Enhancement in Jatropha-based biodiesel yield by process optimisation using design of experiment approach

Abstract

Edible and non-edible oils are used for the production of biodiesel from the last so many years and these oils are extracted from their respective seeds. Jatropha oil is used as a feedstock to produce biodiesel for running the Compression Ignition engine. A statistical model is developed to interrelate the trans-esterification process variables for the biodiesel yield using design of experiment approach by selecting central composite design of a response surface methodology. Results shown in this paper indicate that the optimum observed yield of 95.5% has the following reaction conditions: Molar ratio 19.84 (% v/v), reaction time 3 h, reaction temperature 70°C, catalyst concentration 4.18 wt% and stirrer rpm 650. Also, the yield produced is higher when compared with 93.5% which was observed by Lee paper using the same methodology. Moreover, the fuel properties of Jatropha biodiesel are closer to the ASTM standard of biodiesel.

Keywords:

• Jatropha oil
• central composite design
• response surface methodology
• fuel properties
• design of experiment
• optimisation

Acknowledgements

The authors gratefully acknowledge Department of Biotechnology UIET, MDU, Rohtak Haryana, India, for providing necessary support to perform the experiments. They also express sincere gratitude to their colleagues Dr Deepak Kumar Malik, Assistant Professor, UIET, Kurukshetra University, Kurukshetra, and Mr Deepak Chhabra, Assistant Professor, UIET, MDU, Rohtak Haryana for guiding them in carrying out their research.