Performance Test of Tamanu Oil for Pressure Stove Modification

Abstract

Tamanu (Calophyllum inophyllum L.) has potential as a biofuel producer crop. Tamanu oil has a high viscosity compared with kerosene. Tamanu oil viscosity must be lowered to the equivalent of kerosene to be applied as a substitute for kerosene, especially in pressure stove. In pressure stove, preheating can reduce the viscosity of fuel to achieve the desired viscosity to be sprayed and burned well. Nowadays, pressure stoves generally are made for kerosene fuel. so that, the pressure stove needs to be modified by considering the preheating stage. Thus, the tamanu oil can be used in the modified pressure stove as a subtitute of kerosene. The objective of the study were (1) to simulate the temperature and viscosity change in relation to the length of heating oil pipeline, (2) to modify the heating oil pipeline based on the simulation result, and (3) to test the performance of modified heating oil pipeline. The simulation results show that the oil should be heated to 161.81 °C to obtain the viscosity of tamanu oil close to the viscosity of kerosene, which is using the heating pipe element along the 25 cm. The tamanu oil spraying diameter is 65.67 mm, and the spraying angle is 12.49o. While kerosene as a control has a spraying diameter of 66.75 mm, and the spraying angle is 12.69o. The increasing of spray diameter to temperature follows the equation d = 0.435T + 2.552, with determinant coefficient of 0.961. While the increasing of spray angle to temperature follows the equation θ = 0.082T + 0.51, with determinant coefficient of 0.961. The increase in diameter and angle of spray with increasing oil temperature, due to the increasing temperatures will further lower the viscosity value, surface tension, and density of tamanu oil. According to Ing et al. (2010), viscosity, surface tension, and density are three fluid properties that are influential in forming the droplet. This oil heating element can heat the tamanu oil until 168.5 oC and 164.7 °C for two different data retrieval conditions.