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Bio diesel 101:

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 Raw Oil

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Raw Oils

Attempts have been made to use raw oils in engines since at least 1900 when the Otto company demonstrated the use of peanut oil in a diesel engine at the Paris Exhibition.

Most experiments of this type have shown that diesel engines will run on raw oils but usually the performance will degrade over time. After a period of several hundred hours, engine inspection shows large amounts of fuel dilution of the lubricating oil causing thickening and sludge formation. Piston rings are usually seized or broken, because of excessive carbon deposits. Fuel injection equipment can be coated with varnish deposits. The best experience with using raw oils in engine seems to come from indirect-injection engines and using only 5-10% blends of the oil in diesel fuel. Most of the problems associated with the use of raw oils in engines are caused by higher viscosity. It has been suggested that these problems can be addressed by heating the oil (usually with engine coolant) and starting and stopping the engine with regular diesel fuel. This approach has been used with some success although long-term durability has not been proven.

The following references describe the effects that raw oils can have on engines:

[1] Baldwin JD, Klimkowski CH, Keesey, MA. Fuel additives for vegetable oil-fueled compression ignition engines. Vegetable oil fuels--proceedings of the International Conference on Plant and Vegetable Oils as Fuels, 224, ASAE Publication 4-82, Fargo, ND, 1982.

[2] Baranescu RA, Lusco JJ. Performance, durability and low temperature evaluation of sunflower oil as a diesel fuel extender. Vegetable oil fuels--proceedings of the International Conference on Plant and Vegetable Oils as Fuels, 312-328, Aug, 1982.

[3] Fort EF, Blumberg PN. Peformance and durability of a turbocharged diesel fueled with cottonseed oil blends. Vegetable oil fuels--proceedings of the International Conference on Plant and Vegetable Oils as Fuels, 374-382, Aug, 1982.

[4] Fuls J, Hawkins CS, Hugo FJC. Tractor engine performance on sunflower oil fuel. J Agric. Engng. Res. Vol 30, 29, 1984.

[5] Graboski MS, McCormick RL. Combustion of fat and vegetable oil derived fuels in diesel engines. Progress in Energy and Combustion Science 1998;24:125-64.

[6] Hemmerlein N, Korte V, Richter H, Schroeder G. Performance, exhaust emissions and durability of modern diesel engines running on rapeseed oil. Society of Automotive Engineers Paper No. 910848. SAE, Warrendale, PA, 1991.

[7] Humke AL, Barsic NJ. Performance and emissions characteristics of a naturally aspirated diesel engine with vegetable oil fuels--(part 2). Society of Automotive Engineers Paper No. 810955. SAE, Warrendale, PA, 1981.

[8] Perkins LA, Peterson CL, Auld DL. Durability testing of transesterfied winter rape oil (Brassica Napus L.) as fuel in small bore, multi-cylinder, DI, CI engines. SAE paper No. 911764. Warrendale, PA:SAE, 1991.

[9] Pestes NM, Stanislao J. Piston ring deposits when using vegetable oil as a fuel. Journal of Testing and Evaluation 12(2):61-68, 1984.

[10] Peterson CL. Vegetable oil as a diesel fuel: status and research priorities. Transactions of the ASAE 1986;29(5):1413-22.

[11] Peterson CL, Wagner GL, Auld DL. Vegetable oil substitutes for diesel fuel. Transactions of the ASAE, Vol. 26(2), 322, 1983.

[12] Radu R, Mircea Z. The use of sunflower oil in diesel engines. SAE paper No. 972979, 1997.

[13] Ryan III TW, Bagby MO. Identification of chemical changes occurring during the transient injection of selected vegetable oils. Society of Automotive Engineers Paper No. 930933. SAE, Warrendale, PA, 1993.
 
[14] Ryan TW, Callahan TJ, Dodge LG. Characterization of vegetable oils for use as fuels in diesel engines. Vegetable oil fuels--proceedings of the International Conference on Plant and Vegetable Oils as Fuels, 70-81, Aug, 1982.

[15] Ryan TW, Dodge LG, Callahan, TJ. The effects of vegetable oil properties on injection and combustion in two different diesel engines. JAOCS, Vol 61, 1610, 1984.

[16] Schlick ML, Hanna MA, Schinstock JL. Soybean and sunflower oil performance in a diesel engine. Transactions of the ASAE 1988;31(5):1345-9.

[17] Tahir AR, Lapp HM, Buchanan LC. Sunflower oil as a fuel for compression ignition engines. Vegetable oil fuels--proceedings of the International Conference on Plant and Vegetable Oils as Fuels, 82-91, Aug, 1982.

[18] Van Der Walt AN, Hugo FJC. Attempts to prevent injector cooking with sunflower oil by engine modifications and fuel additives. Vegetable Oil Fuels--proceedings of the International Conference on Plant and Vegetable Oils as Fuels, 230, ASAE Publication 4-82, Fargo, NC, 1982.

[19] Varde KS. Some correlation of diesel engine performance with injection characteristics using vegetable oils as fuel. Vegetable oil fuels--proceedings of the International Conference on Plant and Vegetable Oils as Fuels, 303-311, Aug, 1982.

[20] Walter J, Aakre P, Derry J. The 1981 flower power field testing program. Vegetable oil fuels--proceedings of the International Conference on Plant and Vegetable Oils as Fuels, 384-393, Aug, 1982.

[21] Ziejewski M, Goettler H, Pratt GL. Comparative analysis of the long-term performance of a diesel engine on vegetable oil based alternative fuels. Society of Automotive Engineers Paper No. 860301. SAE, Warrendale, PA, 1986.

[22] Ziejewski M, Kaufman KR. Vegetable oils as a potential alternate fuel in direct injection diesel engines. Society of Automotive Engineers Paper No. 831357. SAE, Warrendale, PA, 1983.