Encontro de Energia no Meio Rural

Abstract

LIENNARD, Alain, PIOCH, Daniel, CHIRAT, Nathalie et al. Energy generation from "neat" vegetable oils. In Procedings of the 4th Encontro de Energia no Meio Rural, 2002, Campinas (SP) [online]. 2002 [cited 20 April 2024]. Available from: <http://www.proceedings.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=MSC0000000022002000100064&lng=en&nrm=iso> .

The main points about the uses of vegetables oils (VO) as fuels are highlighted, based on examples taken from the CIRAD long standing experience. First the ressource is presented (world production, chemical aspects, processing of crude VO, food / non food uses). Among the two ways for using VO as diesel fuels, neat VO imply to adapt the hardware at various levels according to physico-chemical properties and bench test with engines, in comparison to mineral diesel fuel (especially for ignition delay and cocking, the most critical parameters). Fundamental research results aiming to understand the specific and intriguing behavior of VO when injected in a diesel engine are presented. These scientific and technical results are currently applied to the real world: adaptation of small engines, cars, tractors, up to electric power plants in factories, as well as heat production. These solutions share the common advantage of requiring limited processing of VO. In other situations it is wise to adapt the fuel properties to existing hardware (esters, catalytic cracking, blends). Thus climatic, social, political and economic aspects of the topic are also briefly discussed with the aim of using neat VO as fuels under the best suitable conditions -not only from the technical stand point- to take advantage of local conditions and driving forces.

Keywords : Oleos vegetais; biocarburantes; motores diesel; bioenergia; desenvolvimento rural.