Suitable Way of Using Waste Cooking Oil in Diesel Engine

Abstract The emission challenges associated with fossil fuel usage have spurred extensive research into renewable alternatives. Biomass-based fuels have gained prominence recently due to their lower emission footprint. Using waste cooking oil (WCO) in diesel engines is one such approach to address environmental and energy-related issues. Instead of costly transesterification processes, WCO from restaurants can be effectively repurposed by incorporating alcohol to reduce its density as well as viscosity and increase its heating value. Preheating WCO can further lower its viscosity. Ternary blends of diesel, preheated waste cooking oil (PWCO), and alcohol offer a cost-efficient means to partially substitute diesel while reducing the viscosity of WCO. Among alcohols, n-octanol has the most closely aligned physical properties with diesel fuel. This study focuses on enhancing various physicochemical properties of WCO using n-octanol at varying ratios. The objective is to replace up to 50% volume of diesel with PWCO as a reusable fuel and n-octanol as a renewable biogenic fuel. Through property measurements and optimization using Microsoft Excel’s Solver tool, three optimal blends were identified: D50W40O10, D50W35O15, and D50W30O20. The blends exhibited improved fuel properties compared to the WCO. These blends were evaluated and compared with diesel fuel and D50W50 blend in terms of their impact on engine performance and emission characteristics. Based on the findings of this study, it can be inferred that WCO can be utilized along with n-octanol for power generation, thereby reducing the environmental hazards associated with its disposal. This approach may offer a more sustainable solution to managing waste products than simply dumping them into sewage systems and disposal sites.