ABSTRACT

This study investigated the potentials of a feedstock (cottonseed) as an alternative fuel for diesel engines. It involved the fuel production, as well as the engine performance and its analysis phase. In the first phase, cotton seed oil was extracted and trans-esterified by heating it with anhydrous methanol using potassium hydroxide as a catalyst to hasten the reaction. The fuel properties (such as kinematic viscosity, Cetane number, density, flash and boiling points, cloud and pour points, methanol values, water contents and heats of combustion (lower calorific values)) were determined for the feedstock and compared with those of the fossil diesel and the American Standard Testing and Materials (ASTM) recommended values for biodiesel. From the analysis, the calorific value of the biodiesel feedstock (41.18 for cottonseed) was lower than that of the fossil diesel (45.345MJ/kg), while the viscosity (3.65mm/s2), flash point (123°C) and Cetane number (51.8) were respectively higher than that of the fossil diesel fuel values (3.41 mm/s2, 65°C and 46). In the second phase, a diesel engine was fueled with the biodiesel sample and fossil diesel fuel, and the engine performance criteria (indicated power, brake power, brake thermal efficiency, mechanical and volumetric efficiencies as well as specific fuel consumption) comparatively analyzed. The results revealed that the biodiesel sample exhibited similar performances on the diesel engine when compared to the fossil diesel, and possessed better emission characteristics, as the preferred fuel for powering diesel engines. The result overall, presented the biodiesel to possess higher oxygen content than the fossil diesel fuel, resulting in better combustion ofthe biodiesel fuel.