Synthesis, droplet combustion, and sooting characteristics of biodiesel produced from waste vegetable oils
In light of the potential of fatty acid methyl ester (FAME, i.e. biodiesel) as a renewable energy source, an innovative acid catalyzed process was developed for the synthesis of biodiesel from waste vegetable oils. The synthesized biodiesels were analytically characterized for their major components, molar fraction and molecular weight of each component, the average molecular weight, and the heat of combustion. Their droplet combustion characteristics in terms of the burning rate, flame size, and sooting tendency were subsequently determined in a high-temperature, freely-falling droplet apparatus. Results show that the biodiesel droplet has higher burning rate, and that biodiesel in general has a lower propensity to soot because its molecular oxygen content promotes the oxidation of the soot precursors.
- Research Organization:
- Energy Frontier Research Centers (EFRC) (United States). Combustion Energy Frontier Research Center (CEFRC)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES)
- DOE Contract Number:
- SC0001198
- OSTI ID:
- 1065209
- Journal Information:
- Proceedings of the Combustion Institute, Vol. 33, Issue 2; Related Information: CEFRC partners with Princeton University (lead); Argonne National Laboratory; University of Connecticut; Cornell University; Massachusetts Institute of Technology; University of Minnesota; Sandia National Laboratories; University of Southern California; Stanford University; University of Wisconsin, Madison; ISSN 1540-7489
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
Mississippi State Biodiesel Production Project
Physical and chemical comparison of soot in hydrocarbon and biodiesel fuel diffusion flames: A study of model and commercial fuels