Knowing the thermophysical properties of biodiesels,
in particular
the speed of sound, over an extended pressure range is essential to
optimize injection and combustion processes in diesel engines. The
aim of the present work is therefore to propose a predictive method
for estimating the speed of sound in biodiesel based on the fatty
acid alkyl ester profile. For that purpose, a group contribution method
was first developed to predict speed of sound in fatty acid alkyl
ester compounds in target p, T ranges (293–423
K and 0.1–150 MPa). Then, using experimental data from the
literature supplemented by group contribution predictions, a correlation
was established to relate the speed of sound in fatty acid methyl
and ethyl ester components to pressure and temperature. Finally, a
combination rule was used to extend the pure fatty acid alkyl ester
correlations to biodiesel fuels.