biodiesel that provides an ecological and sustainable solution for emerging greenhouse gas emissions over the other biomass feedstock. This paper critically evaluates different factors and presents a SWOT analysis (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats) and barriers to the adoption of Jatropha biodiesel. In Pakistan, the estimated production of Jatropha biodiesel is expected to be 2.93 million tons, that are calculated from available barren land and possible shortlisted suitable areas for Jatropha plantation. It is ~25% of the total import (11.84 million tons) of petroleum products, which can save ~$2 billion USD reserves of Pakistan. The cultivation of Jatropha on barren land is an environmentally and economically lucrative approach for Pakistan. This study has real implications for developing a policy framework related to the environment and socio-economic feasibility of Jatropha biodiesel production in Pakistan.

Sustaining productivity of jatropha cultivation for biodiesel

Growth of Jatropha carcus in southern African countries is a new endeavor. Claims that jatropha has ability to grow in marginal lands, multiple benefits, potential to increase energy security and mitigate climate change, have motivated some governments, private organisations and individual farmers to invest in its production under different business models. This paper presents results of literature review on experiences of southern African countries on economic impact of growing jatropha for biodiesel production. These results provide lessons for the envisaged jatropha biodiesel production in Botswana as well as other countries intending to grow jatropha in the future. While the economic impacts of investing in jatropha production are country and project specific, the review revealed that most projects, especially commercial plantations, are not economically attractive to the extent that they have been abandoned in some countries. The study concludes by recommending the undertaking of agronomic and socio economic research to fully understand the performance of jatropha crop before embarking on large commercial production which may be risky.

Crop water and irrigation requirements of Jatropha curcas L. in semi-arid conditions of Botswana: applying the CROPWAT model

Globally, second-generation biofuels have been promoted as an alternative fuel to fossil fuels. This shift in energy sources was envisaged to reduce dependence on fossil fuels, cut down greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and ultimately to relieve national economies from the ever-escalating prices of fossil fuels. Jatropha curcas L. (Jatropha) appeared to have great potential as a feedstock for biodiesel production. It attracted interest from governments and private investors in Asia and Africa, including Botswana. Despite the global promotion of Jatropha biodiesel production, there is surprisingly limited information about its water use during the cultivation stage. The aim of this study was to determine the crop water, irrigation requirements and the effects of irrigation scheduling on Jatropha cultivation in Botswana. Climate and soil data from 2014–2016 were obtained from the weather station at the Department of Agricultural Research Station, Sebele, Botswana. Secondary data sources were consulted to obtain data such as crop coefficients, crop duration length, rooting depth, and crop height. The CROPWAT model was then used to estimate the rate of reference evapotranspiration (ETo), evapotranspiration of Jatropha (ETc), irrigation water requirements (IWR) and yield response to irrigation scheduling in Botswana. The results showed that the annual ETo from 2014 to 2016 at the station was 1456 mm. The lowest monthly ETo (50.10 mm) was observed in June and the highest (182.59 mm) was observed in January. The results also indicated that the total Jatropha evapotranspiration rate (ETc) from 2014–2016 was estimated to be 955.4 mm/ growing season and the irrigation requirement was estimated to be 665.4 mm/ growing season with an irrigation efficiency of 70%, indicating that supplementary irrigation is needed. Furthermore, high yield reductions are expected in the late developmental stage if limited water is supplied. The late developmental stage requires more water than other stages. Given the low and highly variable rainfall in Botswana, satisfactory yields for biodiesel production will only be realized if irrigation is done. It is therefore recommended that shifting planting dates to coincide with rainfall should be considered and also allocating water to the most critical crop developmental stages which would help to maximise yield.

Combustion Characteristics of CI Diesel Engine Fuelled With Blends of Jatropha Oil Biodiesel

Jatropha Curcas oil is a non-edible oil which is used for Jatropha biodiesel (JBD) production. Jatropha biodiesel is produced using transesterification technique and it is used as an alternative fuel in CI diesel engine without any hardware modification. Jatropha biodiesel is used in CI diesel engine with various volumetric concentrations (blends) such as JBD5, JBD15, JBD25, JBD35 and JBD45. The combustion parameters such as in-cylinder pressure, rate of pressure rise, net heat release, cumulative heat release, mass fraction burned are analyzed and compared for all blends combustion data with mineral diesel fuel (D100).

Potencial energético de coprodutos gerados a partir da produção de biodiesel de pinhão manso (Jatropha curcas L.)

Objetivou-se com presente trabalho avaliar o potencial de aproveitamento energético de coprodutos da cadeia de produção de biodiesel de pinhão manso. Para isso, o poder calorífico superior (PCS) e a análise imediata (teor de materiais voláteis, de cinzas e de carbono fixo) foram determinados para amostras de epicarpo (casca), torta proveniente do processo de extração por prensagem e farelo proveniente do processo de extração com solvente. Os coprodutos da cadeia de produção de biodiesel de pinhão manso na forma de cascas, torta e farelo apresentam características energéticas que torna possível o seu aproveitamento para a produção de energia para uso em diferentes processos. O teor de óleo tem efeito sobre o poder calorífico dos coprodutos de pinhão manso. Quanto maior o teor de óleo residual na torta ou farelo, maior o potencial energético. As cascas, a torta e o farelo apresentaram poder calorífico semelhante à madeira de eucalipto e ao bagaço-de-cana. Este último, muito utilizado em sistemas de cogeração na indústria sucroalcooleira e podem ser utilizados diretamente ou compactados, na geração de calor para processos tanto na indústria processadora como no campo. A torta (obtida por prensagem mecânica) foi o coproduto que apresentou melhores condições para queima direta quando comparada aos demais materiais avaliados.

Economic Sustainability of Jatropha Cultivation for Biodiesel Production: Lessons from Southern Africa

Growth of Jatropha carcus in southern African countries is a new endeavor. Claims that jatropha has ability to grow in marginal lands, multiple benefits, potential to increase energy security and mitigate climate change, have motivated some governments, private organisations and individual farmers to invest in its production under different business models. This paper presents results of literature review on experiences of southern African countries on economic impact of growing jatropha for biodiesel production. These results provide lessons for the envisaged jatropha biodiesel production in Botswana as well as other countries intending to grow jatropha in the future. While the economic impacts of investing in jatropha production are country and project specific, the review revealed that most projects, especially commercial plantations, are not economically attractive to the extent that they have been abandoned in some countries. The study concludes by recommending the undertaking of agronomic and socio economic research to fully understand the performance of jatropha crop before embarking on large commercial production which may be risky.

Nontoxic oil preparation from Jatropha curcas L. seeds by an optimized methanol/n-hexane sequential extraction method

Ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE) of phorbol esters (PEs) from Jatropha curcas L. (JC) seed oil using methanol as the extraction solvent was optimized by response surface methodology (RSM). Jatropha curcas L. seed oil is an excellent feedstock for biodiesel production, in which the presence of major toxic factor (phorbol esters) has limited its industrial applications. The aim of this work is to prepare the nontoxic oil from Jatropha curcas L. whole seeds with the first phorbol esters removal step and the second oil extraction step. The Box-Behnken design was applied to optimize three key parameters in the first phorbol esters removal step including temperature (X1, °C), extraction time (X2, min) and liquid-to-solid ratio (X3, mL:g) for achieving a high extraction efficiency and minimal energy consumption. Ultimately, the optimized conditions were as follows: extraction temperature 36°C, extraction time 52min and liquid-to-solid ratio 5.78:1. Among these three parameters, temperature had the most significant effect on phorbol esters extraction efficiency followed by extraction time and liquid-to-solid ratio. Maximum content of phorbol esters obtained were 0.33mg/g Jatropha curcas L. seed in the first step and 89.20±2.96% of seed oil could be recovered by n-hexane in the second step. A sensitive ultra-performance liquid chromatography method was also established to determine the phorbol esters content within 5min, with a limit of detection (LOD) of 0.04μg/g. Since the concentrations of phorbol esters were all below the limit of detection, most of the virtually phorbol ester-free (PE-free) oil was produced to extend the Jatropha biodiesel production chain for household chemicals, cosmetic or jet fuel preparation. Meanwhile, the phorbol esters enriched fraction (PEEF, 71.9±0.3mg/g) obtained from the first step can be utilized as value-added by-products in pharmaceutical and agro-pharmaceutical fields.

Environmental Life Cycle Assessment for Jatropha Biodiesel in Egypt

The main goal of this paper is to evaluate the environmental performance for the system of Jatropha biodiesel production from cradle to wheel according to the unique Egyptian Jatropha biodiesel model because it depends on waste water which is sewage water and waste land which is desert. This evaluation is performed through a life cycle analysis study which is implemented according to the international standard organization guidelines ISO 14040 and the environmental impacts assessment is executed through SimaPro LCA. The main motivation behind this life cycle analysis is the absence of any environmental life cycle analysis studies for Jatropha biodiesel production in Egypt so such study would be helpful in future Jatropha biodiesel projects in Egypt. Results show that Jatropha biodiesel production in Egypt has many environmental benefits such as combating desertification and fewer impacts compared to fossil diesel which makes Jatropha more than an energy crop. However, there is a need for further social and economic life cycle analysis for Jatropha biodiesel production in Egypt on both small farmers and commercial projects levels. The targeted audiences concerning the results are scientists and stakeholders interested in Jatropha biodiesel production

Impact of land‐use change to Jatropha bioenergy plantations on biomass and soil carbon stocks: a field study in Mali

AbstractSmall‐scale Jatropha cultivation and biodiesel production have the potential of contributing to local development, energy security, and greenhouse gas (GHG) mitigation. In recent years however, the GHG mitigation potential of biofuel crops is heavily disputed due to the occurrence of a carbon debt, caused by CO2 emissions from biomass and soil after land‐use change (LUC). Most published carbon footprint studies of Jatropha report modeled results based on a very limited database. In particular, little empirical data exist on the effects of Jatropha on biomass and soil C stocks. In this study, we used field data to quantify these C pools in three land uses in Mali, that is, Jatropha plantations, annual cropland, and fallow land, to estimate both the Jatropha C debt and its C sequestration potential. Four‐year‐old Jatropha plantations hold on average 2.3 Mg C ha−1 in their above‐ and belowground woody biomass, which is considerably lower compared to results from other regions. This can be explained by the adverse growing conditions and poor local management. No significant soil organic carbon (SOC) sequestration could be demonstrated after 4 years of cultivation. While the conversion of cropland to Jatropha does not entail significant C losses, the replacement of fallow land results in an average C debt of 34.7 Mg C ha−1, mainly caused by biomass removal (73%). Retaining native savannah woodland trees on the field during LUC and improved crop management focusing on SOC conservation can play an important role in reducing Jatropha's C debt. Although planting Jatropha on degraded, carbon‐poor cropland results in a limited C debt, the low biomass production, and seed yield attained on these lands reduce Jatropha's potential to sequester C and replace fossil fuels. Therefore, future research should mainly focus on increasing Jatropha's crop productivity in these degraded lands.

Energy Consumption and Greenhouse Gas Emission Studies of Jatropha Biodiesel Pathway by Life Cycle Assessment in India

In the present study, life cycle energy consumption, efficiency and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of Jatropha-based biodiesel was analysed by life cycle analysis method using GREET (Greenhouse Gases, Regulated Emissions, and Energy Use in Transporta­tion) model. This study quantitatively explicates the life cycle energy saving and GHG emissions of Jatropha-derived biodiesel. The functional unit was defined as 1 mile distance driven by the vehicle and the fuel blend was about 20%. The results indicated that Jatropha biodiesel production and its usage in India have positive environmental performance at the current technical levels. Well-to-pump energy efficiency of Jatropha biodiesel production was found to be 75%. As compared with that of gasoline fuel, the use of 20% blended Jatropha biodiesel leads to the reduction of GHG emission about 22.3% and brings about energy saving 9%. Further improvement of production technology would reduce emissions and increase the energy saving markedly.

Comparative energy and environmental analysis of Jatropha bioelectricity versus biodiesel production in remote areas

This study presents a comparative analysis between Jatropha seed production systems to generate bioelectricity versus production of biodiesel under current and optimised conditions. An LCA (life cycle assessment) has been developed, comprising both upstream and downstream processes, encompassing the farming, collection, fuel processing and usage phases. The following energy and environmental indicators were assessed: fossil depletion, GWP (global warming potential), TAP (terrestrial acidification potential ), and PMF (particulate matter formation).The rural electrification based on the JCO (Jatropha crude oil) system is more environmentally friendly compared to generation of biodiesel, in terms of TAP and PMF indicators. Under current practices, two out of the four evaluated indicators score positive benefits, when compared to the generation of marginal diesel-based electricity. The optimisation of the expelling pressing process and the power generation engine could bring further improvements in terms of fossil depletion, GWP and PMF indicators. The biodiesel route, on the other hand, presents a limited local environmental performance, showing only gains in terms of fossil depletion and GWP.

Not quite the end for Jatropha? Assessing the financial viability of biodiesel production from Jatropha in Tanzania

The financial viability of biodiesel production from Jatropha is estimated under real-life African conditions. The assessment is modelled from the data of an oil producer with a social entrepreneurial business model in Tanzania. A first-round cost analysis shows that the total cost of biodiesel production including all company costs and taxes is significantly higher than Tanzanian and typical East-African market prices for diesel; however, when by-products are utilised as additional sources of revenue, biodiesel production is projected to become financially viable. While these findings are far removed from the recently hyped expectations surrounding Jatropha as an energy crop, they also do not lend support to the current widespread discrediting of Jatropha bio-energy. We conclude that Jatropha biodiesel production in SubSaharan Africa can be financially viable and socially benign, but only under certain conditions. Some conditions derive from exogenous external circumstances, while others require hard work and patience to create.

Rapid Jatropha-biodiesel production assisted by a microwave system and a sodium amide catalyst

In this study, a sodium amide (NaNH2) catalyst and a microwave heating system were used to increase Jatropha methyl ester yields, and reduce both reaction time and energy consumption. The experimental results indicate that the yield increased as the catalyst amount, reaction time, methanol-to-oil molar ratio, and temperature increased, and then decreased when the values of these parameters increased. The highest Jatropha methyl ester yield produced by operating a conventional heating system (CHS) was 95.6% when using 1.0wt.% of a NaNH2 catalyst, a methanol-to-oil molar ratio of 8, a reaction time of 7min, and a temperature of 65°C. The highest yield produced by applying microwave heating system (MW) was 96.2% when using 1.0wt.% of a NaNH2 catalyst, a methanol-to-oil molar ratio of 8, a reaction time of 90min, and a temperature of 65°C. The total amount of energy required for MW was 10 times less than that required for CHS. The experimental results indicate that MW performs more favorably and is more energy efficient compared with CHS, and offers a rapid, simple method biodiesel production. Through a proper research focus and development, Jatropha oil can become the next ideal feedstock for biodiesel.

Performance and emission characteristics of a CI engine fueled with Cocos nucifera and Jatropha curcas B20 blends accompanying antioxidants

A biodiesel is a clean-burning alternative fuel. It has drawn attention of the energy researchers over the last two decades as a solution to problems of environmental concerns, rising fossil fuel price, increasing dependency on foreign energy sources. However, it is susceptible to oxidative degradation due to autoxidation in the presence of oxygen, which hinders its widespread use. The addition of an antioxidant to it reduces this phenomenon significantly. It is expected that antioxidants may affect the clean burning characteristic of a biodiesel. Coconut (Cocos nucifera) and Jatropha (Jatropha curcas) are two promising feedstock growing in the South-East Asian region. This paper presents an experimental investigation of the effect of addition of an antioxidant on the performance and emission characteristics of a four-cylinder diesel engine fueled with 20% blends of two biodiesels (CB20 and JB20). A biodiesel from coconut oil was produced by transesterification process using potassium hydroxide (KOH) as a catalyst. Jatropha biodiesel production was preceded by an esterification step, using sulfuric acid as a catalyst. To study the antioxidant effect, two low-cost synthetic antioxidants, 2(3)-tert-butyl-4-methoxyphenol (BHA) and 2,6-di-tert-butyl-4-methylphenol (BHT), at a concentration of 2000ppm, were used in this study. Addition of antioxidants increased their oxidation stability without causing any negative effect on other physicochemical properties. BHT and BHA were found to increase the stability of JB20 and CB20, respectively. Performance results indicate that JB20 and CB20 showed, respectively, 0.95% and 2.97% lower mean brake power (BP) and 5.02% and 4.76% higher mean brake-specific fuel consumption (BSFC) than to diesel. The addition of antioxidants increased BP and reduced BSFC slightly. Emission results show that untreated JB20 and untreated CB20 increased nitrogen monoxide (NO) emission by 5.52% and 8.02%, but reduced carbon monoxide (CO) and hydrocarbon (HC) emission. Antioxidant-treated blends reduced NO emission by 2.6–5.0%, but increased CO emission by 4.9–20.8% and HC emission by 23.2–40.2% compared to B20 depending on feedstock. Thus, antioxidant-treated JB20 and CB20 blends can be used in diesel engines without any modification.