Jojoba methyl ester as a diesel fuel substitute: Preparation and characterization

Abstract The aim of the present work is to prepare jojoba methyl ester (JME) as a diesel fuel substitute. This was carried out experimentally and its chemical and physical properties were determined. Esterification method is used to produce methyl ester from raw jojoba oil. This method is optimized to produce the highest amount of fuel using a minimum amount of methyl alcohol. To achieve the above aim, a test rig for fuel production was developed. To measure the JME burning velocity a constant volume bomb was developed. The bomb was fully instrumented with a piezoelectric pressure transducer, charge amplifier, digital storage oscilloscope, A/D converter and a personal computer. Several grades of fuel were produced but, two grades only were selected and tested as an economical alternative fuel. The chemical and physical properties of these grades of fuel are measured as well as the laminar burning velocity. It is found that JME liquid fuel exhibited lower burning velocities than iso-octane. The new fuel is found to be suitable for compression ignition engine particularly in the indirect-injection ones, while for direct-injection, and high-speed engines fuel modifications are required. The new fuel is safe, has no sulphur content and reduces the engine wear as well as lengthens the lifetime of lubricating oil.

[1]  Ioannis P. Androulakis,et al.  Molecular Structure Effects On Laminar Burning Velocities At Elevated Temperature And Pressure , 2004 .

[2]  S. Romano.  Vegetable oils: a new alternative , 1982 .

[3]  Deming Jiang,et al.  Measurements of Markstein numbers and laminar burning velocities for liquefied petroleum gas - air mixtures , 2004 .

[4]  Ömer L. Gülder,et al.  Laminar burning velocities of methanol, ethanol and isooctane-air mixtures , 1982 .

[5]  Kenji Takizawa,et al.  Burning velocity measurement of fluorinated compounds by the spherical-vessel method , 2005 .

[6]  Mohamed Y. E. Selim,et al.  Ignition Delay Period of Jojoba Diesel Engine Fuel , 1997 .

[7]  A. Dahoe.  Laminar burning velocities of hydrogen–air mixtures from closed vessel gas explosions , 2005 .

[8]  M. Metghalchi,et al.  Laminar burning velocity of propane-air mixtures at high temperature and pressure , 1980 .

[9]  Gordon L. Dugger,et al.  Flame velocities of hydrocarbon-oxygen-nitrogen mixtures , 1953 .

[10]  A. R. Tahir,et al.  Sunflower oil as a fuel for compression ignition engines. , 1982 .

[11]  M. S. Radwan,et al.  Laminar Burning Velocity of Some Coal Derived Fuels , 2001 .

[12]  E. H. Pryde.  Vegetable oil fuel standards , 1982 .

[13]  Philip Herkimer Groggins,et al.  Unit Processes in Organic Synthesis , 1935, Nature.

[14]  Mohamad Metghalchi,et al.  Burning velocity measurements of methane-oxygen-argon mixtures and an application to extend methane-air burning velocity measurements , 2002 .

[15]  M. Metghalchi,et al.  Burning Velocities of Mixtures of Air with Methanol, Isooctane, and Indolene at High Pressure and Temperature , 1982 .

[16]  Ömer L. Gülder,et al.  Laminar Burning Velocities of Methanol, Isooctane and Isooctane/Methanol Blends , 1983 .

[17]  Timothy J. Callahan,et al.  Characterization of vegetable oils for use as fuels in diesel engines , 1982 .

[18]  Zuo-hua Huang,et al.  Correlations for laminar burning velocities of liquefied petroleum gas-air mixtures , 2005 .

[19]  C. Paillard,et al.  Laminar flame velocity determination for H2-air-steam mixtures using the spherical bomb method , 2002 .

[20]  Chung King Law,et al.  Outward propagation, burning velocities, and chemical effects of methane flames up to 60 ATM , 2002 .

[21]  Ömer L. Gülder,et al.  Burning velocities of ethanol-isooctane blends , 1984 .