KABEER YOUSUF
@kabeeryousef
A group of experts from Sultan Qaboos University (SQU) has come out with a solution to recycle used cooking oil and convert it into biodiesel.
If it works well, this can be a breakthrough achievement for the Sultanate’s scientific community.
The project called ‘Biodiesel production from waste cooking oil for use as fuel: Integrating environmental, economic, and social aspects’ by Principal Investigator Dr Sanket Joshi from the Oil and Gas Research Centre and his project is one of the seven research projects that won the 2021 Royal Grant.
“Biodiesel is one such alternative liquid fuel which is almost similar to petro-based diesel and is defined as monoalkyl esters of long chain fatty acids derived from a renewable lipid feedstock, such as vegetable oil or animal fat, for use in diesel engines,” says Dr Sanket Joshi.
His study is based on the background that worldwide fossil fuel (liquid/crude oil-based) demand is projected to exceed 100 million bpd (barrel per day) by 2040, with diesel dominated by more than five million barrels per day, according to the International Energy Association, 2019-20 report.
Hence, the need of the hour is a better and long-lasting, renewable and environment-friendly energy fuel substitute in light of the dwindling resources, uncertainty in crude oil prices, and harmful environmental impact.
“The conversion of vegetable oils into biodiesel is an effective way to overcome all the problems associated with the vegetable oils. Dilution, micro-emulsification, pyrolysis, and transesterification are some of the techniques applied to solve the problems encountered with the high fuel viscosity,” he said.
Biodiesel is an oxygenated, sulfur-free, biodegradable, non-toxic, and eco-friendly alternative-diesel oil. It is typically produced by a catalysed transesterification reaction in which vegetable oil or animal fat reacts with alcohol and alkali. As an alternative fuel, biodiesel can be used in the ‘neat form (B100) or mixed with petroleum-based diesel. No engine modification to the vehicle is required, resulting in a less expensive, renewable, clean-burning fuel.
Biodiesel can be made from various natural vegetable (edible) oils, non-edible oils, animal fat, algae, recycled cooking oil, and even wood.
We can also use vegetable oil in diesel engines; however, the injection and atomisation characteristics of the vegetable oils are significantly different from those of petroleum-derived diesel fuels, mainly due to their high viscosities.
Modern diesel engines have a fuel-injection system that is sensitive to viscosity change. According to Dr Sanket, one way to avoid these problems is to reduce the fuel viscosity of vegetable oil to improve its performance.
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