The use of waste transformer oil as alternative fuel in a diesel power generator

Year 2019, Volume: 8 Issue: 3, 117 - 124, 31.10.2019

Abdulkerim Yıldız Şehmus Altun

https://doi.org/10.18245/ijaet.564043

Cited By: 4

Abstract

In this study, waste
transformer oil (WTO) was investigated as a fuel candidate for a diesel power
generator set in terms of its fuel and combustion characteristics. Kinematic
viscosity, which is the most restrictive property of WTO (9.6 mm²/s
at 40 ^oC), was measured on different blends with a conventional
diesel fuel (in 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, 90 and 100% by volume) in order
to detect the suitable blending ratio to be used in engine without any
modification, and to propose some blending strategies to optimize engine
performance and emissions. The blended fuels containing WTO up to 50% with
diesel by volume were found to have a viscosity which is within standard value
specified for conventional diesel fuels, i.e., 2.0-4.5 mm²/s in
EN590, and in case 60% WTO, it agrees with EN14214 (3.5-5.0 mm²/s)
alternative diesel fuel standards. It is also found that a fuel blend
containing 20% WTO and 80% diesel have a kinematic viscosity and density which
are very close to conventional diesel’ values. Therefore, WTO was blended with
diesel at the rate of 20% by volume and then tested in a 4-stroke and
4-cylinder diesel engine powered generator set under constant speed-variable
load conditions. Measured and calculated results were compared with the results
of conventional diesel tested under the same conditions. Experimental results
showed that specific fuel consumption, NO_x and unburned HC emissions
reduced when using blended fuel instead of conventional diesel. Cylinder gas
pressure was higher for blended fuels than that of conventional diesel while
the start of combustion was later in the case of blended fuels.

Keywords

Waste transformer oil, Alternative fuels, Diesel generator, Emissions

References

• [1] F. Yaşar, Ş. Altun. The effect of microalgae biodiesel on combustion, performance, and emission characterıstics of a diesel power generator, Thermal Science, 22(3) (2018) pp.1481-1492.[2] Chandran, M., Tamilkolundu, S., Murugesan, C. Investigation of the performance, combustion parameters and emissions analysis on DI engine using two staged distilled waste plastic oil-diesel blends, Thermal Science, 22(3) (2018), pp.1469-1480.[3] Ertuğrul, Ö, Altun, Ş . "Determining optimal artificial neural network training method in predicting the performance and emission parameters of a biodiesel-fueled diesel generator". International Journal of Automotive Engineering and Technologies 7 (2018): 7-17.[4] Uyumaz, A , aksoy, F , mutlu, İ , akbulut, F , yilmaz, E . "The Pyrolytic Fuel Production From Nutshell-Rice Husk Blends and Determination of Engine Performance and Exhaust Emissions in a Direct Injection Diesel Engine". International Journal of Automotive Engineering and Technologies 7 (2018): 134-141[5] Mani, M., Subash, C., Nagarajan, G., Performance, emission and combustion characteristics of a DI diesel engine using waste plastic oil, Applied thermal engineering, 29, (2009), pp.2738-2744.[6] Murugan, S., Ramaswamy, M.C., Nagarajan, G. The use of tyre pyrolysis oil in diesel engines, Waste Management, 28, (2008), pp.2743-2749. [7] Arpa, O,. Yumrutas, R., Argunhan, Z., Experimental investigation of the effects of diesel-like fuel obtained from waste lubrication oil on engine performance and exhaust emission, Fuel Processing Technology, 91, (2010), pp.1241-1249.[8] Nabi, M.N., Akhter, M.S., Rahman, M.A. Waste transformer oil as an alternative fuel for diesel engine, Procedia Engineering, 56, (2013), pp.401–406.[9] Anonim, 2011, T.C. Milli Eğitim Bakanlığı Megep, Atık yağlar modülü Yayınları, 850CK0098. Ankara, 2011. (In Turkish)[10] Sezer, M., Trafo bakımı ve yalıtım yağı, Çağdaş yayınevi, Balıkesir, Türkiye, 2009. [In Turkish].[11] Saidulu, G.S., Dattatreya, G., Performance evaluation and emission characteristics of a waste transformer oil as an alternative fuel for diesel engine, International Journal of Emerging Trends & Technology in Computer Science, 4, (2015), 2, pp.33-41[12] Pritinika, B., Murugan, S., Combustion, performance and emission parameters of used transformer oil and its diesel blends in a DI diesel engine, Fuel, 104, (2013), pp.147–154.[13] Salmani, M.H., Sharma, R.C., Kumar, H., Dhingra, M., Effect of Used Transformer Oil on Efficiency of Compression Ignition Engine, International Journal For Technological Research In Engineering, 2, (2015), 7, pp.786-791.[14] Pritinika, B., Experimental Studies on Utilization of Used Transformer Oil as an Alternative Fuel in a DI Diesel Engine, Ph. D. thesis, National Institute of Technology Rourkela, India, 2013. [15] Yadav, S. P. R., Saravanan, C. G., Kannan, M., Influence of injection timing on DI diesel engine characteristics fueled with waste transformer oil, Alexandria Engineering Journal, 54 (2015), 4, pp.881-888.[16] Qasim, M., Ansari, T.M., Hussain, M., Combustion, Performance, and Emission Evaluation of a Diesel Engine with Biodiesel Like Fuel Blends Derived from a Mixture of Pakistani Waste Canola and Waste Transformer oils, Energies, 10, (2017), pp.1023.[17] Raj Yadav, S.P., Saravanan, C.G., Vallinayagam, R., Vedharaj, S., Roberts, W.L., Fuel and engine characterization study of catalytically cracked waste transformer oil, Energy Conversion and Management, 96, (2015), pp.490–498.