Quality Assurance for Rape-seed Oil as Vehicle Fuel

Name of Contractor:  Teagasc
Grant Award:  €40,000
Category:  Public Good
Completion Date:  May 2004
Download Report:  Final Report

Introduction

The production of pure plant oil from oilseed rape in Ireland offers two possibilities for the introduction of liquid biofuels into the transport fuel mix.  The pure plant oil can be used directly in modified diesel engines, or it can be supplied as a feedstock to a biodiesel plant for conversion to biodiesel.

The use of pure plant oil in modified diesel engines is a simple, low cost technology approach, which lends itself to small scale, dispersed transport fuel production.  However, the attendant risk is that variable quality of oil production in different, small scale production plants will result in variable engine performance, including, in the worst cases, engine failure.  It was considered important therefore to identify critical, measurable characteristics of the product oil which could be used to determine that the oil was within a defined, acceptable range.

The goals of this study were to identify critical characteristics for acceptable oil quality, to establish routine test procedures for quality assurance and to construct specimen test reports which could form part of a quality assurance procedure.

Outputs

The main finding of the study were as follows:

• The two characteristics that were determined to be of prime importance in establishing the quality of pure plant oil for use as a vehicle fuel were suspended solids and acid value.
• Seed quality and pressing and filtering procedure were identified as being central to the control of suspended solids and acid value and the report includes specific recommendations in this regard.
• Sample reports for both weekly and monthly testing were developed and included as appendices.

This report identifies the principle characteristics of pure plant oil which need to be monitored as part of a quality assurance procedure.  It is intended that the outputs of the report will guide both the production and the quality assurance practices of producers of pure plant oil for vehicle fuel.

The report has been printed, and posted on the SEI web site from where it can be downloaded by interested parties.

For further information contact:

Pearse Buckley
Sustainable Energy Ireland
Glasnevin
Dublin 9

Tel:  01 8082540
e-mail:  pearse.buckley@sei.ie