Biodiesel

An Investigatory Project

HAFIZ MOHAMMED

Bonafide Certificate
This is certified that the record of work done by
Master Hafiz Mohammed of DPS - Modern Indian
School during the academic year 2015-16. He has
performed this investigatory project under the
guidance of Mr. Jeyanth Robertson.
Signature of Teacher-in-charge
Date:

Submitted for All India Senior Secondary School

Certificate.
Practical Examination held at DPS Modern Indian
School on

EXAMINER (EXTERNAL)

EXAMINER (INTERNAL)

Signature: Signature:
Name:

Name:

Designation:
School:

Designation:

1 Biodiesel An Investigatory Project

Acknowledgement
I would like to extend my heartfelt gratitude to my
parents, for continuously helping me throughout
this project, and assisting me in every step along
the way.
I would also like to express my deepest thanks to
my teacher Mr. Jeyanth Robertson, for helping me
so much in this project and taking the pain to
make corrections, and for being open to all kinds
of suggestions and ideas.
My school and my friends alike have been very
instrumental in completing this project.

2 Biodiesel An Investigatory Project

OBJEC
TIVE
To
learn
and
unders
tand
what
Biodies
el is,
its
merits
and
demeri
ts and
to
experi
ment
its
makin

Bi
odi
es
el
AN
INVEST
IGATOR
Y
PROJEC
T

Introd
uctio
n
B
i
o
d
i
e
s
e
l

is a domestically produced fuel

that is manufactured from
vegetable oils or animal fats
for use in vehicles. Biodiesel's
physical properties are similar
to those of petroleum diesel,
but it is much a cleaner
burning alternative.
The use of Biodiesel as a fuel has
taken off over the last couple of
years. Initially, Biodiesel was
viewed as a foolproof solution to
the impending energy crisis. It is
considered by many to be carbon
neutral since the plants they are
made from grow by taking in carbon
dioxide from the air, which when
emitted by a vehicle running on it
will be reabsorbed by the plants in
the next crop. Consumers and
governments alike have bought in
the biofuel revolution.
This report primarily deals with
the necessity of Biodiesel being a
major energy source and the
advantages & disadvantages of
Biodiesel against conventional
fossil fuels. Along with this, an
extensive analysis of Biodiesels
background, current production
trends and industrial production
methods have also been detailed.

3 Biodiesel An Investigatory Project

Table of Contents
1. Biodiesel

2. Features

3. Preparing Biodiesel

4. Industrial production 8
5. Applications

6. Disadvantages 9
7. References 10

4 Biodiesel An Investigatory Project

Biodiesel

Ethyl
stearate, an
ethyl ester
produced
from soybean
oil and
ethanol

Biodiesel refers to a nonpetroleumbased

diesel fuel consisting of long chain alkyl
(Methyl, Ethyl or Propyl) esters. Typically,
Biodiesel is manufactured by chemically
reacting (transesterification) lipids [e.g.,
vegetable oil, soybean oil, animal fat
(tallow)] with an alcohol, producing fatty
acid esters. Biodiesel has been
standardized as a monoalkyl ester, and
other kinds of dieselgrade fuels of
biological origin are not included.

Blends of Biodiesel
Because of the global fuels being petrol
and diesel, Biodiesel can be only used in
specific and compatible engines and
cannot be used in any engine. Blends of
Biodiesel and conventional hydrocarbon
based diesel are products most commonly
distributed for use in the retail fuel
marketplace. Much of the world uses a
system known as the BFactor to state
the amount of Biodiesel in any fuel mix:
B100 100% Biodiesel
B20
20%
Biodiesel,
80%
Petro
diesel B5 5%
Biodiesel,
95%
Petro
diesel
B2 2% Biodiesel, 98% Petrodiesel
Blends of 20% Biodiesel and lower can be
used in diesel equipment with no, or only
minor modifications. Biodiesel can also be
used in its pure form (B100), but may

require
certain
engine
modificatio
ns to avoid
maintenanc
e and
performanc
e problems.

Featur
es

Biodiesel has many promising features

over conventional diesel. It has
excellent lubricating properties and
cetane ratings compared to diesel
fuels.
The color of Biodiesel ranges from golden
and dark brown, depending on the
production method. It is slightly miscible
with water, has a high boiling point and low
1

vapor pressure. The flash point of Biodiesel

(>130 C) is
5 Biodiesel An Investigatory Project
Sulphur Diesel

1. Flash Point
The
lowest
temperat
ure at
which a
volatile
substanc
e can
vaporize
to form
an
ignitable
mixture
in air

2. ULSD
Ultra
Low

significan
tly higher
than that
of
petroleu
m diesel
(64 C).
Biodiesel
has a
higher
density
than
Petro
diesel.

Advantag
es over
Petrodiesel
Power
The calorific
value
of
Biodiesel is
9%
lower
than Petro
diesel. It has
almost the
same MPG
rating
as
Petrodiesel
and is the
only
alternative
fuel
blend
(B20)
that
can be used
in
heavyweight
vehicles
with
no
extra

modifications

Storage
Readily blends and stays blended with
Petrodiesel so it can be stored &
dispensed wherever diesel is sold
Combustion & Safety
Biodiesel undergoes more complete
combustion, thus increasing the engine
energy output. Biodiesel has a very high
flash point (300F) making it one of the
safest of all alternative fuels
Lubricity
Biodiesel contains virtually no sulfur, and
it is often used as an additive to ULSD2
fuel to aid with lubrication, as the sulfur
compounds in Petrodiesel provide much
of the lubricity. It is the only alternative
fuel that can extend engine life because of
its superior cleaning properties
Environmental Impact
Biodiesel is the only renewable
alternative diesel fuel that reduces major
greenhouse gas components in the
atmosphere. The use of Biodiesel will
also reduce the following: Carbon
monoxide (50%), Ozoneforming
Hydrocarbons (50%), and hazardous
Diesel Particulate (93%). No Sulphur
products are emitted, which have the
potential of causing acid rain

Preparing Biodiesel
Principle
Vegetable oil is composed of triglycerides,
which are triesters of glycerol. The
triglycerides are reacted with an alcohol
(methanol/ethanol).
It
is
then

deprotonate
d with a
base
(catalyst) to

make it a stronger nucleophile.

6 Biodiesel An Investigatory Project

Reacti
on
s

Tri
gly
cer
ide
s
(1)
are
rea
cte
d
wit
h
an
alc
oh
ol
su
ch
as
Et
ha
nol
(2)
to
giv
e
E
t
h
y
l
B
i
o
d
i
e

e
s
t
e

rh
s

be
co
E
m
es
oV
wa
f
rm
C
an
Meas
d
f
ure
fo
a
200
a
t
ml of m
tAntifr
y
yeeze T
and
h
aput it e
cin a
i plasti m
i
dc
cont x
s
ainer t
u
Add
r
(in
e
3NaO
)H so
h
that
a
athe
s
antifr
n
eeze
n
dis
o
abso w
Grbed
l Cove b
yr the e
ccont c
ainer o
e
and
m
rmix
e
owell
l by
S
shaki o
(ng it. d
It will i
4
be
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)mixe
m
.d
when m
e
Tit

th
r
ox
P
id
e
Bl
Ten
d
h1
elit
er
Sof
ve
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dta
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r
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l
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Industrial Production
Biodiesel is commonly produced by transesterification of
vegetable oil, waste grease (from restaurants) or animal
fat feedstock.

Production Methods
There are several methods for carrying out this
transesterification reaction:
lystfree
Su
method that
pe
uses
rc
supercritical
rit
methanol at
ic
high
al
temperature
Pr
s and
oc
pressures in
es
a continuous
s
process
A
n
60 gallon Biodiesel Batch
Reactor: allow rapid
Biodiesel production

a
l
t
e
r
n
a
t
i
v
e
,
c
a
t
a

UltraShear In
line and Batch
Reactors
Allow
production of
biodiesel
continuously,
semi
continuously,
and in batch
mode.
This
drastically
reduces
production
time
and
increases
production
volume

Ultrasonic

Reactor Method
In this method, the
ultrasonic
waves
cause the reaction
mixture to produce
and
collapse
bubbles constantly,
simultaneously
carrying
out
transesterification.
Allows
for
the
industrial
scale
processing
of
several
thousand
p
Production
r
Trends
o
d
In 2007,
u
biodiesel
production was c
growing rapidly, t
with an average i
annual growth o
rate from 2002 n
06 of over 40%.
w
For the year
2006, the total a
world biodiesel s

b
a
r
r
e
l
s
p
e
r
d
a

Lipase
Catalyzed
Method
Researchers
have
found
that very good
yields could be
obtained from
crude
and
usedoils using
the
enzyme
lipase

about 56 Biodiesel
million tons, consumption is
with Europe rising steadily
being the
and is poised to
largest
become a major
producer.
energy source.
Production
increased
10% in 2014
despite a
8 Biodiesel
decline in
An
production
Investigatory
from North
Project
America.

hydraulic locomotive, powered by biodiesel

(B20)

Diesel-

Applic
ations

Biodiesel produces less soot, carbon

monoxide, unburned hydrocarbons,
and sulfur dioxide. The absence of
sulfur in 100% Biodiesel should extend
the life of catalytic converters

Biodie
sel,
being
a
renew
able
and
much
less
polluti
ng
fuel
than
Petro
diesel
, finds
uses
in
nume
rous
places
.

Heating

Vehicles
Biodiesel
is
blended
in many
forms
and
is
used
in
automobi
les
and
trains.
Comparat
ively,

Biodiesel fuel can be used in

combination with heating oil to heat
residential and industrial buildings.
This can reduce dependence on non
renewable and increasingly expensive
heating oil

Oil Spills
Biodiesel has displayed its capacity to
significantly dissolve crude oil due to its
methyl ester component. This is
exploited for cleaning up oil spills

Power
The use of B100 generators in
residential areas around schools,
hospitals, and the general public result
in substantial reductions in poisonous
gases and particulate matter

Hydrogen Fuel Cell Power

A microreactor has been developed
to convert biodiesel into hydrogen
steam to power fuel cells

Disadvantages
Although Biodiesel has a lot of
advantages over Petrodiesel, there
are
some
very
serious
and
unavoidable demerits that limit its
potential to replace petroleum fuels.
Given below are a few of them:

Biodiesel can
contribute to
rising food
prices

9 Biodiesel An Investigatory Project

1 At present, Biodiesel fuel is
about one and a half times
more expensive than Petro
diesel
2 Higher Biodiesel blends like B100
fail to work in cold weather
3 Biodiesel can harm rubber hoses
in some engines
4 There is a high chance of
Biodiesel being contaminated by
water, which will lead to a series
of other problems
5 As Biodiesel cleans the dirt from
the engine, the dirt can then get
collected in the fuel filter, thus
clogging it
6 Biodiesel
fuel
distribution
infrastructure
needs
major
improvement
7 A large amount of energy is
needed
to
for
sowing,
fertilizing, harvesting and
producing Biodiesel from soy
crops
8 Biodiesel also has the potential
to contribute to rising food
prices, because of the land
usage involved

References
All information in this project has been
gathered from the Internet.
1
2
3
4

en.wikipedia.org
www.berkeleybiodiesel.org
www.bp.com
www.instituteforenergyresearc
h.org
5
www.rsc.org

p
roje
cts.i
cbs
e.co
m
7
w
ww.
proj
ects
yap
a.co
m
8
w
ww.
fuel
eco
no

my.gov

10 Biodiesel An Investigatory Project