Esters of Ricebran Oil With Short Chain Alcohols as

Alternative Fuel For Diesel Engines

Zaher , F.A. , El-Noamany, H. M. ,

Megahed , O.A. and Abdallah, R .I .

Objective
To

assess the potential of

ricebran oil, a byproduct
from rice milling industry
in Egypt as a feedstock to
produce an alternative fuel
to diesel engines

Why ricebran oil?

Edible

oils are not recommended

as feed stock for industrial
production of biodiesel in Egypt

Riebran oil is unsuitable for

edible purposes(highly acidic)

Experimental Plan
The experimental work was
planned in three major
consecutive phases of
research work

First

Preparation

of biodiesel using
ricebran oil and assessing the
effect of different operating
variables on the conversion
rate (catalyst type and load
as well as alcohol to oil
volumetric ratio )

Second

Evaluation of the quality of

produced biodiesel using
different short chain
alcohols(methyl,ethyl, propyl and
butyl alcohols) according to the
Egyptian standard specifications
of regural diesel fuel

Properties Measured
ASTM

distillation Characteristics
Kinematic Viscosity
Heating value
Flash point
Ash%
Carbon residue%
Water%
Sulfur%
Cetane number
Pour point

Third

Assessment of the performance

of a diesel engine running using
blends of the best prerpared
biodiesel products with regular
diesel as compared to its
performance using pure diesel
fuel. Blends used were
25% biodiesel / 75% regular diesel
50% biodiesel / 50% regular diesel

Experimental Setup
1- Fuel tank.
2-Fuel burette.
3-Surge tank (Air).
4-Air orifice meter.
5-U-tube manometer (Pa).
6-(Water + Lime) tank.
7-Electric dynamometer.
8-CO / CO2 Analyzer.
9-Sampling bag.
10-Thermocouple probe.
11-U-tube manometer ( P exh ).
12-Diesel engine.
(Robur Diesel Engine}
13-Multimeter

Major Parameters Measured

Break

power at different engine

loading,Kw

Rate

of Fuel Consumption at each

load,gm/hr

Brake

specific fuel
consumption,BSFC,gm/hr.Kw

Brake

Thermal Efficiency%

Results
Results of ricebran oil esterification with
methanol
Catalyst type

Catalyst Wt.%

AmberliteIR120
Resin
HCL

Equivalent to
2% H2SO4

Volumetric ratio
of alc/oil
2

Rate, Kg/Kg
oil/hr
0.032

0.06

H2SO4
H2SO4

Equivalent to2%
H2SO4
2%
2%

2
1.25

0.08
0.06

H2SO4
H2SO4

2%
3%

1
1

0.05
0.08

ASTM Distillation
350

300

250

200

Methyle
ster

150

100

50

0
Initial Point

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

The Distillation Temperatures of

the 10, 50 and 90 % Cuts of
Esterified Ricebran
Oil.
Temperature, C
10 %

50%

90 %

methyl ester

275

301

310

Ethyl ester
Propyl ester

130
280

308
310

310
310

Butyl ester

118

317

317

10%: Ignition Starting Quality

50%:Recommended Range of
Automotive Diesel Engines
90%: Reflects Expected Carbon
Residue

Composition of the Light and

Heavy Fractions of Ricebran
Oil Esters.
Esterified

Volume %

Product
Methyl ester
Ethyl ester
Propyl ester
Butyl ester

Fraction A

Fraction B

Fraction C

Fraction D

85

15

12

72

15

60

40

21

53

25

Fraction A : Product fraction which has similar boiling range as gasoline (35 180 C ).
Fraction B : Product fraction which has similar boiling range as kerosene ( 180 250C ).
Fraction C: Product fraction which has similar boiling range as diesel ( 230 - 350
C ).
Fraction D : Product fraction which distills above 350C.

Calorific Value, Flash Point and Cetane Number of Esterified

Samples of Ricebran oil compared to dieselOil Compared to

Esterified
Heating
Flash
product
Calorific
Cetane
value
value*,
point,
of
compared
number
MJ/kg
C.
ricebran
to diesel**
oil
Methyl
41.201
0.93
157
58.99
ester
Ethyl
37.380
0.84
164
58.72
ester
Propyl
36.620
0.82
171
58.96
ester
Butyl
39.670
0.89
180
61.18
* Calorific value : Higher or gross heating value.
ester
** Heating value compared to diesel : Calorific value of fuel / calorific value of diesel .

Properties of biodiesel
compared to diesel
Esterified
product
of Ricebran
oil
Methyl
ester
Ethyl ester
Propyl ester
Butyl ester

Diesel fuel

Carbon
residue,
wt %

Pour
point,
C.

Kinemati
c
viscosity,
C. stock

Water
content,
vol. %

Sulfur
content,
wt %

Ash,
wt %

0.390

-3

0.6

Nil

Nil

1.130

-6

5.4

1.2

Nil

Nil

0.680

-3

0.3

Nil

Nil

0.440

-6

6.5

0.6

Nil

Nil

0.100

4.5-15

0.15

1.2

0.01

Results of Robur Engine Testing of Diesel Fuel and

its Blends with Methylated Ricebran Oil ( RPM =
1250 ).
Fuel

Pure Diesel
(100%)

B1
(75 % diesel)

B2
(50 % diesel )

ex ,
C

BKW,
kW

A,
kg/hr

F,
kg/hr

A/F

160
233
307
423
155
232
306
451
152
232
314
440

0
1.88
3.13
4.38
0
1.88
3.13
4.38
0
1.88
3.13
4.38

31.01
30.55
31.01
30.55
31.19
31.19
30.92
30.55
31.19
31.84
31.19
30.55

0.46
0.74
0.93
1.29
0.47
0.71
0.94
1.31
0.47
0.73
1.00
1.32

67.38
41.25
33.32
23.72
66.36
43.93
32.85
23.35
66.36
43.65
31.19
23.16

bsfc,
th
g/kw.hr.
0
394
297
295
0
378
300
299
0
388
320
301

ex = the exhaust temperature C.

BKW = brake kilowatt.
A= air flow rate, kg / hr.
F = fuel consumption, kg / hr.
bsfc = brake specific fuel consumption, g / kw.hrs
th = brake thermal efficiency.

-
20.64
27.35
27.50
-
21.90
27.50
27.60
-
21.31
25.90
30.20

Break Specific Fuel Consumption

Using Diesel Fuel and Its Blends
with Methylated Ricebran Oil
450

BSFC, g/kw.hr
400
350
300
250

Diesel

200

25%
BioDiesel

150
100
50
0

1.8800000000000001 3.13

BKW

4.38

Results of Robur Engine Testing of Diesel Fuel and its

Blends with Ethylated Ricebran Oil ( RPM = 1250 ).
Fuel

Pure Diesel
(100%)

ex ,
C
160

BKW,
kW
0

A,
kg/hr

F,
kg/hr

A/F

bsfc,
g/kw.
hr

31.01

0.46

67.38

th

233

1.88

30.55

0.74

41.25

394

20.64

307

3.13

31.01

0.93

33.32

297

27.35

423

4.38

30.55

1.29

23.72

295

27.50

31.19

0.46

67.84

C1

157

(75 % diesel)

241

1.88

30.73

0.73

42.36

388

21.77

309

3.13

30.55

0.93

32.85

297

28.46

432

4.38

30.36

1.28

23.72

292

28.9

31.19

0.48

64.97

31.19

0.70

44.58

372

23.67

C2
(50 % diesel )

150
220

0
1.88

300
3.13
31.19
0.95
32.85 304
26.21
450
4.38
30.73
1.40
21.96 320
27.50
ex = the exhaust temperature C.
BKW = brake kilowatt.
A= air flow rate, kg / hr.
F = fuel consumption, kg / hr.
bsfc = brake specific fuel consumption, g / kw.hrs
th = brake thermal efficiency.

Break Thermal Efficiency % Using

Diesel Fuel and Its Blends with
Methylated Ricebran Oil
35

Break Thermal Efficiency - %

30

25
20

Diesel

15

25%
BioDiesel

10

1.8800000000000001

3.13

BKW

4.38

Conclusions
Ricebran

oil ,a byproduct from rice milling

industry in Egypt which cannot be used for
edible purposes can be utilized to produce
an alternative fuel for diesel engines by
transestrificaton with methyl alcohol
The diesel engine performance using a
blend of 50% regular diesel fuel and 50%
methyl esters of ricebran oil is better than
that using regular diesel fuel whereby the
brake thermal efficiency at full load was
30.2% using the fuel blend compared to
27.5% in case of regular diesel fuel.