Technological Assessment of the Impact of Palm Oil as a Biofuel for Engines

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the technological implications of utilizing palm oil as a biofuel for engines. Specifically, important performance metrics such as engine torque, electrical power, braking power, and thermal efficiency have been examined. The impact of palm oil biodiesel on these metrics is essential for assessing whether or not it can be used as a substitute fuel. The inquiry includes comprehensive engine testing to gauge braking power and torque at various mix ratios and operating situations. To ascertain the total performance gains or losses, analysis was done on thermal efficiency and electrical power production. Sensitivity analysis was used in the study to investigate how these characteristics interact and determine the ideal circumstances for using palm oil biodiesel. A thorough understanding of palm oil biodiesel is possible through performance comparisons with conventional diesel. This work concentrates on the mass balances and reaction kinetics. A set of ordinary differential equations (ODEs) that represent the process of producing biodiesel is obtained by combining the mass balance equations with the kinetic equations. The systems were solved numerically using MATLAB's ODE solvers. The transesterification process in making biodiesel was understood and made better with this engineering model. In this investigation, we compared the performance of the B20 biodiesel mix with regular diesel using the Ricardo Wave engine simulation. The B20 biodiesel mix contains eighty percent (80%) diesel and 20 percent (20%) fatty acid methyl esters (FAME). The study shows how the engine's power, torque, and fuel consumption are significantly influenced by the biodiesel mix ratio. Results indicate that B20 biodiesel produces far less torque throughout the whole RPM range than conventional diesel and may be used in diesel-designed engines with little loss of power. Biodiesel offers a competitive alternative fuel choice with a low engine efficiency penalty, outperforming conventional diesel in terms of brake thermal efficiency.