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Research on ethylene glycol monomethyl ether palm oil monoester as a novel biofuel
Author(s) -
Guo Hejun,
Liu Shenghua,
Wang Rudong,
Su Junzuo,
Ma Jing,
Feng Yang
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
environmental progress and sustainable energy
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.495
H-Index - 66
eISSN - 1944-7450
pISSN - 1944-7442
DOI - 10.1002/ep.12191
Subject(s) - cetane number , diesel fuel , chemistry , biofuel , potassium hydroxide , nox , diesel engine , biodiesel , ethylene glycol , nuclear chemistry , combustion , organic chemistry , pulp and paper industry , waste management , catalysis , automotive engineering , engineering
In the article, a new biofuel named ethylene glycol monomethyl ether palm oil monoester (EGMMEPOM) is developed as a clean alternative fuel for diesel engine. It was synthesized through transesterification reaction with a refined palm oil and ethylene glycol monomethyl ether (EGMME) as reactants and potassium hydroxide (KOH) as catalyst under certain conditions. Its chemical structure was identified through Fourier transform‐infrared (FT‐IR) spectrum, 1 H nuclear magnetic resonance ( 1 H NMR) spectroscopy, and gel permeation chromatography (GPC) analyses, and its main fuel properties were measured precisely. A two‐cylinder diesel engine was utilized to investigate its combustion performances, fuel economy and emissions characteristics. When the engine was operated with the new biofuel at a high speed of 2000 r/min instead of diesel fuel, smoke emissions were decreased by 26.3% to 70.0% with carbon monoxide (CO) and hydrocarbon compounds (HC) emissions significantly reduced. Nitrogen oxides (NOx) emissions were decreased by 14.0% to 23.5%. The new palm oil monoester has a cetane number as high as 77.0 which leads to a shorter autoignition delay duration than diesel fuel and makes the curves of in‐cylinder pressure increasing rate and heat release rate shift forward 2 to 3 degrees crank angle (°CA). Owing to more amount of oxygen existing in the new biofuel, both peak in‐cylinder pressure increasing rate and peak heat releasing rate decreased. © 2015 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Environ Prog, 35: 241–249, 2016