Blends of babassu, palm kernal and coconut mame with fossil kerosene: low carbon number methyl esters as a possible source for renewable jet fuel

Three different oils: babassu, coconut and palm kernel have been transesterified with methanol. The fatty acid methyl esters (FAME) have been subjected to vacuum fractional distillation, and the low boiling point fractions have been blended with fossil kerosene at three different proportions: 5, 10 and 20% vol

PAH occurrence during combustion of biodiesel from various feedstocks

PAHs are pollutants of concern since they are known carcinogenic compounds. Their occurrence is mainly related to combustion or pyrolysis of organic matter such as fossil fuels. In the current scenario where biofuels are growingly important, it is also necessary to characterize PAH emissions due to their combustion. There are a number of works concerning PAH emissions from biodiesel combustion in Diesel engines, however, there are few regarding the difference between them depending on the feedstock and type of alcohol used in the transesterification. The authors have processed and characterized biodiesel from several feedstocks (Le. tallow, palm, rapeseed, soy-bean, coconut, peanut and linseed oils) to obtain FAME and FAEE and they have developed a method to measure the PAHs originated during their combustion in a bomb calorimeter. The tests have been carried out under different oxygen pressure conditions, and samples have been c1eaned from the bomb after each one of these tests. The samples have been prepared for GC-MS analysis, where PAH quantities among some other combustion products have been assessed. This work shows statistical relations obtained between the measured amounts of 18 PAHs of concern and the composition (oil and type of alcohol) used to obtain the biodiesel, and also the oxygen pressure during combustion

Biokerosene from coconut, babassu, camelina and palm kernel oils: production and properties of their blends with fossil kerosene

On December 20th 2006 the European Commission approved a law proposal to include the civil aviation sector in the European market of carbon dioxide emission rights [European Union Emissions Trading System, EUETS). On July 8th 2009, the European Parliament and Conseil agreed that all flights leaving or landing in the EU airports starting from January 1st 2012 should be included in the EUETS. On November 19th 2008, the EU Directive 2008/101/CE [1] included the civil aviation activities in the EUETS, and this directive was transposed by the Spanish law 13/2010 of July 5th 2010 [2]. Thus, in 2012 the aviation sector should reduce their emissions to 97 % of the mean values registered in the period 2004-2006, and for 2013 these emission reductions should reach 95 % of the mean values for that same period. Trying to face this situation, the aviation companies are planning seriously the use of alternative jet fuels to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions and to lower their costs. However, some US airlines have issued a lawsuit before the European Court of Justice based in that this EU action violates a long standing worldwide aviation treaty, the Chicago convention of 1944, and also the Chinese aviation companies have rejected to pay any EU carbon dioxide tax [3]. Moreover, the USA Departments of Agriculture and Energy and the Navy will invest a total of up to $150 million over three years to spur production of aviation and marine biofuels for commercial and military applications [4]. However, the jet fuels should fulfill a set of extraordinarily sensitive properties to guarantee the safety of planes and passengers during all the flights

Compuestos orgánicos presentes en aguas de escombreras de carbón.

Se ha realizado un estudio de la influencia de las aguas acidas de mina en la movilización de los hidrocarburos policidicos aromáticos (PAHs) presentes en las escombreras de carbón. Se observa como dichas aguas acidas disuelven preferentemente a los PAHs de menor peso molecular. También se ha realizado un análisis de riesgos que indica que existe un riesgo real por uso y consumo, en el interior de las viviendas, del agua subterránea. Por último, se han establecido las bases para una técnica pasiva, la foto degradación, de tratamiento de las aguas contaminadas con PAHs presentes en las escombreras de carbón

Airplane materials compatibility with blends of fossil kerosene JET A1 with biokerosenes from babassu, palm kernel and coconut oils

The aviation companies are facing some problems that argue in favor of biofuels: Rising cost of traditional fuel: from 0.71 USD/gallon in May 2003 to 3.09 USD/gallon in January 2012. Environmental concerns: direct emissions from aviation account for about 3 % of the EU’s total greenhouse gas emissions. The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) forecasts that by 2050 they could grow by a further 300-700 %. On December 20th 2006 the European Commission approved a law proposal to include the civil aviation sector in the European market of carbon dioxide emission rights (European Union Emissions Trading System, EUETS

Blends of babassu, palm kernel and coconut fame with fossil kerosene. Technical aspects of low carbon number methyl esters as a possible source for renewable jet fuel

State of the Art. Process and Distillation. Fuel Characterization. Fuel Compatibility Test

Desulfurization of pyrolysis fuel produced from waste lube oils, tyres and plastics

Sulphur compounds remaining in petroleum fractions from topping, hydroskimming or deep conversion processes are a growing concern for oil refiners since in the lapse of a few years the sulphur specification for motor fuels has dropped from 500 mg/kg to 10 mg/kg in most European countries. This increasingly stringent regulation has forced refineries to greatly improve their hydrodesulfurization units, increasing the desulfurization rates and thus consuming huge amounts of hydrogen

Biodiesel and biokerosenes : production, characterization, soot & pah emissions

Targeting the consolidation of the work from the author’s research group on biofuels, this PhD thesis is focused on developing the necessary techniques to continue with the group’s research. In this thesis the production of FAME from different non-edible sources of oils and fats: camelina, castor oil, jojoba, linseed, waste frying oil and animal fat, has been studied. These FAME have been characterized in order to assess their suitability as fuels. The author has also studied use of bioglycerol, the main by-product in biodiesel production, as a chemical feedstock for the production of 1,3-ditertbutoxypropan-2-ol, a recognized ignition quality improver. In this thesis, production and further distillation of FAME from palm kernel, babassu and coconut oils is reported. The esters mixtures resulting from this process are saturated low carbon number compounds which have similar properties to those of kerosene. Therefore, the author suggests to use them up to a certain amount in fossil kerosene as biokerosene blends. The combustion of organic matter leads to soot formation. The sooting tendency of oxygenated blends with fossil kerosene is studied. The soot precursors, PAH, from the combustion of FAME and FAEE from different feedstocks are also characterized in this thesis. RESUMEN Con el objetivo de consolidar el trabajo en biocombustibles del grupo de investigación al que pertenece el autor, esta tesis doctoral se centra en el desarrollo de las técnicas necesarias para continuar con la investigación del grupo. En esta tesis se ha estudiado la producción de FAME de diferentes fuentes de aceites y grasas no comestibles: camelina, ricino, jojoba, linaza, aceite de freír usado y grasa animal. Estos FAME se han caracterizado para determinar su idoneidad como combustibles. En esta tesis se muestra la producción y posterior destilación de FAME a partir de aceite de palma, babassú y coco. Los esteres que resultan de este proceso son compuestos saturados de cadena corta que tienen propiedades similares a las del keroseno. El autor sugiere utilizarlos hasta una cierta cantidad en mezclas de keroseno fósil como biokeroseno. El autor también ha estudiado el uso de la glicerina como materia prima en la industria química para la producción de 1,3-ditertbutoxypropan-2-ol, un aditivo para mejorar la calidad de la ignición. La combustión de materia orgánica conlleva a la formación de hollín. La tendencia a formar hollín de mezclas de compuestos oxigenados con keroseno. En esta tesis también se han caracterizado los PAH, precursores del hollín, a partir de la combustión de FAME y FAEE de diferentes materias primas

Oxygen extended sooting index of FAME blends with aviation kerosene

The use of biofuels in the aviation sector has economic and environmental benefits. Among the options for the production of renewable jet fuels, hydroprocessed esters and fatty acids (HEFA) have received predominant attention in comparison with fatty acid methyl esters (FAME), which are not approved as additives for jet fuels. However, the presence of oxygen in methyl esters tends to reduce soot emissions and therefore particulate matter emissions. This sooting tendency is quantified in this work with an oxygen-extended sooting index, based on smoke point measurements. Results have shown considerable reduction in the sooting tendency for all biokerosenes (produced by transesterification and eventually distillation) with respect to fossil kerosenes. Among the tested biokerosenes, that made from palm kernel oil was the most effective one, and nondistilled methyl esters (from camelina and linseed oils) showed lower effectiveness than distilled biokerosenes to reduce the sooting tendency. These results may constitute an additional argument for the use of FAME’s as blend components of jet fuels. Other arguments were pointed out in previous publications, but some controversy has aroused over the use of these components. Some of the criticism was based on the fact that the methods used in our previous work are not approved for jet fuels in the standard methods and concluded that the use of FAME in any amount is, thus, inappropriate. However, some of the standard methods are not updated for considering oxygenated components (like the method for obtaining the lower heating value), and others are not precise enough (like the methods for measuring the freezing point), whereas some alternative methods may provide better reproducibility for oxygenated fuels

Biokerosene from Babassu and Camelina Oils: production and properties of their blends with fossil kerosene

Babassu and camelina oils have been transesterified with methanol by the classical homogeneous basic catalysis method with good yields. The babassu fatty acid methyl ester (FAME) has been subjected to fractional distillation at vacuum, and the low boiling point fraction has been blended with two types of fossil kerosene, a straight-run atmospheric distillation cut (hydrotreated) and a commercial Jet-A1. The camelina FAME has been blended with the fossil kerosene without previous distillation. The blends of babassu biokerosene and Jet-A1 have met some of the specifications selected for study of the ASTM D1655 standard: smoke point, density, flash point, cloud point, kinematic viscosity, oxidative stability and lower heating value. On the other hand, the blends of babassu biokerosene and atmospheric distillation cut only have met the density parameter and the oxidative stability. The blends of camelina FAME and atmospheric distillation cut have met the following specifications: density, kinematic viscosity at −20 °C, and lower heating value. With these preliminary results, it can be concluded that it would be feasible to blend babassu and camelina biokerosenes prepared in this way with commercial Jet-A1 up to 10 vol % of the former, if these blends prove to accomplish all the ASTM D1655-09 standards