Green Diesel: Biomass Feedstocks, Production Technologies, Catalytic Research, Fuel Properties and Performance in Compression Ignition Internal Combustion Engines

Abstract

The present investigation provides an overview of the current technology related to the green diesel, from the classification and chemistry of the available biomass feedstocks to the possible production technologies and up to the final fuel properties and their effect in modern compression ignition internal combustion engines. Various biomass feedstocks are reviewed paying attention to their specific impact on the production of green diesel. Then, the most prominent production technologies are presented such as the hydro-processing of triglycerides, the upgrading of sugars and starches into C15–C18 saturated hydrocarbons, the upgrading of bio-oil derived by the pyrolysis of lignocellulosic materials and the “Biomass-to-Liquid” (BTL) technology which combines the production of syngas (H2 and CO) from the gasification of biomass with the production of synthetic green diesel through the Fischer-Tropsch process. For each of these technologies the involved chemistry is discussed and the necessary operation conditions for the maximum production yield and the best possible fuel properties are reviewed. Also, the relevant research for appropriate catalysts and catalyst supports is briefly presented. The fuel properties of green diesel are then discussed in comparison to the European and US Standards, to petroleum diesel and Fatty Acid Methyl Esters (FAME) and, finally their effect on the compression ignition engines are analyzed. The analysis concludes that green diesel is an excellent fuel for combustion engines with remarkable properties and significantly lower emissions.

Production of green diesel from catalytic deoxygenation of chicken fat oil over a series binary metal oxide-supported MWCNTs

“…The green diesel produced from deoxygenation exhibits better fuel characteristicshigh heating value (HV), high cetane number (80-90), lower viscosity and high fuel stability; thus, it has been widely accepted by many research studies that green diesel is the most promising substitute for fossil-based diesel. 8 Selecting the appropriate feedstocks for green diesel production is important for industrial practices. Usually, vegetable oil feedstock used for biofuel production consists of edible and nonedible oils.…”

Non‐catalytic and heterogeneous acid/base‐catalyzed biodiesel production: Recent and future developments

“…Technically, biodiesel may refer to ester‐based fuels derived from renewable sources 9 . However, with the prominent use of fatty acid alkyl esters (FAAEs) from lipids and oils as biodiesel, biodiesel has since been associated with these types of renewable diesel 10,11 . Commonly, biodiesel production processes can be classified either as non‐catalytic or catalytic, which involves two main reactions: transesterification and esterification.…”

The Effect of Noble Metal (M: Ir, Pt, Pd) on M/Ce2O3-γ-Al2O3 Catalysts for Hydrogen Production via the Steam Reforming of Glycerol

“…Although the consequences of the impact of anthropos are catastrophic for the global sum of ecosystems, i.e., atmosphere, hydrosphere, lithosphere and biosphere, the issue of global climate change-caused by our insatiable appetite for petro-based energy-is perhaps causing the greatest agony over humanity s future well being. Arguably, despite making significant progress in substituting fossil energy with Renewable Energy Systems (RES) for electricity production, in the transport sector petro-energy retains a protagonists role, with current efforts in finding an alternative relying on the development of starch-and sugar-based ethanol, deoxygenation for the production of bio-hydrogenated diesel, and fatty acid methyl ester (FAME) biodiesel [1][2][3][4]. Although it s not a hyperbole to describe the advancement of the biodiesel industry as phenomenal-the sector achieved growth rates of almost 25% per annum between 2005 and 2015, leading to a seven-fold expansion during a single decade-biofuels account for less than 7% of fuels used in the transport sector [5,6].…”