Decentralised Use of Pure Vegetable Oils in Agricultural Machines. Strategic Technological Approach in the EU-Funded Project 2nd VegOil

AbstractToday's and tomorrow's agricultural sector has to face the same challenges as other industries: to reduce costs and CO2 emissions. Here, the use of vegetable oil fuels is a promising path, especially when decentrally cold pressed oils are used in a closed cycle, which means that the fuels are utilized at the same place (at the same farm) at which they are produced. This approach delivers cost efficient fuel, increased added value due to local production or even self-supply, as well as the reduction of CO2 and other harmful emissions like soot.The presented approach is integrating fuel and engine development to achieve a final solution which enables the machine owner to use the most economic fuel. Here the results of the project's engine development on a test bench are presented. When biofuels are used, particulate and hydrocarbon emissions decrease by about 50% compared to diesel. NOx emissions, as well as carbon monoxides (CO) increase by approximately 5 to 15%, the latter being reduced by an also tested DOC/DPF retrofit kit with all tested fuels. The retrofit DOC/DPF also enables the fulfilment of stage 3B limits for PM, CO and HC with a stage 3A engine with diesel and vegetable oil fuels. The PM here was measured in the NRTC according to 2004/26/EC, where it was reduced by about 30% with vegetable oil compared to diesel