Performance and emission analysis of waste cooking oils blended with diethyl ether for variable compression ratio

Mechanical

The collection of Waste Cooking Oils (WCOs) has been growing in recent years due to the increase in society’s awareness of environmental aspects since the uncontrolled disposal of WCOs has substantial adverse environ- mental impacts. WCOsare potential secondary raw materials for producing environmentally friendly bio-diesel, which reduces pollution, promotes renewable energy use, and decreases waste. The presence of several degradation products requires different pre-treatments before their conversion, significantly impacting the economic feasibility of the process. In addition, even pre-treated WCOs may have physical and chemical properties that do not guarantee the production of good-quality biodiesel. Therefore, it is essential to know the degradation reactions occurring during the oil frying and successive storage. Only WCOs that satisfy specific criteria would be used for high-quality biodiesel production. Then, a collection and storage method aimed at biodiesel production should be promoted. The current collection method does not provide for any special measures, storage containers, and temperatures. Instead, it is desirable to have proper collection and storage of WCOs to minimize degradation and have good WCOsbefore the conversion into biodiesel. Any business generating WCO should be provided with specialized, food grade, stainless steel, or plastic oil storage units that streamline the used cooking oil collection and are ready for scheduled collection. Managing household WCOs appears more complicated, but simple operations such as preliminary filtration and suitable containers can limit undesired reactions with air, light, and humidity, together with a more frequent collection of WCOs by waste disposal companies. Biodiesel is widely known as the alternative fuel for the diesel engine, but it comes with its fair share of challenges. Diethyl ether is known for good oxygen content, high cetane number, and low viscosity. Different ratios of 1%, 2.5% and 5% of diethyl ether with biodiesel combination were examined in a single-cylinder, four-stroke diesel engine. The engine emission and performance features were discussed at different loads and constant engine speeds.

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