Crude palm oil as a complementary fuel for power generation in Amazonia: diesel engine performance, emissions, and economic assessment

Abstract

This paper evaluates internal combustion engine performance parameters (Specific Fuel Consumption and engine torque) and pollutant emissions (O2, CO, and NOX), and also, provide an assessment of economic viability for operation in Amazonas state. Power supply to the communities in the Amazon region has as characteristics high costs for energy generation and low fare. Extractive activities include plenty of oily plant species, with potential use as biofuel for ICE (Diesel cycle) to obtain power generation together with pollutant emission reduction in comparison to fossil fuel. Experimental tests were carried out with five fuel blends (crude palm oil) and diesel, at constant angular speed (2,500 RPM – stationary regime), and four nominal engine loads (0%, 50%, 75%, and 100%) in a test bench dynamometer for an engine-driven generator for electrical-power, 4-Stroke internal combustion engine, Diesel cycle. Main conclusions are: a) SFC and torque are at the same order of magnitude for PO-00 (diesel) and PO-xx at BHP50/75/100%; b) O2 emissions show consistent decreasing behavior as BHP increases, compatible to a rich air-fuel ratio (λ > 1) and, at the same BHP condition, O2 (%) is slightly lower for higher PO-xx content; c) The CO emissions for PO-00 consistently decrease while the BHP increases, as for PO-xx those values present a non-linear behavior; at BHP75%-100_loads, CO emissions are higher for PO-20 and PO-25 in comparison to PO-00; d) The overall trend for NOX emissions is to increase, the higher the BHP; In general, NOx emissions are lower for PO-xx in comparison to PO-00, except for PO-10 which presents slightly higher values than PO-00 for all BHP range; e) Assessment on-trend costs indicates that using palm oil blends for Diesel engine-driven generators in the Amazon region is economically feasible, with an appropriate recommendation for a rated power higher than 800 kW.