Comparison of the performance and emissions of different biodiesel blends against petroleum diesel

Abstract

Biodiesel, an alternative fuel of petroleum diesel, is mainly used to reduce the environmental impact of emissions without modifying engines. This study compares the performance and emissions characteristics of different biodiesel blends with petroleum diesel using an internal combustion engine (Kubota V3300) and following ISO 8178 standards. Two types of biodiesel, type A (80% tallow and 20% canola oil methyl ester) and type B (70% chicken tallow and 30% waste cooking oil methyl ester), were tested in this study. It was found that the performance (mainly torque and brake power) of both biodiesel fuels reduces with increasing blend ratio which can be attributed to lower energy content of biodiesel. Specific fuel consumption increases for both biodiesels compared with diesel fuel, as expected. Some of the greenhouse gas emissions were found to be higher than petroleum diesel, whereas some were lower. Overall, Biodiesel A was found to produce lower emissions across the board compared with diesel and Biodiesel B. © The Author 2011. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved.