Coconut Methyl Ester (CME) Technology

Rey Crisanto P.Hizon Energy Engineering & Management Department, Integrated Research and Center, Technological University of the Philippines

Focused Group Discussion on the Clean Cities Program a joint undertaking of the Philippine Department of Energy and the United States Department of Energy and United States Agency for International Development, January 29, 2004. Bagiuo City Multi-Purpose Hall.

WHAT IS COCONUT METHYL ESTER?

• Coconut Methyl Ester (CME) is a coconut oil derived ester, with the carbon chain from C8 to C18. It has a lubricity, solvency and detergency properties. With its density, kinematic viscosity and other properties similar to diesel fuel.

• CME can be used as a pure fuel or as a Petrodiesel enhancer/additive in any proportion without engine modification.

WHAT IS COCONUT BIODIESEL?

• Coconut Biodiesel (CB) is a blend of diesel fuel and CME at a certain proportion by volume.

• Biodiesel in other counties like the US, Germany and other Euro counties their biodiesel is a mixture of diesel fuel and ester derived either from corn, soya, sun flower, rapeseed oil. They use of 5% to 20% blend on their diesel fuel.

PLANT OIL C8 C10 C12 C14 C16 C18 C20 C22

COCONUT 7 7 49 17 9 11 0 0

PALM KERNEL 3 5 49 17 8 18 0 0

PALM 0 0 0 4 40 58 0 0

CORN 0 0 0 1 10 89 0 0

SUNFLOWER 0 0 0 0 6 94 0 0

SOYBEAM 0 0 0 0 10 83 0 0

RAPESEED 0 0 0 0 3 42 55 0

MUSTARD 0 0 0 0 3 62 35 0

CARBON CHAIN DISTRIBUTION OF PLANT OIL (% by Weight)

Chemical and Physical Requirements

PROPERTY ASTM METHOD DPNS

Flash Point Pensky Martens OC min. ASTM D 93 100.0

Water & Sediments % vol. max. ASTM D 2709 0.050

Kinematic Viscosity @ 40 OC, mm2/s ASTM D 445 2.0 – 4.5

Sulfated Ash % mass max. ASTM D 874 0.020

Sulfur % mass max.

ASTM D 2622ASTM D 5453ASTM D 4294ASTM D 1266 0.050

Copper Strip Corrosion 3 hrs @ 50OC max. ASTM D 130 No. 3

Cetane Number min. ASTM D 613 42a

Cloud Point OC max. ASTM D 2500 Report

Carbon Residue 100% sample % mass max. ASTM D 4530 0.050

Acid Number mg KOH/g max.ASTM D 664ASTM D 974 0.50

Free Glycerin % mass max. AOCS Ea 6-51 (1989)a 0.02a

Total Glycerin % mass max. AOCS Ca 14-56 (1997)a 0.24a

Phosphorus % mass max. ASTM D 4951 0.001

Distillation AET 90% recovered OC max ASTM D 1160 360

a Transition standard

STUDY CONDUCTED AT THE NIHON UNIVERSITY, JAPAN

• Determined the engine performance and emission of a single cylinder four stroke diesel engine (yanmar).

• Blends of 1%, 5%, 10% and 20% Coconut Methyl Ester to low sulfur diesel (Japan diesel 0.03% sulfur).

• Test results have shown that an average of 20% NOx reduction, and 70% reduction of of particulate matter.

0

40

80

120

160

200

400 450 500 550 600 650 700 750 800

Exhaust gas temperature Te [K]

NO

x co

ncen

trat

ion

[ppm

]

Pure diesel fuel

CME 1[%]

CME 5[%]

CME 10[%]

CMEl 20[%]

Puret CME

0

5

10

15

20

2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Energy content of supplied fuels Hu [Kw]

Smok

e co

ncen

trat

ion

[%]

Pure diesel fuel

CME 1[%]

CMEl 5[%]

CME 10[%]

CME 20[%]

Pure CME

0

20

40

60

80

100

2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Energy content of supplied fuels Hu [Kw]

HC

con

cent

rati

on [p

pm]

Pure diesel fuel

CME 1[%]

CME 5[%]

CME 10[%]

CME 20[%]

Pure CME

UTILIZATION OF COCONUT METHYL ESTER (CME) AS PETROLEUM DIESEL FUEL (PDF) QUALITY

ENHANCER PILOT R&D PROJECT FOR THE PCA/DA VEHICLES

• Project Leader: ROBERTO C. ABLES Philippine Coconut Authority

• Study Leaders:– Chemical Aspects RICARDO S. INFANTE

Department of Energy

– Mechanical Eng’g. Aspects FELIPE M. ARGAMOSATech.

University of the Phils.

– Consumer/Market Aspects REY CRISANTO P. HIZON Tech. University of the

Phils.

REDUCTION OF SMOKE EMISSION AFTER USING 1% OF CME INTO PETRODIESEL

Road RunKilometer

(km)

Opacity or “k”

Reading(m-1)

Equivalent Diesel

Particulate(PPM)

Remarks

 

0 4.18 696.67

CB-02, w/o proper

maintenance

0 2.32 386.67

PDF/Replace defected injection

nozzle

200 0.81 135.00 CB-01

1,400 1.24 206.67 CB-01

3,900 1.03 171.67

CB-01/ Cleaned the tailed pipe before testing

5,033 0.43 71.67

CB-01/ Cleaned the tailed pipe before testing

15,663 0.35 58.33 CB-01

16,928 0.24 40.00 CB-01

Opacity Reading

0

0.5

1

1.5

2

2.5

0 2000 4000 6000 8000 10000 12000 14000 16000 18000

Kilometer Road Run

k va

lue

SDP 983

Equivalent Diesel Particulate

0

100

200

300

400

500

0 2000 4000 6000 8000 10000 12000 14000 16000 18000

Kilometer Road Run

Die

sel P

arti

cula

te

(pp

m)

SDN 982

EFFECTS OF CME ON THE ENGINE

After using 1% CME

Before using CME

After using 1% CME

Before using CME

After using 1% CME

California Buses Opacity Test Results

 Date

 Trial

 

k value with 1% CME

Road Run

Kilometer

(km)

K valueWithout CME

554 680 681 600 686

NYK938

NYK570

NYR 246

NYE 650

NXZ 780

24-Jul-03 1 1.98 2.16 0.28 0 0.54 3.03

31-Jul-03 2 1.02 1.97 0.79 900 1.60 0.74

7-Aug-03 3 1.25 1.79 1.89 1800 2.65 1.86

14-Aug-03 4 0.61 1.48 0.19 2700 1.90 0.51

21-Aug-03 5 0.42 0.49 0.26 3600 1.05 0.43

28-Aug-03 6 0.49 0.44 0.39 4500 1.53 1.88

Opacity Reading with 1% CME

0.00

1.00

2.00

3.00

0 1000 2000 3000 4000 5000

Distance Travelled (km)

k va

lue

Bus 554 Bus 680 Bus 681

Opacity Reading Without CME

0.000.501.001.502.002.503.003.50

0 1000 2000 3000 4000 5000

Distance Travelled (km)

k va

lue

Bus 600 Bus 686

COST BENEFITS USING CME

• Average increase of 1 to 2 kilometers for every liter of diesel consumed.

• Translates into savings of P 0.916 to P 2.85 for every liter of diesel fuel.

Health and Environment Benefits

• BIODIESEL is a renewable fuel that can be used in unmodified diesel engines. It is safe, biodegradable and reduces serious air pollutants such as soot, particulates, carbon dioxide, hydrocarbons and air toxics. It contains no aromatics or sulfur. It simply means quality emission and cleaner air to breath.

Health Effects (Typical Constituents Along Roadways)

Criteria Pollutants

CO CNS, heart impairment; affects heart patients at 10 ppm.

Pb CNS/Brain damage; cognitive impairment at 2 ug/m3.

PM Lung constriction; affects asthmatics at low concentrations.

NOx Emphysema-like symptoms; affects lung function at 100 ppb.

SOx Irritates respiratory system; lung/throat irritation at 6 ppm.

Air Toxics

Benzene Leukemia, plus noncancer effects.

Toluene Liver lesions, reduced kidney weight; RfC at 400 ug/m3.

1,3-Butadiene Lymphoma, leukemia, plus noncancer effects.

Xylenes Impaired motor coordination at 100 ug/m3.

Chromium (VI) Lung cancer, plus noncancer effects.

reference: http://www.epa.gov/iris/

Health Effects (Typical Constituents Along Roadways)

Criteria Pollutants

CO CNS, heart impairment; affects heart patients at 10 ppm.

Pb CNS/Brain damage; cognitive impairment at 2 ug/m3.

PM Lung constriction; affects asthmatics at low concentrations.

NOx Emphysema-like symptoms; affects lung function at 100 ppb.

SOx Irritates respiratory system; lung/throat irritation at 6 ppm.

Air Toxics

Benzene Leukemia, plus noncancer effects.

Toluene Liver lesions, reduced kidney weight; RfC at 400 ug/m3.

1,3-Butadiene Lymphoma, leukemia, plus noncancer effects.

Xylenes Impaired motor coordination at 100 ug/m3.

Chromium (VI) Lung cancer, plus noncancer effects.

reference: http://www.epa.gov/iris/

Technical benefits

• Using BIODIESEL actually extends the life of your diesel engine because of superior lubricating and cleaning properties. And since it is oxygenated (11% by weight), results is an almost perfect combustion and means lesser emission compared to pure diesel fuel.

Economic benefits

• It will stabilize the domestic price of copra and will encourage the coconut farmers to increase their production. Increase in production of copra means, upliftment in the life of the coconut farmers.

Maraming Salamat Po!Maraming Salamat Po!It’s our best food It’s our best food forward!forward!