Detailed studies on employing fish canning waste as a partial alternative in a research diesel engine: Waste to energy initiation

This research aims to utilize the energy available from fish canning waste (FCW) as a partial alternative. The fuel is chemically modified to fish canning waste methyl ester (FCWME) by acid-catalytic transesterification process and blended with diesel at 10%, 20% and 30% volume. The engine utilized in this study is slightly modified by engaging exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) to lower the nitrous oxide (NO) emission of oxygen-rich fuel blends. Performance tests demonstrated that the FCW/diesel blends show similar patterns to diesel. Higher fuel consumption of 0.01, 0.03 and 0.04 kg/kWh was noted by including FCWME by 10%, 20% and 30% by volume. Power losses of about 1.4%, 1.9% and 2.1% were experienced by blending 10%, 20% and 30% volumes of FCWME with diesel. Conversely, the tailpipe emissions, namely smoke, CO and HC emissions, lowered by 3.7%, 0.017% and 21 ppm, with 117 ppm elevated NO emissions for the FCWME/diesel blends than diesel. The test results revealed that the NO emissions from all test fuels lowered drastically during 10%-30% EGR; 91 ppm reduction in NO emissions was observed at a 30% EGR rate, with a slight increase in other regulated emissions. Considering the encouraging impacts on the environment and improved fuel combustion pattern, FCW biofuel shall be employed as a likely and fractional alternative to diesel fuel.