Reformulating biodiesel to reduce NOx emissions

FUEL 23

Melissa A. Hess, mhess@errc.ars.usda.gov, Eastern Regional Research Center, United States Department of Agriculture, 600 E. Mermaid Lane, Wyndmoor, PA 19038, Michael J. Haas, mhaas@arserrc.gov, Eastern Regional Research Center, U.S. Department of Agriculture, 600 East Mermaid Lane, Wyndmoor, PA 19038, and Thomas A. Foglia, tfoglia@errc.ars.usda.gov, Fats, Oils and Animal Coproducts Research Unit, Eastern Regional Research Center, ARS, USDA, Eastern Regional Research Center, 600 East Mermaid Lane, Wyndmoor, PA 19038.
The use of biodiesel offers many advantages over petrodiesel, but has been shown to increase NOx emissions in certain engine setups. The work described in this paper is focused on reformulating methyl soyate (commercial biodiesel in the U.S.) in an attempt to reduce NOx emissions by changing the properties that would change the bulk modulus. Two different methods are examined. The first involves converting the double bonds from the cis- to the trans-configuration, which results in a more linear structure, and is geometrically similar to saturated compounds. The second involves transesterifying soy polyols, which have OH groups added to the double bonds of the fatty acid chains of soy oils, this reducing the iodine value of the fuel and changing the structure of the chain. Isomerizing the bonds increased the NOx emissions, while tranesterifying polyols decreased NOx emissions.
 

Biofuels for Transportation
1:30 PM-4:45 PM, Sunday, 26 March 2006 Georgia World Congress Center -- C204, Oral

Division of Fuel Chemistry

The 231st ACS National Meeting, Atlanta, GA, March 26-30, 2006