Work

Feasibility study of Caesalpinia Bonduc seed methyl ester as a sustainable biodiesel for naturally aspirated diesel engines

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: In consideration of the increasing concerns regarding environmental degradation and the depletion of fossil fuels, this research endeavors to assess the viability of employing Caesalpinia bonduc seed methyl ester (CBOBD) as a sustainable biodiesel in naturally aspirated diesel engines. Biodiesel was produced through a two-step transesterification process, and the resultant test blends (CBOBD20 to CBOBD100) were critically analyzed in comparison to conventional diesel regarding performance, combustion, and emission characteristics. The CBOBD20 blend demonstrated a brake thermal efficiency (BTE) of 32.64 %, which is merely 4.6 % inferior to that of diesel (34.22 %), while concurrently achieving a 5.7 % reduction in carbon monoxide (CO) emissions and an 8.1 % decrease in hydrocarbon (HC) emissions. Nonetheless, a slight increase of 0.4 % in nitrogen oxides (NOx) emissions was recorded. The exhaust gas temperature (EGT) exhibited a marginal rise, reaching 349.63 °C for CBOBD20 in contrast to 347.57 °C for diesel. Fuel consumption saw an increase of 0.03 kg/kWh for CBOBD20 and 0.05 kg/kWh for CBOBD100. These findings substantiate the technical feasibility of CBOBD20 as a low-emission biodiesel alternative, preserving efficiency levels comparable to diesel while providing significant environmental advantages.

Source: Results in Chemistry

DOI: 10.1016/j.rechem.2025.102396