Evaluating the potential of the use of biodiesel for power generation in Brazil

The purpose of this article is to evaluate the performance, in terms of specific consumption in g/kWh, of biodiesel produced from soybean oil, palm oil and residual frying oil, by means of ethylic and methylic routes, in blending percentages of 20% and 50%, at different power levels, for electric power generation from stationary internal combustion engines. The results are evaluated by Tukey′s range test, which enables the comparison of any and all contrasts between two averages of a variable. The results evidence that the 20% blend of biodiesel from soybean oil produced by methylic route seems to be the one whose performance is the closest to the reference fuel′s, and that the proportion of biodiesel has affected more significantly the performance of the blend tested than the type of raw material or route, in relation to the specific consumption for all power levels.