Development of Sustainable Biofuel from Seed Waste Using Pyrolysis and Its Sustainability in the Compression Ignition Engine Application

Abstract

In recent decades, conventional diesel engines have faced serious challenges due to the depletion of fossil fuel sources. The current research investigates the feasibility of using waste Acacia nilotica (AN) seed pyrolysis oil as fuel in diesel engines. The pyrolysis investigations were carried out in a batch-type reactor at temperatures ranging from 400 °C to 650 °C, a heating rate of 10 °C/min, and feedstock sizes ranging from 0.2 to 1.7 mm. The maximum oil yield of 49% was obtained at 500 °C with an optimum particle size of 0.5 mm. The characterization of bio-oil was estimated with the help of Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), proton nuclear magnetic resonance (¹HNMR), and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis. FTIR analysis detected aliphatic functional groups in bio-oil. GC-MS analysis determined phenolic, acetic, and cresol compounds in pyrolysis oil. Bio-oil contains 64.78% aliphatic hydrocarbons (HC), according to ¹HNMR. Blends of AN and diesel were studied in diesel engines to investigate engine parameters, and the findings were compared to standard diesel. Under full load conditions, the efficiency of the AN10 (10% AN seed pyrolysis oil + 90% diesel) blend was discovered to be 32.8%, which is 2.3% lower than normal diesel, and oxides of nitrogen (NO_x) and smoke emissions were low. The findings confirmed that up to 30% of the AN blend can substitute for diesel in compression ignition (CI) engine applications.

Acknowledgments

The authors express their gratitude to the research laboratory support provided by the Vellore Institute of Technology, Vellore.

Disclosure Statement

The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this article.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Kuppan Baskaran

Kuppan Baskaran is a Full-time Ph.D. scholar in the School of Mechanical Engineering, Vellore Institute of Technology, Vellore, India, He is currently working on sustainable fuel production and application in internal combustion engines.

Cigurupadi Ganesan Mohan

Cigurupadi Ganesan Mohan working as an Associate Professor (Senior) in the School of Mechanical Engineering, Vellore Institute of Technology, Vellore, India. His research focuses on measures to reduce the climate impact of the energy system. His research deals partly with technical issues concerning alternative fuels for internal combustion engines and biomass pyrolysis. His work pays special attention to the use of non-fossil fuels such as biomass and renewable waste.