Biodiesel : a realistic fuel alternative for diesel engines

Title:

Personal Author:

Demirbas, Ayhan

Publication Information:

London : Springer, 2008

Physical Description:

x, 208 p. : ill. ; 24 cm.

ISBN:

9781846289941

Subject Term:

Biodiesel fuels

Available:*

Library	Item Barcode	Call Number	Material Type	Item Category 1	Status
Searching... PSZ JB	30000010172620	TP359.B46 D45 2008	Open Access Book	Book	Searching... Unknown

Environmental and political concerns are generating a growing interest in alternative engine fuels such as biodiesel. Biodiesel is a renewable energy source produced from natural oils and fats, which can be used as a substitute for petroleum diesel without the need for diesel engine modification. In addition to being biodegradable and non-toxic, biodiesel is also essentially free of sulfur and aromatics, producing lower exhaust emissions than conventional gasoline whilst providing similar properties in terms of fuel efficiency.

The greatest drawback of using pure vegetable oils as fuels are their high viscosity, although this can be reduced by techniques such as dilution, micro-emulsification, pyrolysis or transesterification. Of these processes, the transesterification of vegetable oil triglycerides in supercritical methanol has been shown to be particularly promising, producing high yields of low-viscosity methyl esters without the need of a catalyst. Furthermore,these methyl esters have a considerably lower flash point than that of pure vegetable oils.

Biodiesel: A Realistic Fuel Alternative for Diesel Engines describes the production and characterisation of biodiesel, along with current experimental research work in the field. The book will be of great interest to advanced undergraduates, postgraduates and researchers in renewable energy, as well as to fuel engineers.

Author Notes

Ayhan Demirbas is a full professor at Sila Science and Energy. He was a professor in Energy Technologies Science at Karadeniz Technical University, Turkey, between 1991 and 2001, and at Selcuk University, Turkey, from 2003 to 2007. His research is mainly concerned with renewable and sustainable energy.

1 Introduction	p. 1
1.1 Introduction to Energy Sources	p. 1
1.2 Global Energy Sources and the Present Energy Situation	p. 3
1.3 Renewable Energy Sources	p. 6
1.3.1 Biomass Energy and Biomass Conversion Technologies	p. 8
1.3.2 Hydropower	p. 23
1.3.3 Geothermal Energy	p. 24
1.3.4 Wind Energy	p. 25
1.3.5 Solar Energy	p. 27
1.3.6 Biohydrogen	p. 28
1.3.7 Other Renewable Energy Sources	p. 30
References	p. 33
2 Biofuels	p. 39
2.1 Introduction to Biofuels	p. 39
2.2 Bioethanol	p. 42
2.3 Biomethanol	p. 45
2.4 Biohydrogen from Biomass by Steam Reforming	p. 49
2.4.1 Steam-reforming Process	p. 50
2.4.2 Fuels from Bio-syngas via Fischer-Tropsch Synthesis	p. 51
2.5 Biodiesel	p. 56
2.6 Bio-oil	p. 57
2.7 Global Biofuel Scenarios	p. 59
References	p. 60
3 Vegetable Oils and Animal Fats	p. 65
3.1 Use of Vegetable Oils and Animal Fats in Fuel Engines	p. 65
3.2 Vegetable Oil Resources	p. 67
3.2.1 Inedible Oil Resources	p. 69
3.3 Vegetable Oil Processing	p. 72
3.3.1 Recovery of Vegetable Oils from Plants	p. 72
3.3.2 Vegetable Oil Refining	p. 73
3.4 The Use of Vegetable Oils as Diesel Fuel	p. 74
3.4.1 Physical and Chemical Properties of Vegetable Oils	p. 75
3.4.2 Direct Use of Vegetable Oils in Diesel Engines	p. 79
3.5 New Engine Fuels from Vegetable Oils	p. 83
3.5.1 Pyrolysis of Vegetable Oils and Fats	p. 83
3.5.2 Cracking of Vegetable Oils	p. 85
3.5.3 Pyrolysis Mechanisms of Vegetable Oils	p. 86
3.6 Gasoline-rich Liquid from Sunflower Oil by Alumina Catalytic Pyrolysis	p. 88
3.7 Diesel-like Fuel from Tallow (Beef) by Pyrolysis and Steam Reforming	p. 91
3.8 Converting Triglyceride-derived Synthetic Gas to Fuels via Fischer-Tropsch Synthesis	p. 95
3.9 Triglyceride Analyses	p. 99
3.9.1 Viscosity	p. 99
3.9.2 Density	p. 100
3.9.3 Cetane Number	p. 100
3.9.4 Cloud and Pour Points	p. 101
3.9.5 Distillation Range	p. 101
3.9.6 Heat of Combustion	p. 101
3.9.7 Water Content	p. 102
3.9.8 Discussion of Fuel Properties of Triglycerides	p. 102
3.10 Triglyceride Economy	p. 105
References	p. 105
4 Biodiesel	p. 111
4.1 Introduction to Biodiesel Concept	p. 111
4.2 History	p. 112
4.3 Definitions	p. 114
4.4 Biodiesel as an Alternative to Diesel Engine Fuel	p. 115
4.5 Sources of Biodiesel	p. 117
References	p. 118
5 Biodiesel from Triglycerides via Transesterification	p. 121
5.1 Biodiesel from Triglycerides via Transesterification	p. 121
5.1.1 Catalytic Transesterification Methods	p. 123
5.1.2 Supercritical Alcohol Transesterification	p. 125
5.1.3 Biocatalytic Transesterification Methods	p. 132
5.1.4 Recovery of Glycerine	p. 133
5.1.5 General Reaction Mechanism of Transesterification	p. 133
5.1.6 Esterification of Fatty Acids with Diazomethane	p. 137
5.1.7 Non-catalytic Supercritical Alcohol Transesterification	p. 137
5.1.8 Enzyme-catalyzed Processes	p. 138
References	p. 139
6 Fuel Properties of Biodiesels	p. 141
6.1 Viscosity, Density, and Flash Point	p. 141
6.2 Cetane Number, Cloud Point, and Pour Point	p. 144
6.3 Characteristics of Distillation Curves	p. 145
6.4 Higher Combustion Efficiency of Biodiesel	p. 145
6.5 Water Content	p. 146
6.6 Comparison of Fuel Properties and Combustion Characteristics of Methyl and Ethyl Alcohols and Their Esters	p. 146
6.7 Advantages and Disadvantages of Biodiesels	p. 151
6.7.1 Advantages of Biodiesel as Diesel Fuel	p. 151
6.7.2 Availability and Renewability of Biodiesel	p. 151
6.7.3 Lower Emissions from Biodiesel	p. 152
6.7.4 Biodegradability of Biodiesel	p. 155
6.7.5 Thermal Degradation of Fatty Acids During Biodiesel Production	p. 156
6.7.6 Disadvantages of Biodiesel as Diesel Fuel	p. 157
References	p. 158
7 Current Technologies in Biodiesel Production	p. 161
7.1 Biodiesel Production Processes	p. 166
7.1.1 Primary Raw Materials Used in Biodiesel Production	p. 166
7.1.2 Biodiesel Production with Batch Processing	p. 167
7.1.3 Biodiesel Production with Continuous Process	p. 168
7.1.4 Biodiesel Production with Non-catalyzed Transesterification	p. 169
7.1.5 Basic Plant Equipment Used in Biodiesel Production	p. 171
References	p. 172
8 Engine Performance Tests	p. 175
8.1 Engine Combustion Process and Combustion-related Concepts	p. 177
8.2 Engine Performance Tests	p. 179
8.2.1 Alcohol-diesel Emulsions	p. 179
8.2.2 Using Microemulsions for Vegetable Oil	p. 180
8.2.3 Diesel Engine Fumigation	p. 180
8.2.4 Dual Injection	p. 180
8.2.5 Injector Coking	p. 181
8.2.6 Heated Surfaces	p. 181
8.2.7 Torque Tests	p. 181
8.2.8 Spark Ignition	p. 181
8.2.9 Oxidation	p. 182
References	p. 182
9 Global Renewable Energy and Biofuel Scenarios	p. 185
9.1 Global Renewable Energy Sources	p. 187
9.2 Renewable Energy Scenarios	p. 189
References	p. 193
10 The Biodiesel Economy and Biodiesel Policy	p. 195
10.1 Introduction to the Biodiesel Economy	p. 195
10.2 Economic Benefits of Biodiesel	p. 197
10.3 Biodiesel Costs	p. 199
10.4 General Biodiesel Policy	p. 201
10.5 European Biofuel Policy	p. 202
References	p. 203
Index	p. 205

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Table of Contents