Evaluation of rape-seed oil production, extraction and use as fuel in modified diesel engines

End of project reportIt is now well established that rape-seed oil can provide a sustainable source of renewable fuel for diesel engines. The main problem is a high viscosity and vaporisation temperature, which could lead to pumping, atomisation and combustion difficulties. These problems can be overcome in either of two ways: by further processing of the oil to improve its pumping and combustion properties (usually achieved by esterification and layer separation to produce biodiesel) or by some peripheral modifications to the engine to allow it to cope with the more viscous fuel. Engine conversion kits for this purpose are widely available. The second option has attractions in Ireland, at least in the short-term, for a number of reasons. Plants can be established quickly, and so could make an immediate if small contribution to the achievement of Ireland’s substitution target in the Transport Biofuels Directive (Commission of European Communities, 2003). The small operating scale of coldpressing oil extraction plants could be achieved without undue difficulty, and the capital investment required to launch such a project is relatively low. In the event of a biodiesel plant being established at some stage in the future, the option of sourcing some of the oil requirement from these extraction plants would still be available.This study was commissioned by Sustainable Energy Ireland. The complete report has been published on their web-site (www.sei.ie)