Electricity production from waste engine oil from agricultural machinery

As fuel for fuel cells can be used various substances, but generally fuel cells are powered by hydrogen. However, problems with the storage of hydrogen are the reason for the search of new fuels for fuel cells. Moreover, annually are produced huge amount of waste oils. These oils must be directed to purification and processing. It would be important to use waste engine oil as fuel for fuel cell to direct electricity production without intermediate stage e.g. combustion. The paper presents the possibility of using waste engine oil as fuel for fuel cell. The oil does not have the feature of electrical conductivity, for this reason a detergent was used for dissolving oil in an electrolyte. So, the work shows possible electrooxidation of waste engine oil (Turdus 15W40 from agriculture machinery) emulsion on a platinum electrode in an aqueous solution of H2SO4. Researches were done by the method of polarizing curves of electrooxidation of waste engine oil emulsion in glass vessel, on a smooth platinum electrode with potentiostat. In any case, the process of electrooxidation of waste engine oil emulsion occurred. A current density of about 6-20 mA/cm2 was obtained for all concentrations of waste engine oil. The highest results of the potential were obtained at temperature of 333K (25 mA/cm2 ). A fundamental possibility of electrooxidation of waste engine oil (Turdus 15W40) emulsion on platinum smooth electrode in acid electrolyte (aqueous solution of H2SO4) was presented in this paper. The obtained current density and power of glass fuel cell is low, but it was demonstrated a fundamental possibility of electricity production in fuel cell powering with waste engine oil.

---

Opracowanie rekordu w ramach umowy 509/P-DUN/2018 ze środków MNiSW przeznaczonych na działalność upowszechniającą naukę (2018).