Faculty Publications
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Item Producing oleaginous organisms using food waste: Challenges and outcomes(Humana Press Inc. humana@humanapr.com, 2019) Singaram, S.; Thalla, A.K.With organic or food waste being one of the main constituents of the total urban waste generated, it not only makes it essential to seek means for its safe disposal but at the same time reiterates the huge potential that lies with the proper utilization of such a widely available resource. Oleaginous microbes that are effective in producing or storing oil would use food waste rich in carbohydrates, lipids, and proteins, and this oil in turn could be an alternative feedstock for the production of biofuels. However, there are few challenges in the process. The various challenges in this process and methods to address them are discussed in the present chapter. © Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature 2019.Item Biofuel Production, Performance, and Emission Optimization A Comprehensive Approach to Modelling and Optimization(Springer, 2025) Gowdru Chandrashekarappa, P.G.C.; Ajith, B.S.; Jagadish; Shettigar, A.K.; Samuel, O.D.This book explores the urgent quest for sustainable energy solutions by examining potential renewable energy sources that meet global demands. As fossil fuels deplete at an alarming rate, this book addresses the critical challenges in selecting sustainable feedstocks and optimizing processes for industrial-scale biodiesel production. With a focus on Garcinia-gummi-gutta seeds as a promising feedstock, the book provides a detailed analysis of oil extraction, biofuel conversion, and the practical application of biodiesel in diesel engines. Key concepts explored include selecting and optimizing transesterification variables, engine performance, and emission characteristics. The authors employ cutting-edge tools such as statistical design of experiments and artificial intelligence to offer insights into biodiesel production’s physics, kinetics, and mechanics. Readers will discover experimental results, intelligent modeling techniques, and optimization strategies that enhance biodiesel yield and engine efficiency while minimizing emissions. This resource is designed for engineers and researchers in renewable energy and biofuel production. It offers a systematic framework from feedstock selection to engine optimization, making it invaluable for those seeking to advance their knowledge in sustainable energy solutions. Whether you’re a novice or a seasoned professional, this book provides the tools and insights needed to drive innovation in biodiesel production at an industrial scale. © The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2025.Item Characterization and performance study of biodiesel from waste cooking oil in a direct injection diesel engine(Combustion Institute, 2009) Mohanan, P.Analysis of different samples of Waste Cooking Oil (WCO) to assess their suitability as raw material for the production of biodiesel through transesterification reaction is carried out. The degradation of cooking oil is mainly due to the thermal oxidation reaction and hydrolysis reaction during frying. Acid-alkali and alkali methods are employed for transesterification reaction for producing biodiesel from thermally degraded WCO obtained under controlled laboratory conditions. The work focuses also the determination of catalyst required for the transesterification process and the correlation with acid value and Free Fatty Acid (FFA) content of the WCO. It was established that acid-alkali method gave better physiochemical properties compared to alkali method and B20 blend obtained by this method has shown comparable performance and improved emission characteristics with diesel fuel when tested in a compression ignition (C.I) engine. © 2009 Combustion Institute. All rights reserved.Item The effect of cyclo- alkane in Waste Cooking Oil (WCO) B20 fuel on a single cylinder di diesel engine(Korean Society of Combustion, 2013) Varghese, G.; Mohanan, P.Diesel engine combustion generates large amounts of oxides of nitrogen due to the presence of oxygen and nitrogen in the combustion chambers at high flame-temperatures. The main component of total cost of producing bio-diesel comprises the cost of raw materials. The use of a low cost feedstock such as Waste Cooking Oil (WCO) can help make biodiesel much cheaper than diesel derived from petroleum sources. Waste cooking oil, which is otherwise wasted, is one of the most economical choices to produce biodiesel [1]. In this investigation, Cyclo- Pentane and Cyclo- Hexane were used as blend-components. The scope of this work also includes studies on various fuel-blends of B20 with varying percentages of blend-components, and comparisons to fossil-based diesel. The studies performed also include investigations on the emission characteristics of B20 with blend-components at different loading conditions. The tests performed indicate that the use of B20 with 1.5% cyclo-hexane as a blend-component, resulted in a significant reduction in NOx emissions by 4% when compared to fossil-based diesel, at a normal injection timing of 27.5° before-top dead-center (btdc), at full-load conditions. It was also observed that the B20 blend with 1% cyclo-pentane possessed the lowest smoke opacity of/by 36% at full-load conditions.Item Synthesis of Fatty Acid Methyl Esters (FAME) from Schizochytrium Marine Microalgae oil(Elsevier Ltd, 2018) Reddy, B.R.P.; Reddy, N.R.; Manne, B.Fatty acid methyl esters (FAME) also called and accepted as biodiesel, obtained prominent importance in this new era as an alternate fuel for petro-diesel. Microalgae are identified as few of such feedstock for the production of biodiesel. Higher volumes of production per hectare area, fast growing ability and high oil contents are the major advantages of microalgae over the conventional oil yielding crops. Schizochytrium is one of marine microalgae and high lipid content of this microalga is ideal for production of biofuels. Also, Schizochytrium oil is found to have 0.1% free fatty acid content which is well within the recommended value for one-step alkaline transesterification. In this work, the synthesis of bio-diesel was carried out from Schizochytrium oil with the addition of potassium methoxide (a mixture of methanol and KOH). Aiming at the higher yield of FAME, essential amounts of methanol, catalyst, and reaction time were optimized. The yielding of FAME was confirmed by Gas Chromatography with Mass Spectroscopy (GC-MS) for each trial of experiment. A conversion efficiency of 99.99% was observed through GC-MS analysis for a 30% v/v methanol, 0.4% w/v KOH and 90 min reaction time at reaction temperature of 60°C. The results were complemented by proton nuclear magneto resonance (1H NMR) spectra and it is found that the synthesized fuel properties are well within the limits of ASTM standards. © 2018 Elsevier Ltd.Item Performance Emission and Combustion Characteristics of CRDI Engine Operating on Jatropha Curcas Blend with EGR(Elsevier Ltd, 2018) Bedar, P.; Kumar, G.N.The present experimental study uses dual cylinder common rail direct injection (CRDI) engine fuelled by Jatropha curcas biodiesel blends produced through Transesterification process along with application of water cooled exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) rates. Performance, emissions and combustion properties of an engine at constant speed were measured and analysed. The improvement in brake thermal efficiency (BTE) along with reduction in carbon monoxide (CO), unburned hydrocarbons (UBHC) and smoke opacity were observed for the B20 biodiesel blend with a marginal increase in oxides of nitrogen (NOx). EGR application has reduced the NOx emissions and peak pressure inside the combustion chamber due to lower flame temperature. Combining B20 blend ratio with 15% EGR rate has the potential to achieve ultra-low NOx without affecting other type of diesel engine exhaust emissions by maintaining same efficiency level. © 2018 Elsevier Ltd.Item The potential of nanoparticle additives in biodiesel: A fundamental outset(American Institute of Physics Inc. subs@aip.org, 2020) Soudagar, M.E.M.; Ghazali, N.-N.; Akram, N.; Al-Rashid, M.A.; Badruddin, I.A.; Khan, H.; Kallannavar, V.; Shahpurkar, K.; Afzal, A.; Farade, R.; Taqui, S.N.; Ukkund, S.J.Biodiesel is an unparalleled alternative fuel source envisioned to encompass the significance of diesel fuel and reduce greenhouse gas emissions because to its locked carbon cycle. However, it increases the nitrogen oxide emission, regular engine parts replacement due to clogging, and is not suitable in cold weather conditions. The addition of nanoparticles (metallic, non-metallic, oxygenated, organic and amalgamation) with diesel-biodiesel emulsion fuels results in an enhancement in the engine performance, thermo-physical properties, enrichment in the heat transfer rate, the equilibrium of the fuel mixtures and drop in the exhaust emissions reliant on the prescription of nanoparticle additives. The review intends to demonstrate the most recent nanoparticle additives used in diesel-biodiesel fuels. © 2020 Author(s).Item Comparison and Feasibility Study of Hexanol/Diesel/Pongamia Biodiesel Blend on Engine Characteristics of a Common Rail Direct Injection Diesel Engine(SAE International, 2024) Santhosh, S.; Shahapur, S.; Kumar, G.N.; Ravikumar, K.N.; Raghavendra Reddy, N.V.In this work, the impact of hexanol/diesel/biodiesel blend on engine characteristics of a common rail direct injection (CRDI) diesel engine was studied. Biodiesel is more viscous in nature and higher cetane count, hexanol has a lower viscosity and cetane count. The drawbacks of both biodiesel and hexanol can be overcome by blending both hexanol and biodiesel with diesel fuel in the right proportion. Tests were carried out using a 4-stroke CRDI engine with two cylinders. Biodiesel and 1-hexanol were blended in a ratio of 10% each by volume with diesel and compared with B10D90 and B20D80 blends. It was noted that the addition of hexanol enhances the combustion characteristics of the engine. At 20% load H10B10D80 showed71.34 bar which is highest compared to other fuels in the test. The blends had a positive effect on emissions, there was drastic reduction in NOx was noticed, also HC and CO emission was lower than diesel emissions. The lowest CO, and HC emission is obtained for H10B10D80, which is 66%, 92% lower at 60% load compared to baseline readings. However, the blend had a slight negative effect on performance in contrast to diesel. The higher latent heat of vaporization of hexanol led to low temperature combustion contributing to the lowest NOx emissions. The combination of both hexanol and Pongamia biodiesel with diesel showed an effective reduction in greenhouse gases. Which will also reduce the dependency on fossil fuels. The lower carbon content of 1-hexanol contributes towards carbon neutrality. Overall, the hexanol and biodiesel are sustainable alternatives to the diesel fuel. © 2024 SAE International. All rights reserved.Item Technical aspects of biodiesel and its oxidation stability(2009) Kapilan, N.; Ashok Babu, T.P.; Reddy, R.P.Biodiesel is a clean burning alternative renewable fuel made from natural renewable sources. It is defined as mono-alkyl esters of long chain fatty acids derived from vegetable oils or animal fats, which conform to ASTM specifications for use in diesel engines. Biodiesel present a very promising alternative fuel to diesel oil and properties of this oil offer the advantage of immediate substitution in existing diesel engines with little or no modifications at all. But one of the major technical problems associated with the biodiesel is its susceptibility to oxidation, which can cause the fuel to become acidic and to form insoluble gums and sediments that can plug fuel filters. This is due to the unsaturated fatty acid chains and the presence of the double bond in the molecule, which produce a high level of reactivity with the oxygen, especially when it placed in contact with air. The oxidation of fatty acid chains is a complex process that proceeds by a variety of mechanisms. The various other factors influence the oxidation process of biodiesel includes light, temperature, extraneous materials, peroxides, size of the surface area between biodiesel and air. One of the methods of improving biodiesel oxidative stability includes the deliberate addition of antioxidants or modification of the fatty ester profile. This article discusses the technical aspects of biodiesel and its oxidation stability.Item Comparison of performance of biodiesels of mahua oil and gingili oil in dual fuel engine(Serbian Society of Heat Transfer Engineers, 2008) Nadar, K.N.; Reddy, R.P.; Anjuri, E.R.In this work, an experimental work was carried out to compare the performance of biodiesels made from non edible mahua oil and edible gingili oil in dual fuel engine. A single cylinder diesel engine was modified to work in dual fuel mode and liquefied petroleum gas was used as primary fuel. Biodiesel was prepared by transesterification process and mahua oil methyl ester (MOME) and gingili oil methyl ester (GOME) were used as pilot fuels. The viscosity of MOME is slightly higher than GOME. The dualfuel engine runs smoothly with MOME and GOME. The test results show that the performance of the MOME is close to GOME, at the pilot fuel quantity of 0.45 kg/h and at the advanced injection timing of 30 deg bTDC. Also it is observed that the smoke, carbon monoxide and unburnt hydro carbon emissions of GOME lower than the MOME. But the GOME results in slightly higher NOx emissions. From the experimental results it is concluded that the biodiesel made from mahua oil can be used as a substitute for diesel in dual fuel engine.