Determination of the composition of biodiesel-diesel blends using the dielectric constant

ABSTRACTThere are many methods used to measure the composition of biodiesel in diesel. However, standard methods are limited by high cost and limited precision. Here is proposed a low-cost sensor to determine biodiesel in binary blends of biodiesel/diesel, using the dielectric constant. The concentrations were varied from 0–9% at frequencies from 100–2000 Hz. The correlation curves between the dielectric constant and the biodiesel/diesel concentration included an adjustment factor of 0.992. Moreover, the values of the dielectric constant obtained for each blend were statistically distinct, yielding precise measurements.