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Addis Ababa University Libraries Electronic Thesis and Dissertations: AAU-ETD! >
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Thesis - Environmental Sciences >
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http://hdl.handle.net/123456789/3389
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| Title: | WASTE COOKING OIL RESOURCE ASSESSMENT AS ALTERNATIVE FEEDSTOCK FOR BIODIESEL PRODUCTION |
| Authors: | Yaekob, Kebede |
| Advisors: | Mekibib Dawit(Dr.) |
| Keywords: | BIODIESEL
WASTE COOKING OIL |
| Copyright: | Jun-2011 |
| Date Added: | 17-Jul-2012 |
| Publisher: | Addis Ababa University |
| Abstract: | The dwindling resources of fossil fuels coupled with the steady increase in energy
consumption have encouraged research interest in alternative and renewable energy sources.
Biodiesel is one of the most promising alternatives for fossil fuels. To foster market
competitiveness for biodiesel, it is necessary to produce biodiesel from economically viable and
environmentally sound feedstocks. In this study the availability and feasibility of converting
WCO to biodiesel fuel has been studied. It was found that about 536,500 liters of waste oil could
be generated as a waste from the assessed food service establishments in Addis Ababa annually.
This waste oil is usually poured into the sewer system of the city or disposed to a landfill sites
resulting in contamination of water and land resources. This environmental problem could be
solved by utilizing used cooking oil to produce cleaner biodiesel fuel. In this work, biodiesel
(methyl ester) was prepared from a sample of waste cooking oil collected from local restaurants.
Methyl alcohol with potassium hydroxide as a catalyst was used for the transesterification
process. Results obtained indicated that waste cooking vegetable oil was efficiently converted to
biodiesel using a single step alkaline transesterfication process with 88.5% conversion yield.
Biodiesel’s physical and chemical fuel properties including density, viscosity, acid value, flash
point, cloud point, pour point, water and sediment content, iodine value, calorific value, and ash
content were determined according to ASTM test methods. All of the results are within the
range of the ASTM biodiesel standard specifications with the exception of the kinematic
viscosity, which slightly deviates from the standard requirement. Blending with petrodiesel or
biodiesel having low viscosity can easily improve this property. Although the overall availability
of waste cooking oil is limited, production of biodiesel from this feedstock for diesel substitute is
particularly important because of its added benefit of recycling waste products, the decreasing
trend of economical oil reserves, environmental problems caused due to fossil fuel use and the
high price of petroleum products. |
| Description: | A Thesis
Submitted to the School of Graduate Studies of Addis Ababa University in
Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Science
in Environmental Science |
| URI: | http://hdl.handle.net/123456789/3389 |
| Appears in: | Thesis - Environmental Sciences
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