pp oil paper
TRANSCRIPT
This article was downloaded by: [Mohammedf Odat]On: 27 July 2011, At: 07:56Publisher: Taylor & FrancisInforma Ltd Registered in England and Wales Registered Number: 1072954 Registeredoffice: Mortimer House, 37-41 Mortimer Street, London W1T 3JH, UK
Energy Sources, Part A: Recovery,Utilization, and Environmental EffectsPublication details, including instructions for authors andsubscription information:http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/ueso20
Experimental Investigation of thePerformance of Pistachia Palestine Oil asa Diesel FuelM. Al-Hassan a & M. Q. Al-Odat b ca Department of Mechanical Engineering, Faculty of EngineeringTechnology, Al-Balqa' Applied University, Amman, Jordanb Yanbu Industrial College, Department of Mechanical EngineeringTechnology, Yanbu Al Sinaiyah, Saudi Arabiac Department of Mechanical Engineering, Al-Huson UniversityCollege, Al-Balqa' Applied University, Irbid, Jordan
Available online: 27 Jul 2011
To cite this article: M. Al-Hassan & M. Q. Al-Odat (2011): Experimental Investigation of thePerformance of Pistachia Palestine Oil as a Diesel Fuel, Energy Sources, Part A: Recovery, Utilization,and Environmental Effects, 33:19, 1760-1769
To link to this article: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/15567030903551182
PLEASE SCROLL DOWN FOR ARTICLE
Full terms and conditions of use: http://www.tandfonline.com/page/terms-and-conditions
This article may be used for research, teaching and private study purposes. Anysubstantial or systematic reproduction, re-distribution, re-selling, loan, sub-licensing,systematic supply or distribution in any form to anyone is expressly forbidden.
The publisher does not give any warranty express or implied or make any representationthat the contents will be complete or accurate or up to date. The accuracy of anyinstructions, formulae and drug doses should be independently verified with primarysources. The publisher shall not be liable for any loss, actions, claims, proceedings,demand or costs or damages whatsoever or howsoever caused arising directly or indirectlyin connection with or arising out of the use of this material.
Energy Sources, Part A, 33:1760–1769, 2011
Copyright © Taylor & Francis Group, LLC
ISSN: 1556-7036 print/1556-7230 online
DOI: 10.1080/15567030903551182
Experimental Investigation of the Performance of
Pistachia Palestine Oil as a Diesel Fuel
M. AL-HASSAN1 and M. Q. AL-ODAT2;3
1Department of Mechanical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering Technology,
Al-Balqa’ Applied University, Amman, Jordan2Yanbu Industrial College, Department of Mechanical Engineering Technology,
Yanbu Al Sinaiyah, Saudi Arabia3Department of Mechanical Engineering, Al-Huson University College,
Al-Balqa’ Applied University, Irbid, Jordan
Abstract In this study, Pistachia Palestine oil was tested to determine its thermo-
physical properties and combustion performance. The ultimate analysis of this oilwas conducted using a high pressure gas chromatography (model 2010). Moreover,
the Pistachia Palestine oil was blended with diesel fuel at a ratio of 5, 10, and 15(v/v%) and the fuel blends were tested in the Hilton combustion laboratory unit C
491 according to standard methods. Based on the fatty acid analyses, the elementalcomposition of the Pistachia Palestine was found to consist (wt%) of 76.4 carbon,
12.3 hydrogen, and 11.3 oxygen. Accordingly, the average chemical formula is C17:44
H33:4 O1:94. Compared with diesel fuel, Pistachia Palestine oil has a higher molecular
weight, viscosity, density, pour point, and cloud point; whereas it has a lower energycontent and stoichiometric air-fuel ratio. In addition, it was found that the stack
temperature and the thermal efficiency of the combustion unit decrease when the fuel
blends were being tested.
Keywords alternative fuel, combustion performance, fuel blends, ultimate analysis,vegetable oil
1. Introduction
The world’s high degree of dependency on energy has led to a large-scale effort in the
search for alternative energy sources. Petroleum fuels as energy sources are expected
to have a limited and restricted life, so alternative resources such as nuclear, hydraulic,
geothermal, wind, and biomass are gradually replacing these sources.
Biomass is considered as one of the most promising renewable future energy sources
due to its large potential, economic viability and various social and environmental ben-
efits. Additionally, it is the fourth largest source of energy in the world, which provides
approximately 14% of the world’s energy needs (Scurlock et al., 1993).
The term biomass covers purpose-grown agricultural crops (e.g., oil seeds), conven-
tional agricultural crops (sugar and starch), and trees. It also covers agricultural forests,
agro, industrial and domestic wastes and residues.
A further method of extracting energy from biomass is the production of vegetable
oils as a fuel. There are many crops grown in rural areas of the world, which are
Address correspondence to Dr. Mohammed Al-Odat, Yanbu Industrial College, Department ofMechanical Engineering Technology, P.O. Box 30436, Yanbu Al Sinaiyah, Saudi Arabia. E-mail:m_alodat@ yahoo.com
1760
Dow
nloa
ded
by [
Moh
amm
edf
Oda
t] a
t 07:
56 2
7 Ju
ly 2
011
Pistachia Palestine Oil as Diesel Fuel 1761
suitable for oil production: coconut, groundnut, palm, soybean, sunflower, safflower, corn,
rapeseed, sesame, cottonseed, and more.
Vegetable oils are considered as a major alternative biomass source of fuel. The
advantages of vegetable oils as fuel are their heat content, portability, ready availability,
and the fact that they are renewable sources. However, a major obstacle deterring their
use in the heating systems is their high viscosities which are about 10 to 20 times greater
than that of conventional diesel fuel. High viscosities cause poor atomization of the fuel,
incomplete combustion, and ultimately results in operational problems (Peterson, 1986).
For many years, the ready availability of inexpensive petroleum distillate fuels
provided little incentive for experimenting with alternative renewable fuels for heating
systems. However, because of the first worldwide energy crises in 1973, the studies
done on this subject increased. The utilization possibilities of pure or mixed uses of
various refined vegetable oils, used vegetable oils, crude, or oil recovered from residues
and wastes of chemical operations have been tested as a diesel fuel alternative by
numerous researchers (Coombos, 1992; Elliot, 1990; Raymond and Larvor, 1986; White
and Plaskett, 1981). Additionally, the Southwest Research Institute (Reid et al., 1989)
evaluated the chemical and physical properties of 14 vegetable oils. These injection
studies pointed out that the oils behave very differently from petroleum-based fuels.
Bettis et al. (1982) evaluated sunflower, safflower, and rapeseed oils as possible sources
for liquid fuels. The vegetable oils were found to contain 94 to 95% of the energy
content of diesel fuel, and to be approximately 15 times more viscous. Goering et al.
(1981) studied the characteristic properties of eleven vegetable oils to determine the best
suited oil for use as an alternative fuel source. Of the eleven oils tested, corn, rapeseed,
sesame, cottonseed, and soybean oils had the most favorable fuel properties.
At present the use of vegetable oils as alternative diesel fuel was found to be
successful in application in many countries, such as France, Germany, Italy, Austria,
Spain, Sweden, Czech Republic, and the United States of America.
Pistachia Palestine oil (PP oil) is one of the vegetable oils that can be considered
as a new fuel alternative for boilers. However, its utilization for this purpose has not
reported yet in the literature.
The potentials of PP oil as an alternative fuel for diesel engine were investigated in a
previous study (Al-Hasan, 2000). The engine performance characteristics obtained with
the fuel blends did not differ greatly from that of pure diesel fuel. The total evaluations
of the results suggested that 20% by volume of PP oil blended in diesel fuel could be
used as a diesel fuel alternative.
The objectives of this study were to investigate the thermo-chemical properties of PP
oil in terms of chemical composition, heating value, air-fuel ratio, cloud point, and pour
point. Moreover, PP oil-diesel fuel blends were tested in a diesel-fired combustion unit
(similar to residential diesel-fired boiler). Experimental tests were conducted at different
operating conditions in order to identify potential benefits in combustion performance
while noting any combustion problems caused by using PP oil as a diesel fuel replacement
in small-scale residential heating applications. The measured experimental parameters
were the inlet and outlet water temperatures, water flow rate, air and fuel mass flow
rates, and stack temperature.
2. Experimental Apparatus and Procedures
In this experimental study, diesel fuel and PP oil were used. The diesel fuel was obtained
from a commercial gas station in Jordan, and the PP oil was extracted from the PP fruit.
Dow
nloa
ded
by [
Moh
amm
edf
Oda
t] a
t 07:
56 2
7 Ju
ly 2
011
1762 M. Al-Hassan and M. Q. Al-Odat
The process of oil extraction was carried out in the same way as the extraction of edible
oil from plants. The fuel blends were prepared by making 5, 10, and 15% (v/v) mixes
of PP oil in diesel fuel. Experiments were performed on two stages: (1) determination
of the thermo-chemical properties of PP oil and (2) the determination of the combustion
performance of both PP oil-diesel fuel blends and reference diesel fuel.
2.1. Thermo-chemical Properties
These properties usually depend on both chemical composition and types of bonds found
in the oil. For this reason, the ultimate analysis was performed on PP oil to determine the
elemental composition according to the standard method of fat analysis (Coks and Van,
1966). The fatty acid (FA) composition of PP oil was determined using high pressure gas
chromatography (GC) model 2010 equipped with a split injector (AOC-20i; Shimadzu
Scientific Instruments, Kyoto, Japan), a flame ionization detector, and a DB-23 (60 m
length, 0.25 mm I.D., 0.15 �m film thickness) column (Agilent Technologies, Tokyo,
Japan) with maximum temperature of 260ıC. The operational conditions for GC were as
follows: the starting temperature was 165ıC and this temperature was retained for 8 min;
then the temperature was increased to 185ıC with a rate of 1ıC/min. The temperature
then increased and maintained at 220ıC at a rate of 5ıC/min for a time period of 10
min. The injector and detector temperatures were set at 230ıC and 240ıC, respectively,
and helium was used as a carrier gas at a flow rate of 1.20 mL/min. The FA composition
was reported as a relative percentage of the total peak area. Each FA determination was
run in triplicate, and average values were reported (Table 1).
Flow property of fuels can be characterized by cloud and pour points. The cloud
point is important for ensuring a good performance in cold temperatures. It is defined
as the temperature at which small solid crystals are first visually observed as the fuel
is cooled. The pour point is the temperature at which the fuel is a non-flowing gel and
Table 1
PP oil ultimate analysis
Fatty acid
Molecular mass,
(kg kmol�1)
Percent contribution of
element, %
Trivial name Symbol %, by weight Fatty acid Contribution C H O
Myristic C14H28O2 C14:0 0.06 228.377 0.137 73.630 12.359 14.011
Palmitic C16H32O2 C16:0 26.82 256.431 68.775 74.943 12.579 12.479
Palmitoleic C16H30O2 C16:1 3.57 254.415 9.083 75.536 11.886 12.577
Heptadecanoic C17H34O2 C17:0 0.06 270.458 0.162 75.497 12.672 11.831
Heptadecenoic C17H32O2 C17:1 0.095 268.442 0.255 76.064 12.016 11.920
Stearic C18H36O2 C18:0 1.53 284.485 4.353 75.996 12.756 11.248
Oleic C18H34O2 C18:1 47.76 282.469 134.907 76.539 12.133 11.328
Linoleic C18H32O2 C18:2 19.07 280.453 53.482 77.089 11.501 11.410
Linolenic C18H30O2 C18:3 0.71 278.437 1.977 77.647 10.861 11.492
Arachidic C20H40O2 C20:0 0.12 312.539 0.375 76.861 12.901 10.238
Gadoleic C20H38O2 C20:1 0.125 310.523 0.388 77.360 12.335 10.305
Erucic C22H42O2 C22:0 0.03 338.577 0.102 78.045 12.504 9.451
Lignoceric C24H48O2 C24:0 0.05 368.647 0.184 78.195 13.125 8.680
Sum 100.00 — 274.180a 76.416a 11.305a 12.279a
aAverage value.
Dow
nloa
ded
by [
Moh
amm
edf
Oda
t] a
t 07:
56 2
7 Ju
ly 2
011
Pistachia Palestine Oil as Diesel Fuel 1763
contains so many agglomerated crystals. The cloud (CP) and pour points (PP) of PP oil
were measured according to ASTM D2500 and ASTM D97, respectively.
2.2. Combustion Test
The Hilton combustion laboratory unit C 491 was used to conduct this experimental work.
The schematic diagram of the unit is shown in Figure 1. The unit mainly consists of a
combustion chamber and is attached to the unit auxiliary devices which are necessary for
supplying and measuring the combustion air, cooling water, and fuels. The combustion
chamber is a double shell stainless steel tube with an internal diameter of 46 cm and a
length of 91 cm. Water jackets with space of 25 mm on the cylinder and 38 mm on the
end plate were added to cool the combustion chamber. The combustion air was supplied
through a regulator using a three-stage centrifugal blower. The regulator maintains a gage
pressure of approximately 250 mm H2O at the burner. An orifice plate and a differential
manometer with direct reading scales, calibrated from 0 to 160 kg h�1 were used to
measure the mass airflow rate. Cooling water was supplied to the water jackets from
an overhead tank through a glass tube Rotameter with direct reading scale from 0 to
1,600 kg h�1. Three thermometers were used to measure the inlet air temperature at the
blower outlet pipe, the water temperatures at entry to test rig and the water temperature
at exit of end plate. The fuel was supplied from an overhead tank with a height of about
2.5 m above the combustion unit and the fuel mass flow rate was measured by a glass
Figure 1. Schematic diagram of the Hilton combustion unit. 1—water cooled combustion chamber;
2—refractory quarl; 3—three stage blower fan; 4—rotameters; 5—water input; 6—stack; 7—
thermocouple; 8—thermometers; 9—oil pressure regulator; 10—air flow control; 11—gas input;
12—gravity fuel tank; 13—observation window.
Dow
nloa
ded
by [
Moh
amm
edf
Oda
t] a
t 07:
56 2
7 Ju
ly 2
011
1764 M. Al-Hassan and M. Q. Al-Odat
tube Rotameter with direct reading scale from 0 to 13 kg h�1. A coated chromel-alumel
thermocouple measured the stack temperature through the stack inlet.
The ignition procedures were conducted according to the instruction manual and
steady conditions were established on gaseous fuel (LPG). Then the fuel was changed
over to the tested fuel. The unit was operated at a constant fuel flow with varying air
flow rate to obtain different air- fuel ratios (i.e., different runs). At each air-fuel ratio,
the steady conditions were allowed to be reached and then the readings were taken for
the water mass flow rate (mw), inlet (Tin), and outlet (Tout ) water temperatures, air inlet
temperature, air (ma), and fuel (mf ) mass flow rates and stack temperature (Tst ). The
water mass flow rate was adjusted and kept constant for each run. Each reading was
repeated three times and the result was the average of three readings.
3. Result and Discussions
3.1. PP Oil Chemical Composition
The PP oil chemical composition is determined using the ultimate analysis.The ultimate
analysis was performed to determine the fatty acid compositions and accordingly, to
calculate its elemental composition. Fatty acids, which are found in PP oil and its weight
percent content, are listed in Table 1. As shown in the table, fatty acids vary in their
carbon chain length and in the number of double bonds. Fatty acid chains from PP oil
are 14 to 24 carbons long with zero to three double bonds. The chains without double
bonds are said to be saturated (palmitic acid, stearic acid, arachidic acid, lignoceric acid,
myristic acid, heptadecanoic acid, and erucic acid) and those with a single double bond
are monounsaturated (palmitoleic acid, heptadecenoic acid, gadoleic acid, and oleic acid),
and with two and three double bonds are polyunsaturated (linoleic acid and linolenic
acid). According to Harrington (1986) the high proportions of saturated (28.7%) and
monounsaturated (51.55%) fatty acids in PP oil are considered optimal from a fuel
quality standpoint, because the polymerization during the combustion of the derived fuel
from this oil would be less than that would occur with polyunsaturated fatty acid-derived
fuel.
Based on the fatty acids analyses, shown in Table 1, the elemental composition of
the PP oil was found to consist of 76.4 wt% carbon, 12.3 wt% hydrogen, and 11.3 wt%
oxygen. Moreover, the calculated average chemical formula is C17:44 H33:4 O1:94.
3.2. PP Oil Physical Properties
Knowing the elemental composition of the fuels used for the experiment, the stoichio-
metric air-fuel ratio and the lower heating value of the fuels can be determined as shown
in Appendix A. The computation values of stoichiometric air-fuel ratio and lower heating
value of PP oil, diesel fuel, and its mixtures are presented in Tables 2 and 3.
In order to provide a broader view of PP oil, a comparison of its thermo-physical
properties with diesel fuel and the most common fatty acids occurring in vegetable oils
(others are present in small amounts) was conducted (see Table 4). As shown in the
table, the lower heating value and the stoichiometric AFR of PP oil are approximately
13.8 and 10% respectively, less than that of diesel fuel on a mass basis. This might be
attributed to the elemental composition of fuel (i.e., quantities of C and H), and these
portions of PP oil are lower compared to diesel fuel. This factor causes lower LHV of PP
oil because C and H are the energy sources. In addition, the data in Table 4 indicate that
Dow
nloa
ded
by [
Moh
amm
edf
Oda
t] a
t 07:
56 2
7 Ju
ly 2
011
Pistachia Palestine Oil as Diesel Fuel 1765
Table 2
Fuels lower heating value calculation, kJ � kg�1
Percent contribution
of element
Lower heating
valueFatty acids
and diesel fuel
%, by
weight C H O Fatty acid Contribution
Myristic 0.06 73.630 12.359 14.011 36,244.84 21.75
Palmitic 26.82 74.943 12.579 12.479 37,085.27 9,946.27
Palmitoleic 3.57 75.536 11.886 12.577 36,563.02 1,305.30
Heptadecanoic 0.06 75.497 12.672 11.831 37,440.10 22.46
Heptadecenoic 0.095 76.064 12.016 11.920 36,947.81 35.10
Stearic 1.53 75.996 12.756 11.248 37,759.94 577.73
Oleic 47.76 76.539 12.133 11.328 37,294.38 17,811.79
Linoleic 19.07 77.089 11.501 11.410 36,822.12 7,021.98
Linolenic 0.71 77.647 10.861 11.492 36,343.02 258.04
Arachidic 0.12 76.861 12.901 10.238 38,313.49 45.98
Gadoleic 0.125 77.360 12.335 10.305 37,893.58 47.37
Erucic 0.03 78.045 12.504 9.451 38,393.49 11.52
Lignoceric 0.05 78.195 13.125 8.680 39,167.85 19.58
Sum (PP oil LHV) 37,124.86
Diesel fuel, C12:35H21:76 87.12 12.88 — — 42,823
the oxygen content in the PP oil is about 11.3% by weight, and this would be enhancing
the combustion process and reducing the emission of harmful substances. The density of
PP oil is higher by about 9.68%, and its viscosity, cloud point, and pour point are 10, 5,
and 4 times, respectively, higher than that of diesel fuel.
In addition, as shown in Table 4, the differences between oils from different sources
relate to the weight percent contents of fatty acids in the oil. It can be seen from this
table that PP oil has higher saturated fatty acids (palmitic and stearic) than that of olive
(OV), soybean (SB), canola (CN), and sunflower (SF) oils and lower than that of palm
(PM) oil. Its unsaturated fatty acids (oleic, linoleic, and linolenic) are lower than that
of olive, soybean, sunflower, and canola oils and higher than palm oil. According to
Table 3
Composition properties of fuel mixtures
Fuel mixture, v%
Diesel
fuel PP oil
Stoichiometric
AFR, kg kg�1
Lower heating
value, kJ kg�1
100 0 14.44 42,823
95 5 14.34 42,498
90 10 14.23 42,178
85 15 14.13 41,860
Dow
nloa
ded
by [
Moh
amm
edf
Oda
t] a
t 07:
56 2
7 Ju
ly 2
011
1766 M. Al-Hassan and M. Q. Al-Odat
Table 4
Technical property of diesel fuel and vegetable oils
Vegetable oils
Fuel properties DF PP OVb PMb SBc CNd SFb
Specific gravity,a 15ıC 0.82 0.906 0.912 0.918 0.9150 0.92 0.921
Viscosity,a 40ıC (cSt) 4.10 40.0 46.5 42.00 41.2 37.0 34.2
Cloud point, ıC 2.0 10.0 N.A N.A �3.9 �3.9 7.2
Pour point, ıC �9 3 N.A 6 �12.2 �31.7 �12.2
Total sulfur (w%) 1.0 0.011 N.A N.A N.A N.A N.A
AFR Stoichiometric (kg/kg) 14.4 12.55 N.A N.A N.A N.A N.A
Lower heating value (MJ kg�1) 42.8 37.12 N.A 38.0 37.9 36.9 36.8
Fatty acid composition (w%)
Palmitic acid, C16:0 — 26.82 13.21 32–46 10.6 4–5 6.38
Stearic acid, C18:0 — 1.53 3.11 4–6 4.28 1–2 4.59
Palmitoleic acid, C16:1 — 3.57 N.A N.A N.A N.A N.A
Oleic acid, C18:1 — 47.76 73.6 37–53 29.69 55–63 19.05
Linoleic acid, C18:2 — 19.07 9.26 6–12 52.34 20–31 69.98
Linolenic acid, C18:3 — 0.71 N.A N.A N.A 9–10 N.A
Total saturated FA 28.13 16.32 36–52 14.88 5–7 10.87
Total unsaturated FA 71.11 82.86 43–65 82.9 84 79.3
Calculated molecular weight
(kg kmol�1)
Fatty acid — 274 278 N.A 278 N.A 279
Oil — 864 868 N.A 871 N.A 874
Diesel fuel 170.27 — — — — — —
a;b;c; and d are taken from Al-Hasan (2000), Ozaktas et al. (1997), Tyson et al. (2004), and Applewhite
(1980), respectively. N.A: not available.
Kinast (2003), Cetane number and oxidative stability of PP oil will be better than that
of vegetable oils with a lower amount of saturated fatty acids, but it will be of poor cold
flow properties. The molecular weight, lower heating value, density, and viscosity of PP
oil are quite close to that of vegetable oils.
3.3. Combustion Performance
3.3.1. Stack Temperature. The variation of stack temperature (Tst ) of the combustion
unit at different relative air–fuel ratio (RAFR) for diesel fuel and PP oil-diesel fuel
blends is presented in Figure 2. As shown in the figure, nonlinear behavior of the stack
temperature was observed for all fuels. This behavior was expected, because the AFR
controlled the combustion quality and consequently the stack temperature. Therefore, at
slightly lean mixtures, when the RAFR was converging to stoichiometric, the Tst reached
its maximum values, while prior to and beyond stoichiometric, at rich and lean mixtures,
the Tst decreased. In addition, when the PP oil blended with diesel fuel, the Tst decreased
due to the decrease in the mixture heating values and to the presence of oxygen in the
fuel blends which decreased the combustion rate.
3.3.2. Combustion Unit Thermal Efficiency. The thermal efficiency (�th) is a measure
of how effectively the heat content of a fuel is transferred into usable heat, and can be
Dow
nloa
ded
by [
Moh
amm
edf
Oda
t] a
t 07:
56 2
7 Ju
ly 2
011
Pistachia Palestine Oil as Diesel Fuel 1767
Figure 2. Stack temperature against equivalence FAR for tested fuels.
determined, assuming boiler system, as follows:
�th DQw
Qf
DPmw � Cpw.Tin � Tout /
Pmf � LHV; (1)
where Qw is the actual heat transferred to the cooling water, Qf is the fuel input heat,
and Cpw (J kg�1K�1) is the water specific heat capacity.
The thermal efficiency as a function of the relative air-fuel ratio during the combus-
tion unit operation on diesel fuel and different fuel blends is shown in Figure 3. It is
obvious that the thermal efficiency reached its maximum value at slightly lean mixtures,
i.e., for RAFR equal to 1.05, 1.05, 1.0, and 1.0 for the diesel fuel and for the fuel blends of
5, 10, and 15% respectively, due to the optimum utilization of the fuel. At the same time
as 1.05 < RAFR < 1.0 the thermal efficiency decreases due to the lower reaction rate,
especially in lean mixtures, accordingly incomplete combustion of the fuel-air mixtures
occurs. Also from Figure 3, it can be observed that the thermal efficiency decreases
Figure 3. Thermal efficiency against equivalence FAR for tested fuels.
Dow
nloa
ded
by [
Moh
amm
edf
Oda
t] a
t 07:
56 2
7 Ju
ly 2
011
1768 M. Al-Hassan and M. Q. Al-Odat
when diesel fuel–PP oil blends were used instead of pure diesel fuel. This decrease can
be explained as follows: as can be seen in Table 3, the minimum amount of air needed for
complete combustion and the lower heating value of PP oil are lower than that of diesel
fuel while the lower heating values of stoichiometric air–PP oil mixtures (2.94 MJ kg�1)
and air-diesel fuel mixtures (2.96 MJ � kg�1) are very close. Therefore, when PP oil is
used, more oil was consumed to obtain the same output energy with the same amount of
air, thus decreasing the thermal efficiency. Furthermore, absorption of heat by the excess
air, due to presence of oxygen in PP oil which reduces the amount of heat transferred to
the furnace walls (water jacket), is another reason for thermal efficiency decrease.
4. Conclusions
An experimental study on PP oil was performed to determine both the elemental composition
and the combustion performance. The results were compared with pure diesel fuel and with
vegetable oils. The findings of this research can be summarized in the following points:
� The ultimate analysis and the consequent fatty acid composition of the PP oil differ
from the most common vegetable oils used in previous studies. On the one hand,
the PP oil is rich in oleic (47.76%), linoleic (19.07%), and palmitic (26.82%)
acids, while on the other hand, its molecular weight, lower heating value, and
density are very close to other vegetable oils.
� The stack temperature and the thermal efficiency of the combustion unit decreases
when the unit operates on PP oil–diesel fuel blends, due to the decrease in the
lower heating value of the fuel blends compared with diesel fuel.
� The major problem the researchers encountered was the high viscosity of PP oil
when used as an alternative fuel. Due to this problem, the maximum percentage
of the PP oil that can be added to diesel fuel with successful operation of the
combustion unit is 15%.
References
Al-Hasan, M. 2000. Oil from Pistachia Palestine as a fuel. Biomass & Bioenergy 23:381–386.
Applewhite, T. H. 1980. Encyclopaedia of Chemical Technology, Third Ed. New York, NY: John-
Wiley & Sons, pp. 795–811.
Artamonov, M. D., Ilarionov, V. A., and Morin, M. M. 1976. Motor Vehicles Fundamental and
Design. English translation. Moscow: Mir Publishers, p. 23.
Bettis, B. L., Peterson, C. L., Auld, D. L. Driscoll, D. J., and Peterson, E. D. 1982. Fuel character-
istics of vegetable oil from oilseed crops in the Pacific Northwest. Agronomy J. 74:335–339.
Coks, L. V., and Van, R. C. 1966. Laboratory Handbook for Oil and Fat Analysis. London:
Academic.
Coombos, J. L. 1992. A strategy for commercial exploitation of biomass in Europe. In: Proceeding
of the Second World Renewable Energy Congress, Vol. 3, Oxford: Paragon, pp. 1190–1200.
Elliot, T. P. 1990. An overview on biomass energy. In: Proceeding of the First World Renewable
Energy Congress, Vol. 3, Oxford: Paragon, pp. 1807–1811.
Goering, C. E., Schwab, A. W., Daugherty, M. J., Pryde, E. H., and Heakin, A. J. 1981. Fuel
properties of eleven vegetable oils. ASAE Paper No. 81-3579. St. Joseph, MI: ASAE.
Harrington, K. J. 1986. Chemical and physical properties of vegetable oil esters and their effect
on diesel fuel performance. Biomass 9:1–17.
Heywood, J. B. 1989. Internal Combustion Engine Fundamentals. New York: Mc-Graw Hill, p. 69.
Kinast, J. A. 2003. Production of biodiesel from multiple feedstocks and properties of biodiesel
and biodiesel/diesel blends. NREL/SR-510-31460, Golden, CO: National Renewable Energy
Laboratory.
Dow
nloa
ded
by [
Moh
amm
edf
Oda
t] a
t 07:
56 2
7 Ju
ly 2
011
Pistachia Palestine Oil as Diesel Fuel 1769
Ozaktas, K., Cigizoglu, B., and Karaosmanoglu, F. 1997. Alternative diesel fuel study on four
different types of vegetable oils of Turkish origin. Energy Sources 19:173–181.
Peterson, C. L. 1986. Vegetable oil as a diesel fuel: Status and research priorities. Trans. ASAE
29:1413–1422.
Raymond, W. F., and Larvor, P. 1986. Alternative Uses for Agricultural Surpluses. London: Elsevier
Applied Science.
Reid, J. F., Hansen, A. C., and Goering, C. E. 1989. Quantifying diesel injector coking with
computer vision. Trans. ASAE 32:1503–1506.
Scurlock, J. M., Hall, O. D., and House, J. I. 1993. Utilizing biomass crops as an energy source:
A European perspective. Water, Air, & Soil Pollution 70:499–518.
Tyson, K. S., Bozell, J., Wallace, R., Petersen, E., and Moens, L. 2004. Biomass oil analysis: Re-
search needs and recommendations. NREL/TP-510-34796, Golden, CO: National Renewable
Energy Laboratory.
White, L. P., and Plaskett, L. G. 1981. Biomass as Fuel. London: Academic Press.
Appendix A
A.1. Stoichiometric Air-fuel Ratio
The overall complete combustion equation (Heywood, 1989) is:
CaHb C
�
a Cb
4
�
.O2 C 3:377N2/ D aCO2 Cb
2.H2O/ C
�
a Cb
4
�
.3:77N2/: (A.1)
Based upon the ratio from Eq. (A.1), the molecular weights of oxygen, atmospheric
nitrogen, atomic carbon, and atomic hydrogen are 15.9994, 28.16, 12.011, and 1.008,
respectively. For PP oil:
C17:67H33:6O1:9 C 25:1.O2 C 3:77N2/ D 17:67CO2 C 16:8H2O C 25:1.3:77N2/: (A.2)
Thus, the stoichiometric AFR (kg kg�1) for PP oil is 12.56:1.
By using the previous procedures, the stoichiometric AFR for diesel fuel is 14.44.
For PP oil–diesel fuel mixture:
.AFR/mix D†.�i � �i � AFRi /
†.�i � �i/: (A.3)
A.2. Lower Heating Value (LHV)
If the elemental compositions of fuel are known, its LHV (MJ kg�1) can be estimated
using the Mendeleyev formula (Artamonov et al., 1976) as shown below:
LHV D 3391C C 125:6H � 10:89.Oy � S/ � 251.9H C W /; (A.4)
where C , H , Oy, S , and W represent the elemental composition of fuels (Table 2).
For PP oil–diesel fuel mixture:
.LHV /mix D†.�i � �i � LHVi /
†.�i � �i /: (A.5)
In Eqs. (A.2) and (A.4), the volumetric percentage, �i , of fuel constituent i is:
�i .%/ D
�
Vi
Vtot
�
� 100; (A.6)
where Vi and Vtot are the volume of the fuel of constituent i and the total volume of the
mixture respectively, �i is the constituent i fuel density.
Dow
nloa
ded
by [
Moh
amm
edf
Oda
t] a
t 07:
56 2
7 Ju
ly 2
011