International Journal of Mechanical Engineering ISSN : 2277-7059 Volume 2 Issue 5 (May 2012) http://www.ijmejournal.com/ https://sites.google.com/site/journalijme/ 10 STUDY ON FUEL PROPERTIES OF VARIOUS VEGETABLE OIL AVAILABLE IN BANGLADESH AND BIODIESEL PRODUCTION Md. Abdul Wakil 1 , Z.U. Ahmed 2 , Md. Hasibur Rahman 3 , Md. Arifuzzaman 4 Department of Mechanical Engineering, Khulna University of Engineering & Technology, Khulna-9203, Bangladesh Wakil_01@yahoo.com Abstract: The present review aims to study the prospects and opportunities of introducing vegetable oils and their derivatives as fuel in diesel engines. Some fuel properties are always available in vegetable oils. In this investigation Cottonseed oil, Mosna oil and Sesame oil are chosen for producing biodiesel as an alternative fuel for diesel engine. Fuel-related properties of these oils are reviewed and compared with those of conventional diesel fuel. Biodiesel is produced by transesterifying the oil with an alcohol such as methanol under mild conditions in the presence of a base catalyst. Satisfactory amount of biodiesel is produced from Cottonseed oil at 3:1M ratio of methanol and oil. Biodiesel from cottonseed oil has various fuel properties which are similar to diesel. The cost of biodiesel production is also analyzed. This paper discusses in a general a perspective of biodiesel. Keywords: Vegetable oil, Biodiesel, Transesterification. 1 Introduction The technological, socio-economical and industrial development of any country diametrically depends on energy input. Petroleum oil, natural gas, electricity and coal are the vital sources of energy through the world commercially. The current energy requirement in Bangladesh is fulfilled mostly by using natural gas, fossil-based fuels such as petroleum product, coal etc. More than 90% energy demand for transportation is largely depends on petroleum product such as petrol and diesel of them diesel requirement is enormously higher. Due to increasing energy demand for such a densely populated country, it is requisite to develop alternative fuels as supplement. Biodiesel, the non-toxic fuel, is biodegradable and environmentally benign fuel used in diesel engines. Biodiesel does not contain any sulphur or aromatic compounds and its combustion results in lower emission of carbon monoxides, hydrocarbons and particulates [1]. Biodiesel is defined as the mono-alkyl esters of vegetable oils or animal fats, produced by using bio- chemical method known as transesterification. Direct use of vegetable oils cause some problem like poor atomization of fuel, incomplete combustion with heavy smoke emission, carbon deposition, sticking of oil rings, injector chocking mainly due to the high viscosity of SVOs (straight vegetable oils) which are already investigated by various researchers. Another problem is low volatility of vegetable oil due to high flash point. To overcome these problems transesterification has been followed to produce biodiesel. It has been found that vegetable oils hold special promise in this regard, because they can be grown up easily from the plants in rural areas. Vegetable oils from crops such as soybean, peanut, sunflower, rape, coconut, karanja, neem, cotton, mustard, jatropha, linseed and caster have been evaluated in many parts of the world in comparison with other non-edible oils. Use of bio-diesel is catching up all over the world especially in developed countries. In Malaysia, the tropical climate encourages production of bio-diesel from palm oil. The US is contributing 25% of the world green house gases: i.e., oil and coal. We also need to reorganize its 70% of oil consumption is in transportation. On the basis of a report in 2007, USA uses 50 million gallons and European countries use 350 million gallons of bio-diesel annually. It is mixed with 20% of bio-diesel in fossil diesel. France is the country which uses 50% of bio-diesel mixed with diesel fuel. In Zimbabwe, 4 million jatropha has been planted in 2000 ha by the end of 1997. In Nicaragua, one million Jatropha curcas has