Use Of Vegetable Oils As

Alternative Fuels
PRRM ENGG COLLEGE

Shabad RR (Dist) 509217t

Registration Number: 398

USE OF VEGETABLE OIL AS AN ALTERNATE FUEL

1. Mohammed Kaleemuddin, 2.Mohammed Hasan

B.E.IV year-Mechanical

Deccan College of engineering and technology

(Affiliated to Osmainia University ),

Hyderabad

Abstract

In the past, waste edible oils and fats were often used in the production of animal feeds. However
due to links between BSE and this practice, the use of waste fats for animal feed is not as
common as it once was and this has resulted in surplus quantities becoming available. This has
led to significant disposal problems.

Waste oils and fats can be used as renewable fuel resources. C onversion of waste oils and fats to
biodiesel fuel is one possibility but poses some difficulties such as in the use of toxic or caustic
materials and by-product disposal. C onversion to biodiesel may also decrease the economic
attractiveness of using waste oils as fuels.

An alternative to the use of biodiesel is the use of vegetable oils or rendered animal fats as a fuel.

Using relatively unmodified oils or fats eliminates the problems associated with toxic and caustic
precursor chemicals and residual biodiesel alkalinity as the oil is used without altering its chemical
properties.

This paper discusses the use of waste vegetable and animal oils and fats as unmodified fuels in
engines.

ALTERNATE FUELS

The main purpose of fuel is to store energy in a form that is stable and can be easily transported
from the place of production to the end user.

Alternative fuel, also known as non-conventional fuels, is any material or substance that can be
used as a fuel, other than fossil fuels , or conventional fuels of petroleum (oil), coal, propane, and
natural gas.

In today era of escalating energy cost, vegetable oils provide a technically as well as
economically viable substitute to diesel oils for use in automobiles as well as stationary engines.

Vegetable oils have similar fuel properties to Diesel fuel, except for higher viscosity and lower
oxidative stability .

Availability of vegetable oils is mainly in two forms

Waste vegetable oil (WVO)

Straight vegetable oil (SVO)

INTRODUCTION

Vegetable fats and oils are substances composed of triglycerides derived from plants.

Triglyceride vegetable fats and oils include edible and inedible vegetable fats and oils.

Triglyceride-based vegetable fats and oils can be transformed through partial or complete
hydrogenation to fats and oils of higher melting point.

Vegetable oil can be used as diesel fuel just as it is, without being converted to biodiesel.

Vegetable oils can be classified in several ways

By source: Most vegetable oils are extracted from the fruits or seeds of

plants, and the oils may be classified by grouping oils from

similar plants, such as "nut oils".

By use: oils from plants are used in cooking, for fuel, for cosmetics, for

medical purposes, and for other industrial purposes.

EXTRACTION

Extraction of vegetable oils is of different types:

The "modern" way of processing vegetable oil is by chemical extraction, using solvent extracts.

Another way is physical extraction, which does not use solvent extracts.

Expeller-pressed extraction is one type, and there are two other types that are both oil presses:
the screw press and the ram press.

Method Percentage extracted

Ghani 20-30%

Expellers 34-37%

Solvent 40-43%

TYPES OF OILS

Edible oils: These oils account for a significant fraction of world-wide

edible oil production.

Nut oils: Nut oils are generally used in cooking, for their flavor.

Oils from melon and gourd seeds.

Oils used for biofuel

Waste Vegetable Oil

Waste oils and fats can be used as renewable fuel resources.

C onversion of waste oils and fats to biodiesel fuel has many environmental advantages over
petroleum based diesel fuel.

Straight vegetable oil

Straight vegetable oil commonly called pure vegetable oil (PPO), in contrast to waste vegetable
oil, is not a byproduct of other industries

Vegetable oil can be used as diesel fuel just as it is, without being converted to biodiesel.

The downside is that straight vegetable oil (SVO) is much more viscous (thicker) than
conventional diesel fuel or biodiesel, and it doesn't burn the same in the engine.

PROPERTIES OF VEGETABLE OILS

The main form of SVO used in the UK is rapeseed oil which has a freezing point of -10°C .

Sunflower oil freezes at -17°C .

C etane number (combustion quality) is highest with coconut oil, palm stearine, palm kernel, palm
oil, palm oleine, lard and tallow.

Oils and their melting point and Iodine Values

Oil Approx. melting Iodine

Point ° C Value

C oconut oil 25 10

Palm kernel oil 24 37

Mutton tallow 42 40

Beef tallow 50

Palm oil 35 54

Olive oil -6 81

C astor oil -18 85

Peanut oil 3 93

Rapeseed oil -10 98

C otton seed oil -1 105

Sunflower oil -17 125

Soybean oil -16 130

Tung oil -2.5 168

Linseed oil -24 178

Sardine oil 185

APPLICATIONS

Many cars powered by indirect injection engines supplied by inline injection pumps or mechanical
Bosch injection pumps are capable to run on pure svo in all but winter temperatures.

Turbo diesels tend to run better due to the increased pressure in the injectors.

Pre-C DI Mercedes-Benz vehicles and cars featuring the PSA XUD engine tend to perform well too,
especially as the latter is normally equipped with a coolant heated fuel filter.

USES OF VEGETABLE OILS

Culinary uses

Many vegetable oils are consumed directly, or used directly as ingredients in food - a role that
they share with some animal fats, including butter and ghee. The oils serve a number of purposes
in this role:

Texture

Flavor

Flavor base

Industrial uses

Many vegetable oils are used to make soaps, skin products, perfumes and other personal care
and cosmetic products.

Some oils are particularly suitable as drying agents, and are used in making paints and other
wood treatment products. Dammar oil, for example, is used almost exclusively in treating the
hulls of wooden boats.

CONCLUSIONS

• Although diesel engines were invented, in part, with vegetable oil in mind, diesel fuel is almost
exclusively petroleum-based.

• Vegetable oils are evaluated for use as a biofuel based on:

Suitability as a fuel, based on flash point, energy content, viscosity, combustion products and
other factors C ost, based in part on yield, effort required to grow and harvest, and post-harvest
processing cost

• Metalworking fluid emulsion formulations produced from vegetable oils may be less toxic and
may reduce disposal costs when compared with fluids formulated with petroleum-based oils.

• Vegetable oils are used as a fuel in bio cars.

• The research conducted with direct injection (DI) and indirect injection (IDI) diesel engines
revealed that, for engine performance, the alternative fuel was on a par with light oil.

REFERENCES

http://veggievan.org/

http://www.ravenfamily.org/andyg/vegoil.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vegetable_oil

^ Compare, for example, the list of raw materials from which essential oils are
extracted.

^ 4,000-year-old 'kitchen' unearthed in Indiana . Retrieved on 2006-07-31.

^ Linda McGraw (April 19, 2000). Biodegradable Hydraulic Fluid Nears Market. USDA.
Retrieved on 2006-09-29.

C reated by Department of C SE