Optimization of the combustion of SOME (soybean oil methyl ester), B5, B10, B20 and petrodiesel in a semi industrial boiler

This paper characterizes combustion of petrodiesel and prevalent SOME blends (B100, B5, B10 and B20), which were produced through an alkali-based transesterification in PUT, in a semi industrial boiler by determining its efficiency, exhaust emissions and costs. First, the influence of oxygen content of stock gases (by volume percent) upon regular emissions, thermal efficiency and costs (calculated by a cost function) was studied in order to investigate the performance and feasibility of using biodiesel in the boiler. In the next level, a multi-objective optimization method, named cost-based optimization, was represented and optimized the combustion of the fuels.