Production of biodiesel fuel and combustion in modern diesel engines

Abstract

This study focuses on biodiesel fuel which can be substituted for the use in compression ignition engines. Transesterification process converts triacylglycerols - a major component in vegetable oils and fats, into monoalkyl esters (biodiesel) in presence of alcohols. Properties of the resulting monoalkyl ester, such as the cetane number, the heat of combustion and the viscosity resemble closely to that of petrodiesel. Production of biodiesel has increased dramatically due to its potential to lessen dependency on imported fossil fuel and resulting lowered emissions. In addition, biodiesel enjoys higher cetane number for improved combustion, increased flash point for safer handling and increased lubricity for reduced wear compared to diesel distilled from the crude oil. However, production cost of biodiesel is higher than that of petrodiesel to get an energy equivalent of diesel on volume basis. Other issues such as low yield, higher fuel consumption due to lower energy density of biodiesel and cold weather performance are its current drawbacks.