Evaluating the Fuel Potential of Castor Biodiesel and Its Blends for Land-Based Gas Turbine Engine

The significant contributions of land-based gas turbines to the power generation sector cannot be over emphasized. However, fueling gas turbines with fossil fuels is linked to atmospheric emissions, contributing to global warming and climate change. Therefore, this research aims to investigate the potential of locally sourced castor oil as a credible biodiesel feedstock for powering land-based gas turbines. Castor seeds were locally sourced, and crude oil was produced via mechanical extraction. The physio-chemical properties of the fuels were evaluated, and both the oils and the resulting biodiesels were characterized for specific gravity, viscosity, sulfur content, and lower heating value, using ASTM standards. The sulfur content for castor oil was 0 mg/L compared to diesel’s 0.73 mg/L. Castor biodiesel (COB) had a specific gravity of 0.9594, while diesel's specific gravity was 0.8536, with specific gravity increasing from B10 to B30. Thermodynamic performance of the castor biodiesel and its blends was analyzed using GASTURB software, examining specific fuel consumption (SFC), power output, fuel flow rate, thermal efficiency, and emissions. Results showed that COB and B30 had the highest power outputs of 33,839.5 kW and 33,801.9 kW, respectively. However, COB had higher SFC (0.4567 kg/kWh) and fuel flow (2.66366 kg/s) compared to diesel (0.2934 kg/kWh and 1.98875 kg/s). The findings suggest that COB fuel and its blends have potential for powering land-based gas turbines.