POSSIBILITY OF USING COCONUT OIL

AS A SUBSTITUTE FUEL FOR DIESEL

ENGINES
By
John Pumwa, Ph.D.
Visiting Research Professor
Appropriate Technology for Developing Countries
School of Computer Science & Engineering
Baylor University
Waco, Texas

PRESENTATION OUTLINE
INTRODUCTION:
PAPUA NEW GUINEA.
PROPOSED RESEARCH PROJECT ON COCONUT
OIL.

UTILIZATION OF COCONUT OIL AS A

SUBSTITUTE FOR FOSSIL FUEL
APPLICATIONS.
IMPROVING COCONUT OIL PROPERTIES.
BENEFITS FOR USING BIODIESEL IN PNG &
THE SOUTH PACIFIC
CONCLUSION

PAPUA NEW GUINEA

University of
Technology

University of Papua
New Guinea

PAPUA NEW GUINEA

Government: Commonwealth:
Sovereign: Queen Elizabeth II
Governor General: Queens Representative
Prime Minister
462,840-km2 ( 179,000-sq miles)

Area:
Population: About 5.29-Million

Average annual growth rate: 2.3%

Languages: 867 Distinct Native Languages

Official Languages for Communication:
English, Tok Pisin and Motu

Literacy Rate: 66%

Religion: More than 70% are Christians and
other 30% are indigenous.

PAPUA NEW GUINEA

Economic Summary:
Monetary Unit: Kina (K), K1.00 = $0.294
GDP/PPP: $11.6 Billion; $2,650 per Capita
Agriculture: Coffee, Coconuts, Palm Oil, Palm Kernels, Cocoa,
Tea, Rubber, Sweet Potatoes, Fruits, Vegetables, Poultry, Pork,
Sugar, Vanilla
Natural Resources: Copper, Gold, Silver, Timber, Natural Gas,
Oil & Fisheries.
Exports: About $1.8 Billion: Oil, Gold, Copper Ore, Coffee, Palm
Oil, Copra (50,000 60,000 Tonnes/yr), Coconut Oil (40,000
50,000 Tonnes/yr) Timber, Crayfish, Prawns, Cocoa, Sugar.
Imports: About $1.1 Billion (Food, Machinery, Transport
Equipment, Fuels (11.2% of total imports), Chemical,
Consumer Goods).
Major Trading Partners: Australia, U.K., Japan, Singapore, New
Zealand, USA, South Korea, Germany.
Inflation: 6%

Papua New Guineas Oil Seed Commodities (2000 2002)

Oil Seed Export Commodities
Year

Coconut Oil

Copra

Palm Oil

Tonnes
103

US$
(Million)

Tonnes
103

US$
(Million)

Tonnes
103

US$
(Million)

2000

48.0

19.35

67.2

17.61

336.3

90.14

2001

27.1

8.03

46.4

4.56

327.6

85.41

2002

33.7

15.29

15.8

2.76

308.0

115.40

PROPOSED RESEARCH
PROJECT USING COCONUT OIL
Coconut is the actual nut from the Coconut
Palms:
Coconut Palms are the most widespread tropical
agricultural crops grown abundantly not only in PNG
but all parts of the South Pacific and parts of Asia. It is
naturally sustainable agricultural resource of tropical
islands.
Coconut Palms are one of the few crops that can
tolerate poor sandy soils with saline water and
survives frequent cyclones.
Coconut Palms can bear a bunch of fruits each month
for about 65 of their 70 to 80 year life span.
Coconut Palms require minimum maintenance.
Coconuts are and have been way of life for the
indigenous island people. They call the coconut palm
the Tree of Life.

PROPOSED RESEARCH
PROJECT USING COCONUT OIL
Copra This is the dried flesh (the white endosperm) of the nut
which is the commercial product that enters the world trade.
Copra has an oil content of between 65% and 72%.
Copra Oil is typically the highest priced vegetable oil on the world
markets. However, over the past 50-years competition from other
oilseeds has unsteadily eroded copra prices at about 2% per year.
As prices fluctuate, farmers respond accordingly by:
Increasing nut collection and maintaining coconut palms during high
prices and;
Virtually abandoning nut collection and ceasing to maintain coconut
palms when prices are low.
This results in Farmers losing their prime source of cash income.

THEREFORE, THERE IS A NEED TO CREATE A DEMAND FOR

THE COCONUT CROP BY ADDING VALUE TO THE RAW
PRODUCT (COCONUT/COPRA OIL) THAT MAY RESULT IN:

Stabilizing/increasing the coconut/copra prices.

Forcing farmers not to abundant their coconut farms.
Improving the overall national economy.
Reducing imported fossil fuel reliance.

UTILIZATION OF COCONUT OIL

AS A SUBSTITUTE FOR FOSSIL
FUEL APPLICATIONS
Similar to all other raw vegetable oils (soybean,
rapeseed, linseed etc.) Coconut oil does have
very similar properties to diesel fuel:
In fact, the rebels in Bougainville Island have
been using the raw coconut oil as a source of
fuel to generate power with minor
modifications to their engines!
However, apart from engine fouling after few

hours of operation, like other raw vegetable

oils, coconut oil may also be used as a Fuel,
but has the problem that it is too viscous in
cold weather.

Important Diesel Fuel and Vegetable Oil Properties

Specific
Energy
(MJ/kg)

Cetane
Number

Kinematic
Viscosity
(cS)

Solidifica
tion Point
(C)

Iodine
Value

Saponificat
ion Value

Petroleum
Diesel

45.3 Gross

45 - 55

4 @ 40C

-9

Coconut
Oil

42.0 Gross

60

20 @ 40C

24

10

268

Palm Oil

39.6 Gross

37 @ 40

35

54

199

Rapeseed
Oil

39.7 Gross

38

37 @ 40C

-10

125

175

Soybean
Oil

39.6

37.9

33 @ 40C

-16

130

191

Linseed
Oil

39.7

29 @ 40C

-24

179

190

Fuel

IMPORTANT PHYSICAL AND

CHEMICAL PROPERTIES OF
VEGETABLE OIL
Specific Energy indication of the
fuels energy released when it is
burned. Coconut oils energy (42
MJ/kg) is more or less equivalent
to Petroleum Diesel.
Cetane Number (CN) indication
of the fuels willingness to ignite
when it gets compressed. Coconut
oils CN (60) is the highest.
Viscosity indication of the fuels
ability to atomize in the injector
system. Coconut oils viscosity is
comparable with other oils but
much more than petroleum diesel.
Higher viscosity will cause poor
volitization of the fuel.

Solidification Point indication of

the temperature at which the fuel
will turn solid. Coconut oils
solidification point (25C) is at
room temperature.
Iodine Value (IV) indication of
the ability of the fuel to polymerize
due to the fuels degree of bonds
available. Coconut oils IV (10) is
the lowest among all the fuel so it
can be used directly in the engines
without modification.
Saponification Value (SV)
indication of the fuels ability to
vaporize and atomize due to the
fuels carbon chains. Coconut oil
has the highest SV (268) which will
ignite more quickly than others.

IMPROVING COCONUT OIL

PROPERTIES
To manufacture BIODIESEL from coconut oil to
improve its properties using the technology that
is already being available for other vegetable
oils such as soybean, rapeseed etc.
BIODIESEL Can be produced by chemically
reacting coconut oil with an alcohol (methanol or
ethanol) in the presence of a catalyst (sodium or
potassium hydroxide) to yield:
Biodiesel (Methyl or Ethyl Esters):
Diesel fuel substitute that can be used in diesel engines with
NO engine modifications. It can be used in its pure form or
blended with petroleum diesel.

Glycerin:
It is used in a number of commercial products including soap,
detergents, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals etc.

BENEFITS FOR USING

BIODIESEL IN PNG & THE
SOUTH PACIFIC
Revitalize existing coconut farms by providing demand for coconut
oil which will lead to an expansion of production.
Stabilize the income from coconut production.
Development of new industries:

Biodiesel Production
Glycerine Production, later refining of Glycerine.
Providing Biodiesel Training Opportunities
Provide Biodiesel supplies Methanol & Catalysts etc.

Decrease balance of trade payments Reverse balance of trade

payments.
Reduction in the imported fuel

Provide energy security (Biodiesel is natural renewable energy

source)
Provide safe environment:
Biodegradable
Significantly less air pollution (even smells nice!)

CONCLUSIONS
To Investigate the possibility of using Coconut
Biodiesel as an alternate fuel substitute for diesel
engines:
Determination of physical & chemical characteristics or
properties of coconut oil and coconut biodiesel including blends.
Perform actual engine testing using coconut biodiesel including
blends and determine:

Engine performance characteristics

Emission characteristics
Analysis of products of combustion
Cold condition performance
Characteristics
Effects on the engine:
Wear and reliability of the engine

Lubrication oil assessment

Etc.