Performance and emission characteristics of biodiesel from different origins: A review

Alarming situation of world energy stimulated the researchers to look for new sources of fuel, which must be renewable, locally available and environmentally benign. In this regard, the significance of biodiesel as technically and commercially viable alternative to fossil-diesel has led to intense research in the field. Biodiesel is made from different feedstock depending on the availability. This paper analyzes the performance and emission of biodiesel from different feedstock. The main advantage of biodiesel is that it potentially reduces the key pollutants, carbon monoxide, unburnt hydrocarbons and particulate matters. While several researchers have looked at the impact of biodiesel on these pollutants, only few publications discussed the effect of fatty acid composition on performance and emission characteristics. An attempt has been carried out to discuss the effect of biodiesel in terms of performance and emissions based upon composition and properties of the respective biodiesel. The results of the study show that different chemical compositions of biodiesel based upon their origin lead to variation in their properties and performance and emission characteristics. Biodiesel produced from saturated feedstock reduce NOx emission and resistive to oxidation but exhibit poor atomization. However, many further research needs to be carried out to understand the relationship between the type of biodiesel feedstock and performance and emission.