Biodiesel production from a new feedstock raphanus sativus seed an optimization performance and emission studies

Abstract

Fuels derived from conventional fossil resources have been the newlinepredominant form of energy for a few decades. However, it has been observed newlinethat fossil fuel availability would eventually run out. The diminishing supply newlineof conventional fossil fuel reserves, their adverse effects on the ecosystem, newlinewhich includes the formation of harmful gases and pollutants, together with newlineworries about the economy and energy demand, have prompted the quest for a newlinenew, sustainable, readily available, inexpensive, environmentally friendly, newlineand renewable energy source to replace the presently available petro-diesel newlinefuel. Vegetable oil has been found to be one of the potential alternatives for newlineneat diesel in the aforementioned scenario. However, the primary drawbacks newlineof these oils are their extremely high viscosity, poor volatility, and associated newlineproblems that arise from employing them for a prolonged duration of time in newlineengines. These challenges can be resolved by converting these vegetable oils newlineinto alkyl esters. The alkyl esters derived from vegetable oil are termed newlinebiodiesel, the best suitable substitute for petro-diesel owing to their renewable newlineand low-emission facilities. newlineDue to the high biodegradability and non-existent toxic substances, newlinebiodiesel from renewable sources such as animal fats, edible and non-edible newlineoils, and algae has become a popular replacement for conventional newlinepetro-diesel. In the meantime, feedstock alone costs approximately 60 to 70 % newlineof the cost required for biodiesel production. As a result, identifying the newlineappropriate, affordable, and effective feedstock is essential for the continual newlineproduction of biodiesel with minimum process cost. newline