Mitigating fossil fuel deficiency and environmental impacts: Performance analysis of Scenedesmus obliquus microalgae biodiesel in a diesel engine

• Published in: Fuel (Guildford) Vol. 364; p. 131033
• Main Authors: Liu, Jiajia, Booma Devi, P., Chinnathambi, Arunachalam, Ali Alharbi, Sulaiman
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier Ltd 15-05-2024
• Subjects: Biodiesel; Combustion; Emission; Microalgae; Renewable energy; Emission; Microalgae; Combustion; Renewable energy; Biodiesel
• ISSN: 0016-2361; 1873-7153
• DOI: 10.1016/j.fuel.2024.131033

•Brake power of biodiesel blended fuels was lower compared to diesel fuel due to their higher density, viscosity, and lower heating value.•10% blend exhibited the highest brake power and 30% blend showed highest thermal efficiency.•Reduced carbon monoxide and hydrocarbon emissions compared to diesel fuel.•Higher levels of nitrogen oxide emissions were observed for Scenedesmus obliquus microalgae-based blends.
The fossil fuel deficiency and the negative impacts of petroleum fuel use on the environment are better can be tackled and reduced with the use of biodiesel. Biodiesel is derived from mainly the debris of plants and animals gained profound attention in recent days to meet the circular economy. This research paper explores the potential of biodiesel from Scenedesmus obliquus microalgae and its performance and emission characteristics in a four-stroke, single-cylinder, naturally aspirated, water-cooled diesel engine were examined. Testing fuel quality is much more important in terms of its main functional parameters such as brake power, brake specific fuel consumption, brake thermal efficiency, and emission of carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, hydrocarbon, and nitrogen oxides. The emission of the above said harmful gases is the result of incomplete combustion that can be resolved with the use of non-carbon nature biodiesel. The Scenedesmus obliquus biodiesel was extracted and produced by using the transesterification method. The produced Scenedesmus obliquus biodiesel blends were tested in a conventional single cylinder diesel engine. The experimental tests were conducted at 1000–3000 rpm with 500 rpm intervals at full load conditions. The SOB30% increased the brake power and torque and it was nearly equal to the results produced by pure diesel. The utilization of biodiesel leads to a reduction in brake power due to its lower calorific value and suboptimal cetane number. The viscosity of microalgae blends is higher, resulting in elevated levels of brake-specific fuel consumption. Among the different blends, the highest brake thermal efficiency is reported for the 30 % biodiesel blend. Additionally, there is a significant decrease in carbon monoxide emissions attributed to the thorough combustion process. From the results, it is evident that Scenedesmus obliquus biodiesel satisfied the requirements to be an effective alternative to petroleum fuels.