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Assessment of the Viability of Vegetable Oil Based Fuels

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Sustainable Automotive Technologies 2013

Part of the book series: Lecture Notes in Mobility ((LNMOB))

Abstract

This paper provides results of extensive trials using a 50/50 blend of unheated vegetable oil and diesel fuel in an unmodified vehicle on roads in Victoria, Australia. The work was inspired by the success of an on-road trial using 100 % waste vegetable oil in 2004 and positive indications in the literature. As well as being a sustainable alternative fuel, vegetable oil has the added safety advantage of having a much higher flash point than any other. Constant routes were used analogous in-part, to using prescribed drive cycles. Results were logged and bar-charts comparing fuel consumption for various fuel blends are presented. There was no clearly discernible difference (within the uncertainty of the measured data) in fuel consumption between the 50/50 blend and diesel fuel.

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Notes

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    Full trial log available

  2. 2.

    Details of WVO types and suppliers available on request

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Acknowledgments

Merck Pty Ltd Australia for providing solvents; DA Vale Diesel Injection Service Pty Ltd for providing information and equipment; I F Thomas and Associates for providing the perfumes; Mussels Fish and Chippery, Customs House Hotel, Yacht Club Hotel, Pelicans Landing Restaurant and Accent Cafe for providing waste vegetable oil and Symex Holdings Ltd for providing perfume Material Safety Data Sheets.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. I. F. Thomas & Associates, 123 Nelson place, Williamstown, Melbourne, 3016, Australia

    I. F. Thomas

  2. Environmental Science, School of Applied Sciences, RMIT University, Swanston Street, Melbourne, 3000, Australia

    N. A. Porter

  3. Renewable Energy, School of Aerospace, Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering, RMIT University, Plenty Road Bundoora East, Melbourne, 3083, Australia

    P. Lappas

Authors
  1. I. F. Thomas
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  2. N. A. Porter
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  3. P. Lappas
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to I. F. Thomas .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Ingolstadt University of Applied Sciences, Ingolstadt, Germany

    Jörg Wellnitz

  2. RMIT University School of Aerospace Mechanical and Manufacturing Eng., RMIT University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

    Aleksandar Subic

  3. Ingolstadt University of Applied Sciences, Ingolstadt, Germany

    Ramona Trufin

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Thomas, I.F., Porter, N.A., Lappas, P. (2014). Assessment of the Viability of Vegetable Oil Based Fuels. In: Wellnitz, J., Subic, A., Trufin, R. (eds) Sustainable Automotive Technologies 2013. Lecture Notes in Mobility. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-01884-3_2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-01884-3_2

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-01883-6

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-01884-3

  • eBook Packages: EngineeringEngineering (R0)

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