A comparative evaluation of biodiesel derived from waste restaurant oil and Moringa

As a viable alternative to conventional diesel fuel, biodiesel has shown great potential due to its renewability, relatively lower emission levels and net carbon neutrality. But concerns have been raised about sustainable source of supply due to the potential food verses fuel conflict that could arise in the course of wide spread application. In this study, biodiesel sourced from waste restaurant oil and Moringa had both their thermo-physical and engine performance/emission characteristic evaluated in a validated property prediction scheme and a 3.5kW direct injection, compression ignition engine respectively. Result obtained showed that waste restaurant oil biodiesel with a relatively higher Palmitate of 20% (saturated FAME) and Oleic of 52.8% (unsaturated FAME) had a higher BTE (5% higher) at peak load, a 65% lower BSFC across load spectrum and 5-10% lower BSCO emission than Moringa biodiesel which had 6.5% Palmitate and 72.2% Oleic. Only in BSNOx emission did Moringa showed a lower level of 6.2% across load spectrum. The results indicates that biodiesel sources rich in unsaturation FAME, which are apparently good for human consumption do not, comparatively, do well as fuel and vice versa.