Biomedical Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
mean time, an examination of emission from diesel engine by using different ratio of blending
biodiesel was carried out under the support of Environmental Protection Administration,
Taiwan (Figure 21). It showed that biodiesel also produces fewer particulate matter, carbon
monoxide, and sulphur dioxide emissions.
In addition, when the whole life cycle analysis (LCA) of biodiesel from production of the
biomass via conversion to use as an energy source illustrated a significant reduction on green
house gas emission (see Figure 22). In summary, LCA is an important tool for describing
environmental (dis)advantages and therefore serves in decision-making. It can be
complemented by a socioeconomic assessment to ensure complete and sustainable long-term
production of biodiesel.
7. Conclusion
Biodiesel (fatty acid alkyl ester) is a cleaner-burning diesel replacement fuel made from
natural, renewable and biodegradable sources. It is a stable diesel which performs reliably in
all diesel engines without any modification, is mixable with petroleum diesel fuel, easy to
make and safe to handle. Of the several methods available for producing biodiesel,
transesterification of natural oils and fats is currently the method of choice. Biodiesel has
become more attractive recently because of its environmental benefits and the fact that it is
made from renewable resources. The remaining challenges are its cost and limited availability
of fat and oil resources. There are two aspects of the cost of biodiesel, the costs of raw
material (fats and oils) and the cost of processing. The cost of raw materials accounts for 60
to 75% of the total cost of biodiesel fuel. The use of other materials such as waste cooking oil
700
600
500
400
300
200
100
0
Diesel
B5
B20
B100
Figure 22. Comparison of Net CO
2
Life Cycle Emissions for Petroleum Diesel and Biodiesel Blends.
