Blending vegetable oil with solvents
Vegetable oil may be blended with solvents as a substitute for petroleum-based diesel fuel. A blend thins the oil to near the viscosity of diesel fuel to improve the burn characteristics and reduce the gel-point. The resulting should be a uniform solution without precipitates.
Contents
Safety of light solvents in a diesel engine
Blending waste oils with solvents such as gasoline (petrol) or kerosene (paraffin) requires overcoming some myths that persist in the diesel industry. It is commonly believed that they will cause damage to a diesel engine; however, the British owner’s manuals for Mercedes-Benz ref, Mercedes 190D 2.5 Manual ref, BMW Owner's Manual (British) ref and Volkswagen Pickup owner’s manual (equipped with diesel engines from 1978 through 1991) state "UP TO 30% GASOLINE" (or kerosene in the USA) may be added for cold weather starting.
The Haynes Techbook (10330) Diesel Engine Repair Manual also states, "If gasoline is accidentally pumped into the fuel tank, it won't hurt the fuel system or the engine… Gasoline in small amounts – 0 to 30% - isn't noticeable. At higher ratios, the engine will make a knocking noise, which will get louder as the amount of gasoline goes up..."
Research at the University of Wisconsin shows gasoline can be used as a "spark plug" when blended with diesel fuel improves economy and emissions ref
Below 30% in a fuel blend for a diesel engine will not cause mechanical failure, though with higher solvent ratios, hot fuel system components may potentially cause a vapour-lock that prevents the fuel from being pumped.
Cosolvent blending
"Vegetable oils are an attractive renewable source for alternative diesel fuels. However, the relatively high kinematic viscosity of vegetable oils must be reduced to make them more compatible with conventional compression-ignition engines and fuel systems. Cosolvent blending is a low-cost and easy-to-adapt technology that reduces viscosity (and gel point) by diluting the vegetable oil with a low-(molecular weight solvent)." <ref>{{cite journal|last= Dunn|first=R. O.,|title= Low-temperature flow properties of vegetable oil/cosolvent blend diesel fuels.
The common method of blending
A petroleum distillate is blended with a vegetable oil to thin it out to near the viscosity of diesel fuel. The most common petroleum distillates used in blending are gasoline (petrol), kerosene (paraffin) and/or diesel fuel.
Note: kerosene is not a street-legal fuel in some countries, so there might be heavy fines resulting from its use. In the UK no solvent should be used that has not been subject to fuel duty.
Other solvents
Solvents successfully used in making blends for diesel engines are:
- Acetone
- Methyl Ethel Ketone (MEK)
- Pure Gum Turpentine (PGT)
- Xylene
- Toluene lacquer thinner
- Citrus oils
- Mineral spirits
- Paint thinners
Note: as above, some of these solvents are not street-legal, depending on your location, so there might be heavy fines resulting in their use. They may also have detrimental effects on hoses and seals.
Theory behind blending
The viscosity of vegetable oils varies from plant oil to plant oil; however, the average is about 12 times as viscous as diesel fuel. Viscosity is also a function of temperature, thus blend ratio is also a function of operating temperature.
Solvent ratios
Since the viscosity of diesel fuel is twice that of gasoline, then twice as much diesel fuel then gasoline would be required for the same thinning effect. The viscosity of kerosene (paraffin) is halfway between that of diesel fuel and gasoline.
Low Temperature Gelling
The gel-point of biodiesel, oils and solvents is the point at which a substance begins to solidify. When these substances are cooled below the gel-point, some of the molecules in these substances begin to aggregate and form crystals, which can plug a fuel filter. There are a number of commercially available additives that will significantly lower the pour point and cold filter plugging point of biodiesel and waste oils. Winter operation is also possible by blending these substances with other fuel oils including #2 low sulfur diesel fuel and #1 diesel / kerosene, and even gasoline.
Gel-point of blends
- Vegetable oils tend to gel at about 32F/0C
- Diesel fuel gels at about -22F/-30C
- Kerosene (paraffin) gels at about -60F/-51C
- Gasoline (petrol) gels at about -131F/-90C
However, a blend gels at a point between the gel points of its components, and is a function of the volumetric relationship between those components.
The typical functional blend ratios and useful temperature ranges
50% diesel fuel to 50% vegetable oil will run fine in a heated fuel line up to 212F (100c), and down to 28F (-2c) operating temperature.
30% kerosene (paraffin) to 70% vegetable oil will run fine in a heated fuel line up to 212F (100c), and down to 15F (-10c)operating temperature.
20% gasoline (petrol) to 80% vegetable oil will run fine in a heated fuel line up to 120F (50c) and down to 0F (-18c)operating temperature.
Blends of more than one solvent can be used
Some people prefer blending diesel fuel, vegetable oil and gasoline (petrol). Here are some functional relationships between the three components:
5% gasoline (petrol), to 40% diesel fuel, to 55% vegetable oil.
10% gasoline (petrol), to 30% diesel fuel, to 60% vegetable oil.
15% gasoline (petrol), to 20% diesel fuel, to 65% vegetable oil.
20% gasoline (petrol), to 10% diesel fuel, to 70% vegetable oil.
25% gasoline (petrol), to 0% diesel fuel, to 75% vegetable oil.
Blends with biodiesel
It is also common practice to blend solvents into biodiesel to prevent it from gelling at cold temperatures.
Gasoline (petrol), to Biodiesel blend ratios:
5% gasoline (petrol), to 95% biodiesel 28F (-2c) operating temperature.
10% gasoline (petrol), to 90% biodiesel 20F (-7c) operating temperature.
15% gasoline (petrol), to 85% biodiesel 10F (-12c) operating temperature.
20% gasoline (petrol), to 80% biodiesel 0F (-18c) operating temperature.
25% gasoline (petrol), to 75% biodiesel -10F (-23c) operating temperature.
Note: not all biodiesel gels at the same temperature, so biodiesel made from high melting point esters (HMPE) amy require higher levels of gasoline (petrol) added to it to prevent gelling.
The Blending Method
Blending methods vary; however, the most common method of making Blended Biofuels Diesel (BBD) is to blend the solvent with the source vegetable oil prior to settling, de-watering and filtering, because blending solvents with vegetable oils has three basic functions. Blending reduces the viscosity of the source oil, reduces its gel-point, and tends to force water, and other contaminants, out of solution. This means that thinned oil will drop its contaminant load much more quickly than the more viscous source oil. Where it is common for Straight Vegetable Oil users will settle their oil for weeks, blenders find they can settle their blend for as little as a few hours to a few days.
Thinned vegetable oils will also pass through a filter more quickly than the more viscous source oil. Where Straight Vegetable Oil users may gravity feed their SVO through a filter taking days, thinned vegetable oils will pass through a filter in minutes.
Blended oils will also remain liquid at lower temperatures, so that filtering can take place at much colder temperatures than the source oil will allow.
A solvent that is readily soluble in vegetable oils, such as petroleum distillates, do not require a great deal of agitation to dissolve into the source vegetable oil, and will remain in solution indefinitely. Thus, most blenders fill a settling drum to about 75% full with the source oil, then pour on top of that oil their solvent, such as gasoline (petrol), then rock the drum a little, or swirl a paddle a few times around in the solution.
Settling
Settling Blended Biofuels Diesel (BBD) prior to filtering is simply allowing the blend to remain undisturbed in its settling drum for anywhere from 3 hours to 3 days.
After an adequate settling period most blenders will drain off the precipitates that settle to the bottom of the settling drum. To facilitate drain off the precipitates blenders will tend to have a cone-shaped, or bell-shaped bottom on their settling drum, and will have a valve at the bottom for draining off those precipitates.
Precipitates
The precipitates that settle out from a blend will begin to settle out within minutes after agitation ceases. Those precipitates are primarily particulates and liquids. The particulates precipitates are mostly particles of dust, free-carbon and food particles. The liquid precipitate is mostly water, but there can also be animal fat and lacquers. The water precipitate can contain dissolved components which are common in the commercial kitchen, such as: salt, sugar and spices. Animal fat is problematic because of its high melting point. Lacquer is naturally occurring in vegetable oils.
Filters and Filtering
Cartridge and bag filters that are deigned for filtering drinking water are commonly used for filtering Blended Biofuels Diesel (BBD). They are very effective for filtering these fuel blend; however, one must keep in mind that some nations blend alcohol at various percentages into gasoline (petrol) fuel stocks. The alcohol content in gasoline (petrol) can cause deterioration of fuel hoses, seals and filter seals, so if one blends with gasoline (petrol), then one should be aware of the alcohol content in this fuel. Or, filter with bag filters which are not affected by alcohol content in the fluid stream being filtered.
See also
- Bioliquids (Link to be added)
- EcoJet concept car (Link to be added)
- Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 (Link to be added)
- Food vs fuel (Link to be added)
- Gasoline gallon equivalent (Link to be added)
- Greasestock (Link to be added)
- Sustainable biofuel (Link to be added)
- Table of biofuel crop yields (Link to be added)
- The Big Green Bus (Link to be added)
- Tonne of oil equivalent (Link to be added)
- Vegetable oil economy (Link to be added)
- Vegetable oil fuel (Link to be added)
External links
- Oliomap.com - Global VegOil / Biodiesel car-conversion and fuel source network map
- Fill Up 4 Free - Online community of WVO enthusiasts & map of people with oil to share
- Good Grease - How-to's, forums, links and community for Vegetable Oil as Fuel
- Journey to Forever SVO Page
- UVO at MIT
- Bio-oil CHP is booming!
- List of CHP producers
- BVP - German PPO fuel association - CHP page
- European Biodiesel Board website - European Biodiesel Industry.
- Sustainable Biodiesel Alliance
- National Biodiesel Education Program, University of Idaho -- unbiased, science-based information on biodiesel for biodiesel producers and distributors, fleet operators, farmers and feedstock producers, policy makers, and consumers.
- Towards Sustainable Production and Use of Resources: Assessing Biofuels by the United Nations Environment Programme, October 2009.
- Biodiesel Articles on eXtension -- eXtension (pronounced "E-Extension") is a wiki for extension professors and agents across the United States. The Farm Energy section contains over 30 articles on biodiesel, from the basics to more technical information.
Jhananda 15:42, 20 April 2011 (BST)
