Assessment of the effects of microwave‐produced biodiesel blends on electric generator performance and emissions

Abstract

Biodiesels are emerging as alternatives to diesel fuel. However, to be a feasible solution, biodiesels must meet strict criteria including high efficiency and minimal environmental impact. The current study focuses on evaluating ethyl ester biodiesel and its blends with diesel fuel to assess their potential. Biodiesel, derived from sunflower oil through a transesterification process under microwave‐assisted heating, serves as the focal point of this experimental investigation. The primary aim is to elucidate the impact of biodiesel blends, ranging from 10% to 100%, on electric generator performance, specifically, brake power (BP), brake thermal efficiency (BTE), and brake specific fuel consumption (BSFC) and on emission levels of carbon monoxide (CO), carbon dioxide (CO ₂ ), and nitrogen oxides (NOx) compared to pure diesel fuel. These evaluations are conducted across various engine loads up to 4 kW. The novelty of this work lies in the integration of microwave‐assisted transesterification for rapid biodiesel production with a comprehensive experimental assessment of its direct application in a low‐power generator under real operating conditions. The results demonstrate that blending biodiesel with diesel significantly enhances engine performance and reduces emissions, particularly at lower blend ratios (≤20%), where an improvement of more than 14% in BTE and a reduction of 11% in BSFC were achieved across all loads. CO ₂ and NOx emissions were significantly reduced compared to diesel fuel for most of BD blends and under all engine loads.