Comprehensive assessment of sustainable low-cost waste-vegetable-oil-based blend as a diesel substitute

The study presented the blends of waste vegetable oil with kerosene (K-WVO) as diesel substitutes. Three K-WVO blends containing 0.20, 0.35, and 0.50 fraction of WVO in kerosene are comprehensively analyzed for combustion, performance, emissions, economics, and environmental impacts. The engine performance and combustion profiles of the blends were comparable to that of diesel. The blend containing 0.20 fraction as WVO demonstrated better fuel consumption and combustion efficiency than diesel. K-WVO blends showed lower specific carbon monoxide emissions but higher unburnt hydrocarbon emissions relative to diesel. The emission of nitrogen oxide was similar for the blend fuels and diesel. The blends were found to be much economic than diesel. A 52–61% reduction in running cost can be achieved by substituting diesel with a K-WVO blend. The blends with higher WVO fraction are found to be more economic. The use of K-WVO blends can be expected to lower the global warming potential by 19.6–21% compared to diesel fuel. Largely, the blend fuels were found to have lower environmental impacts compared to diesel. The study showed that the benefits associated with a blend depend on blend composition. The blend with a lower WVO content can have better engine performance and emission characteristics, but blend with a higher WVO has more economic and environmental benefits. Thus, the comprehensive assessment presented in the study can be used as a guide toward defining the proper WVO-kerosene blend composition based on the proposed objective.