Performance of palm oil-diesel blending inside liquid spray burner

Abstract

The problems of global warming and the unstable price of petroleum oils have led to a race to develop environmentally friendly biofuels, such as palm oil diesel or ethanol derived from corn and sugar cane. Biofuels are a potential replacement for fossil fuel, since they are renewable and environmentally friendly. This paper evaluates the combustion performance and emission characteristics of Refined, Bleached, and Deodorized Palm Oil (RBDPO)/diesel blends B5, B10, and B15 by volume, using an industrial oil burner. Emissions released were measured at the exit to the chamber using a gas analyser. The results show that the B15 blend generated the lowest emission with a 69% reduction in carbon monoxide (CO), 44% in oxide of nitrogen (NOX) and 34% in unburned hydrocarbon compared to conventional diesel fuel (CDF). However, the temperature profile for B15 is the lowest implying that the heat released is much lower than the other blends. Biodiesel blend of B5 showed the highest temperature profile besides diesel, which gave the highest temperatures.