Bio-diesel: an alternative to fuel crisis

M. M. Muhamed MUNEEB

FUEL CRISIS: Petroleum is the driving force behind the contemporary world. In these days it is becoming a more and more demanded commodity. Because of this demand price is fluctuating day by day. There is another reason for this fluctuation; that is the highly volatile situation in the Middle East.

The petroleum price was increased four-folds within the last five years. The petroleum price was increased 30% within this year. People are unable to bear the fuel costs.

Most optimistic forecasters predict that petroleum oil supplies will last only for around 60 years. So we are in

 need of an alternate solution very soon. That’s why the world is thinking of Bio-diesel.

When we go back to the history, in 1900, Rudolf Diesel demonstrated his compression ignition engine at the World’s Exhibition in Paris. In that prototype engine he used peanut oil, the first bio-diesel.

Vegetable oils were used until the 1920s when an alteration was made to the engine enabling it to use a residue of petroleum diesel. In the mid 1970s, fuel shortages revived interest in developing bio-diesel as an alternative to petroleum diesel. Today 21 countries worldwide produce bio fuel.

Benefits of bio-diesel:

1. Bio-diesel is non toxic and environmental friendly:

* Life cycle emissions of greenhouse gases from Bio Diesel are 55% lower than fossil fuel diesel and the levels of all other local pollutants are reduced dramatically.

* The emissions of carbon monoxide (a poisonous gas) from Bio Diesel are 40% lower on average than carbon monoxide emissions from normal diesel.

* Sulphur emissions are a major contributor to acid rain. Oxides of sulphur emissions from Bio Diesel are at least 80% lower than Low Sulphur Fossil Diesel and are comparable to or lower than Ultra Low Sulphur Diesel (ULSD) due to the negligible sulphur content of Bio Diesel fuels.

* Nitrogen Oxides are a contributing factor in the localised formation of smog and ozone. Nitrogen Oxides emissions from bio diesel are comparable with those from ULSD. Emissions of Nitrogen Oxides from Bio Diesel can be significantly reduced by adjustment to the engine’s timing. Catalytic converters that reduce emissions from fossil diesel fuels function just as effectively with Bio Diesel fuel.

* Volatile Organic Compound emissions from Bio Diesel are 55% lower than Low Sulphur Fossil Diesel emissions.

2. Bio-diesel is biodegradable and renewable by nature.

3. Bio diesel is cheaper than mineral diesel. With fuel bills representing 35% of an operator’s costs.

4. Bio-diesel production system can produce employment.

5. Bio diesel has better ignition and combustion characteristics (due to a higher Cetane Index), which allows the engine to run more smoothly with less of the “knocking” sounds typical of diesel engines.

6. Biodiesel has very good intrinsic lubrication properties. Even blends as low as B1 (1% in ULSD) can improve the lubricity in highly de-sulphurised mineral diesel. In engines approved for operation with B100 Bio diesel, the engine wear is significantly reduced. There are many different definitions given to bio-diesel.

* Bio diesel is an alternative renewable fuel made from plant and animal oils that is used in diesel engines.

* Bio-diesel is a diesel fuel substitute produced from renewable sources such as vegetable oils, animal fats, and recycled cooking oils. Chemically, it is defined as the mono alkyl esters of long chain fatty acids derived from renewable lipid sources.

* Bio diesel is a biodegradable, nontoxic, and clean-burning fuel that can be made from any fat or vegetable oil, including recycled cooking oil.

* Methyl Ester as it’s also known, is a clean burning and renewable fuel alternative to mineral diesel made predominantly from vegetable oils.

There are so many oil yielding plants. Among them Jatropha curcas and Pongamia pinnata are chosen more potent species for varying situations. Between these two species Jatropha curcas is considered most potential not only to the growers but also to the processors and end users.

So Jatropha preferred over Pongamia.

Why Jatropha curcus?

There are several reasons to use Jatropha to produce bio-diesel.

* 31 to 37 % of oil is extracted from a Jatropha seed. Jatropha Curcas seed can be used as Bio diesel for any diesel engine without modification

* Selling treated Jatropha seeds, and quality sapling

* Dark blue dye and wax can be produced from the bark of the Jatropha curcas plants

* Jatropha plant Stem is used as a poor quality wood: Bio fuel

* Jatropha curcas leaves helps in dressing the wound.

* Jatropha roots help in making yellow dye

* Juice of the flowers of Jatropha curcas and the Jatropha stem has very good medicinal properties

* Pounded seeds are used in tanning

* Press Cake : Jatropha becomes Organic fertilizer and soil improver * Jatropha curcas extracted oil are used as : Bio Diesel, Varnishes, Illuminants, Soap, Pest control and Medicinal for skin diseases, as purgative

In Sri Lankan context Jatropha is an abandoned plant due to several reasons. But it can be seen in some part of the Island in patches such as Anuradhapura, Polonnaruwa, Kurunagala and Puttalam areas.

There are so many efforts are being made to produce bio-diesel out of Jatropha in our country but all are not repoted with that much of success when compared with India. They away ahead of us in the cultivation and oil extraction out of Jatropha.

The Indian government set targets for each and every year on Jatropha cultivation. For example the government has planned to cultivate 80 million Jatropha saplings in 2005 and completed with great success.

The Government can also think of Jatropha cultivation in barren lands and abandoned ones of our country. This cultivation system should be done very carefully planned to achieve a good out come.

Jatropha curcas					Pongamia pinnata

Minimum gestation period is only one year	Gestation period is long-6

Processing is comparatively easy due to		Processing is bit difficult
low density oil thus liked by processors	due to high density oil

Even without transesterification oil can be	Esterification is necessary
used for running static diesel engine	

High oil content up to 40%			Low oil content 27-34%

Seed yield and oil yield is higher per		Seed yield is lower 
ha of land