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Performance of Biodiesel Fuel in cold weather condition

Mechanical Engineering Graduation Thesis 25.416/25.475Presented by: Zeloon Lye 6805215

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Introduction of biodiesel fuel

• Biodiesel is a clean burning alternative fuel, produced from vegetable, animal fat and waste vegetable oils.

• It contains no petroleum, but it can be blended at any level with petroleum diesel to create a biodiesel blend.

Biodiesel Fuel

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Introduction of biodiesel fuel

• transesterification whereby the glycerin is separated from the animal fat or vegetable oil, yielding methyl ester (Biodiesel fuel)

• Smaller molecule size

Biodiesel fuelVegetable Oil

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Benefit of biodiesel fuel

• Energy: Energy content comparable to diesel fuel

• It can be used in compression-ignition (diesel) engines with little or no modifications.

• Society: Produced from a renewable resource, reducing dependency from fossil fuel

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Benefit of biodiesel fuel

• Economy: price is comparable to diesel fuel, and it is produced locally

• Environment: green house gas neutral, produce minimum amount of SOx and produce lower particulate matter but slightly higher NOx

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Terminology

• Blending Proportion– B20: 20 percent of biodiesel fuel blend with

80 percent of diesel fuel, widely used in Europe

– B5: 5 percent of biodiesel fuel blend with 95 percent of diesel fuel

• WVO: waste vegetable oil• Diesel #1: standard diesel fuel that used

during winter

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Challenge of Biodiesel Fuel

• Viscosity is higher than diesel• More difficult to flow at lower temperature• Not readily available in Canada yet• Engine manufacturer only support B5

blend in USA/ Canada and B20/B30 blend in Europe

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Scope

Making of biodiesel fuel from WVO

Steps of makingGlycerin level

Property of biodiesel fuel

ViscosityHeat Value

Engine performance test

Fuel consumption, exhaust temperatureMaintenance

UBC biodiesel project

http://www.eya.ca/biodiesel/

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Purpose

• Understand the impact of cold weather condition to the biodiesel fuel

• Suggest improvement in its use in cold weather

• Look at the long term future of biodiesel fuel

Montreal Biobus Project

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Making of Biodiesel Fuel from WVO

Steps in making, Glycerine level

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Making of BiodieselWaste Vegetable Oil Methanol

+ Lye

#1 Filter #2 Heat (35 °C)

Sodium Methoxide

Mixed oil (methyl esters and glycerine)

Stirring #3

Settling and filtering #4 Glycerine

Methyl esters

Washing #5

Drying #6

Biodiesel Fuel B100

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Steps in making

Waste Vegetable Oil

Methanol with Lye

react

stirring

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Steps in making

Mixed Oil

Methyl Esters is separated from glycerine

Filtration

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Steps in making

Ready Biodiesel1.75L yield of Biodiesel fuel from 2L of waste vegetable oil

Water washing

Drying

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Glycerine level

• Increase the viscosity in biodiesel fuel and lower yield of biodiesel fuel

• Viscosity of glycerine is 5000(SSU) compared to 240(SSU) for Biodiesel B100 at 20 °C

*SSU - saybolt second universal

Glycerine

Biodiesel

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Glycerine level

• A) Providing heat when waste vegetable oil is mixed with sodium methoxide produces a low yield of biodiesel.

# Volume of Voume of Ratio of WVO Heating WVO Final volume Yield percentageWVO (L) methanol (mL) to methanol and sodium of biodiesel of biodiesel

methanol fuel (L) fuel (%)1 1 50 0.05 no 0.6 602 0.5 100 0.2 no 0.37 743 1 250 0.25 no 0.72 724 1 250 0.25 yes,35 degree celcius 0.375 37.55 2 500 0.25 no 1.75 87.56 2 500 0.25 no 1.75 87.5

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Glycerine Level

• B) The ratio of methanol and waste vegetable oil is found to be 25 percent to give the highest yield of biodiesel fuel.

# Volume of Voume of Ratio of WVO Final volume Yield percentageWVO (L) methanol (mL) to methanol of biodiesel of biodiesel

fuel (L) fuel (%)1 1 50 0.05 0.6 602 0.5 100 0.2 0.37 745 2 500 0.25 1.75 87.56 2 500 0.25 1.75 87.5

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Glycerine

C) Multi step filtration needed in order to remove the glycerine in biodiesel fuel content, give highest yield of biodiesel fuel

# Volume of Voume of Ratio of WVO Cycle of Final volume Yield percentageWVO (L) methanol (mL) to methanol filtering of biodiesel of biodiesel

oil (L) fuel (%)1 1 50 0.05 1 0.6 602 0.5 100 0.2 2 0.37 743 1 250 0.25 2 0.72 724 1 250 0.25 2 0.35 355 2 500 0.25 3 1.75 87.56 2 500 0.25 3 1.75 87.5

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Properties of Biodiesel Fuel

Viscosity, Heat value

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Fact Sheet

• Important property

• Higher viscosity

• lower density• Lower heat

combustion 130,0006.610.88Biodiesel

B100

138,0002.430.85Biodiesel B20

140,0001.9060.846Diesel #1

Heat Value BTU/gal(From reference)

kinematicviscositycSt(From test data)

DensityKg/L(From reference)

At 20 degree Celsius

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Viscosity

• Impact atomization of the fuel being injected into the engine combustion chamber

• Large drop of fuel caused by high viscosity affect to combustion quality

• Burn not clean• Build up in the engine around valve, injector

tips and on piston sidewalls and ring• Fuel does not flow properly through filter and

engine injection system

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Viscosity

• Causes:Glycerine particlesFood particle

• Blend with diesel , viscosity is closer to diesel #1

6.609Biodiesel B100

2.431Biodiesel B20

2.038Biodiesel B51.906Diesel #1

Kinematics ViscositycSt

Fuel

After B

lending

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Viscosity versus Temperature

• B100 increase faster than biodiesel blend and diesel

• B5/B20 behave similar to Diesel #1

Viscosity versus Temperature (from test data)

0.01.02.03.04.05.06.07.0

0 20 40 60 80

temperature (degree celcius)

kine

mat

ic v

isco

sity

(cts

)

B100B20B5Diesel #1water

24-18°C

26.6°C 65.5°C

Viscosity

SSU

Temperature F

Diesel NO.1 Biodiesel B100

Limit of easy pump ability

17°C

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Heating Block

• Heat block can be provided to heat up the fuel to operating temperature

• E.g. Heat up the fuel tank to 17°C when ambient temperature is -18°C to ensure flowing of biodiesel fuel B100

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Engine Performance TestExhaust temperature, Fuel consumption, maintenance

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Introduction

• Further determine the performance of biodiesel fuel in a real engine running situation.

• B5, B20 and diesel • Fuel consumption,

exhaust temperature

Testing machine

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Test Description

• Diesel Engine, 28hp, 10 years

• used for clearing light snow during winter

• runs in idle state for at least two hours daily

Testing machine

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A. Fuel Consumption

• Volume of the fuel used in per minute engine running (L/min)

Fuel consumption versus ambient temperature

00.0050.01

0.0150.02

0.0250.03

0.0350.04

0.0450.05

-30 -20 -10 0 10Ambient Temperature, C ©

Fuel

Con

sum

ptio

n, L

/min

Biodiesel B5DieselBiodiesel B20

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• Not causing increase of fuel consumption

• low fuel consumption around -20°C to -5°C

• Behave the same as diesel

Fuel tank

A. Fuel Consumption

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B. Exhaust pipe temperature

• Temperature of gases from exhaust pipe

Exhaust temperature versus ambient temperature

110115120125130135140145150155160

-30 -20 -10 0 10Ambient Temperature (C)

Exha

ust T

empe

ratu

re (C

)

Biodiesel B5DieselBiodiesel B20

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B. Exhaust pipe temperature

• high exhaust temperature at lower ambient temperature

• Lower exhaust temperature with higher blend with constant ambient temperature

132°C-13°CBiodiesel B5

130°C-13°CBiodiesel B20

139°C-13°CDiesel

Exhaust Temperature

Ambient T

Exhaust Pipe

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Maintenance

• Diesel equipment can run with biodiesel fuel without creating engine problem– Filter behaves like normal condition– Filter has less water – Engine Oil is cleaner– No congestion along fuel lines

Inside the filter Outside the filter Engine oil

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Drivers feedback

• No problem with clearing the snow

• No problem with starting the machine

• No problem in running under temperature -20 degree Celsius

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Comparing with other report

• Montreal Biobus Report• Testing during a whole year

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Overall recommendation

• Good Quality of filtering and right recipe• Heating Block Concept for using high

blend biodiesel fuel • B20 is feasible under -20 degree Celsius

– However, take certain precautions – Adequate training for technical worker

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Acknowledgements

• Advisors: Dr. Eric Bibeau and Mr. D. Paul Zanetel, M.A.Sc., P.Eng

• Chemistry Department– Dr. Norman R. Hunter, Professor and Head of Chemistry

Department– Dr. Hultin, Professor of Chemistry Department

• Physical Plant General service– Mr. Ed Rzeszutek, B.A., Manager – Mr. Larry Rudniski, assistance manager – Mr. Dave Wikdahl, Senior Groundskeeper– Mr. Wally Enonchuk, Mechanic,

• Daily Bread Café & Catering: Mr. Ian Park ,Manager • Amy Jenkins, Environmental Science final year student

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Q & A

Thanks