Performance and emissions characteristics of Jatropha oil (preheated and blends) in a direct injection compression ignition engine

The scarce and rapidly depleting conventional petroleum resources have promoted research for alternative fuels for internal combustion engines. Among various possible options, fuels derived from triglycerides (vegetable oils/animal fats) present promising “greener” substitutes for fossil fuels. Vegetable oils, due to their agricultural origin, are able to reduce net CO₂ emissions to the atmosphere along with import substitution of petroleum products. However, several operational and durability problems of using straight vegetable oils in diesel engines reported in the literature, which are because of their higher viscosity and low volatility compared to mineral diesel fuel.In the present research, experiments were designed to study the effect of reducing Jatropha oil’s viscosity by increasing the fuel temperature (using waste heat of the exhaust gases) and thereby eliminating its effect on combustion and emission characteristics of the engine. Experiments were also conducted using various blends of Jatropha oil with mineral diesel to study the effect of reduced blend viscosity on emissions and performance of diesel engine. A single cylinder, four stroke, constant speed, water cooled, direct injection diesel engine typically used in agricultural sector was used for the experiments. The acquired data were analyzed for various parameters such as thermal efficiency, brake specific fuel consumption (BSFC), smoke opacity, CO₂, CO and HC emissions. While operating the engine on Jatropha oil (preheated and blends), performance and emission parameters were found to be very close to mineral diesel for lower blend concentrations. However, for higher blend concentrations, performance and emissions were observed to be marginally inferior.     

Characterization and effect of using rubber seed oil as fuel in the compression ignition engines

Vegetable oils pose some problems when subjected to prolonged usage in compression ignition engines because of their high viscosity and low volatility. The common problems are poor atomization, carbon deposits, ring sticking, fuel pump failure, etc. Converting the high viscosity vegetable oil into its blends or esters can minimize these problems. The various blends of rubber seed oil and diesel were prepared and its important properties such as viscosity, calorific value, flash point, fire point, etc. were evaluated and compared with that of diesel. The blends were then subjected to engine performance and emission tests and compared with that for diesel. It was found that 50–80% of rubber seed oil blends gave the best performance. Long run tests were conducted using optimized blend and diesel. It was found that blend fueled engine has higher carbon deposits inside combustion chamber than diesel-fueled engine. Utilization of blends requires frequent cleaning of fuel filter, pump and the combustion chamber. Hence, it is recommended that rubber seed oil–diesel blend fuel is more suitable for rural power generation.     

Experimental investigations of performance,emission and combustion characteristics of Karanja oil blends fuelled DICI engine

Vegetables oils are simplest route of biofuel utilization in direct injection compression ignition (DICI) engines however several operational and durability problems are encountered while using straight vegetable oils in CI engines due to their high viscosity and low volatility. Reduction of viscosity by blending or exhaust gas heating leads to savings in chemical processing cost incurred on transesterification. In this experimental study, performance, emission and combustion characteristics of Karanja oil blends (K10, K20, K50 and K100) with mineral diesel were investigated in unheated conditions in a direct injection CI engine at different engine loads and constant engine speed (1500 rpm) vis-à-vis baseline data from mineral diesel. Analysis of performance parameters such as brake specific fuel consumption (BSFC), thermal efficiency, and exhaust gas temperature; mass emissions of various gaseous pollutant species; combustion parameters such as in-cylinder pressure rise, instantaneous heat release and cumulative heat release etc. were carried out. Detailed combustion analysis revealed that the combustion duration increased significantly even with smaller concentration of Karanja oil in the fuel blend. HC, CO and Smoke emissions were found to decrease for 20–50% (v/v) Karanja oil content in the fuel blends.     

A novel approach to utilize esterified rice bran oil as an additive with gasoline and ethanol blends in MPFI SI engine.

ABSTRACT

In this work, we have attempted to add biodiesel as an additive with gasoline and ethanol blend to analyze the effect on performance and emission characteristics. The esterified rice bran oil is chosen as an additive. This focus of this work is to study the behavior of an SI engine for various blend proportions and to identify the optimum blend proportion that yields better results. MPFI engine was used to conduct the load test with gasoline as the base reference fuel. Blends of gasoline-ethanol and rice bran oil were prepared, and the tests were done for all the blends. The observed results were presented and discussed. Adding ethanol to the gasoline results in improved combustion that causes an increase in brake thermal efficiency and brake power. With esterified rice bran oil as an additive gives a reduction in specific fuel consumption, hydrocarbon emission, and carbon monoxide emissions. The optimum blends that have excellent benefits are identified.     

Experimental investigations of performance and emissions of Karanja oil and its blends in a single cylinder agricultural diesel engine

An experimental investigation has been carried out to analyze the performance and emission characteristics of a compression ignition engine fuelled with Karanja oil and its blends (10%, 20%, 50% and 75%) vis-a-vis mineral diesel. The effect of temperature on the viscosity of Karanja oil has also been investigated. Fuel preheating in the experiments – for reducing viscosity of Karanja oil and blends has been done by a specially designed heat exchanger, which utilizes waste heat from exhaust gases. A series of engine tests, with and without preheating/pre-conditioning have been conducted using each of the above fuel blends for comparative performance evaluation. The performance parameters evaluated include thermal efficiency, brake specific fuel consumption (BSFC), brake specific energy consumption (BSEC), and exhaust gas temperature whereas exhaust emissions include mass emissions of CO, HC, NO and smoke opacity. These parameters were evaluated in a single cylinder compression ignition engine typically used in agriculture sector of developing countries. The results of the experiment in each case were compared with baseline data of mineral diesel. Significant improvements have been observed in the performance parameters of the engine as well as exhaust emissions, when lower blends of Karanja oil were used with preheating and also without preheating. The gaseous emission of oxide of nitrogen from all blends with and with out preheating are lower than mineral diesel at all engine loads. Karanja oil blends with diesel (up to 50% v/v) without preheating as well as with preheating can replace diesel for operating the CI engines giving lower emissions and improved engine performance.     

Assessment of basic properties and thermal analysis of hybrid biofuel blend

Among the alternative fuels, vegetable oil is seen as a potential source of energy due to its readily available variety of sources and its certain physical properties that are comparable to those of diesel fuels. However, higher contents of triglyceride in vegetable oil contribute to higher viscosity and density that is affecting the inferior engine performance and emissions. The key properties, such as viscosity, density, and calorific value (CV), have a significant effect on fuel atomization, fuel combustion, and exhaust emissions. In this study, refined palm oil (RPO) was blended with a newly introduced novel biofuel, Melaleuca cajuputi oil (MCO), in order to reduce the viscosity and density and enhance blend properties. This blend is analyzed and compared with RPO–diesel and RPO–ethanol blends in terms of viscosity, CV, and density. These hybrid binary biofuel (HBB) blends were prepared on the volumetric basis of 10%, 20%, 30%, and 50% of MCO, ethanol, and diesel with RPO. The basic fuel properties and the correlation of temperature–viscosity–blend ratio were analyzed. The results showed that the MCO has comparable key properties to those of diesel fuels. The viscosity and density of HBB decrease as the fraction of MCO/ethanol/diesel increases in the blend. The higher the fraction of MCO/diesel in the blend, the higher is the CV observed. Notably, the viscosity of neat RPO and its blends is strongly influenced by temperature variations. The combination of blend technique and preheating had a substantial effect in reducing the viscosity and density of the HBB. Remarkably, the blend of MCO–RPO has the potential to highly considered as a new source of biofuel.     

Performance of jatropha oil blends in a diesel engine

Results are presented on tests on a single-cylinder direct-injection engine operating on diesel fuel, jatropha oil, and blends of diesel and jatropha oil in proportions of 97.4%/2.6%; 80%/20%; and 50%/50% by volume. The results covered a range of operating loads on the engine. Values are given for the chemical and physical properties of the fuels, brake specific fuel consumption, brake power, brake thermal efficiency, engine torque, and the concentrations of carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide and oxygen in the exhaust gases. Carbon dioxide emissions were similar for all fuels, the 97.4% diesel/2.6% jatropha fuel blend was observed to be the lower net contributor to the atmospheric level. The trend of carbon monoxide emissions was similar for the fuels but diesel fuel showed slightly lower emissions to the atmosphere. The test showed that jatropha oil could be conveniently used as a diesel substitute in a diesel engine. The test further showed increases in brake thermal efficiency, brake power and reduction of specific fuel consumption for jatropha oil and its blends with diesel generally, but the most significant conclusion from the study is that the 97.4% diesel/2.6% jatropha fuel blend produced maximum values of the brake power and brake thermal efficiency as well as minimum values of the specific fuel consumption. The 97.4%/2.6% fuel blend yielded the highest cetane number and even better engine performance than the diesel fuel suggesting that jatropha oil can be used as an ignition-accelerator additive for diesel fuel.     

Synergistic effect of hydrogen and waste lubricating oil on the performance and emissions of a compression ignition engine

The demand for energy is increasing every year. For a long time, fossil fuels have been used to satiate this energy demand. However, using hydrocarbon-based fossil fuels has led to an enormous rise of carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere resulting in global warming. It is therefore necessary to look for alternatives to fossil fuels. The research carried out till date have shown biomass and waste-derived fuels as plausible alternatives to fossil fuels. The biomass feedstock includes jatropha oil, Karanja oil, cottonseed oil, and hemp oil among others and wastes include used cooking oil, used engine oil, used tire and used plastics etc. In this study, the authors aim to explore waste lubrication oil as a fuel for the diesel engine. The used lubrication oil was pyrolyzed and diesel-like fuel with 80% conversion efficiency was obtained. A blend of the fuel and diesel in the ratio of 80:20 on volume basis was prepared. Engine experiments at various load conditions was carried out with the blend. As compared to diesel, a 2% increase in thermal efficiency, 6.3%, 16.1% and 13.6% decrease in smoke, CO and HC emissions & 3.2% and 1.8% increase in NOx and CO₂ emission were observed at full load with the blend. With an aim to further improve the engine performance and reduce the overall emissions from the engine exhaust, a zero-carbon fuel namely gaseous hydrogen was inducted in the intake manifold. The flow rate of hydrogen was varied from 3 to 12 Litres per minute (LPM). As compared to diesel, at maximum hydrogen flow rate the thermal efficiency increased by 12.2%. HC, CO and smoke emissions decreased by 42.4%, 51.6% and 16.8%, whereas NOx emissions increased by 22%. The study shows that the combination of pyrolyzed waste lubricant and hydrogen were found to be suitable as a fuel for an unmodified diesel engine. Such fuel combination can be used for stationary applications such as power backups.     

Analysis of blended fuel properties and engine performance with palm biodiesel–diesel blended fuel

Depleting fossil fuel sources accompanied by continuously growing energy demands lead to increased interest in alternative energy sources. Blended biodiesel–diesel fuel has been approved as a commercial fuel at a low blending ratio. However, problems related to fuel properties are persistent at high blending ratios. Hence, in this study, the feasibility of biodiesel produced from palm oil was investigated. Characterization of blended fuel properties with increasing palm biodiesel ratio is conducted to evaluate engine performance test results. The qualifying of blended fuel properties was used to indicate the maximum blending ratio suitable for use in unmodified diesel engines according to the blended fuel standard ASTM D7467. The property test results revealed that blended fuel properties meet blended fuel standard requirements at up to 30% palm oil biodiesel. Furthermore, blending is efficient for reduction of the pour point from 14 °C for unblended biodiesel to less than 0 °C at a 30% biodiesel blending ratio. However, the energy content reduces by about 1.42% for each 10% increment of biodiesel. Engine test results demonstrated that there was no statistically significant difference for engine brake thermal efficiency among tested blended fuels compared to mineral diesel, and the lowest engine cyclic variation was achieved with blended fuel B30.     

Emission and engine performance analysis of a diesel engine using hydrogen enriched pomegranate seed oil biodiesel

The aim of this study is to determine the availability of pomegranate seed oil biodiesel (POB) as an alternative fuel in diesel engines and evaluate engine performance and emission characteristics of pure hydrogen enriched POB using diesel engine. For this purpose, the intake manifold of the test engine was modified and hydrogen enriched intake air was supplied throughout the experiments. Physical properties of POB and its blend with diesel fuel were also determined. The results showed that measured physical properties of POB are comparable with diesel fuel. According to engine performance experiments, although POB utilization has slight undesirable effects on some engine performance parameters such as brake power output and specific fuel consumption, it can be used as alternative fuel in diesel engines, by this way CO emission can be improved. Finally, hydrogen enrichment experiments indicated that pure hydrogen addition causes a slight improvement in both engine performance and exhaust emissions.     

Heat release and engine performance effects of soybean oil ethyl ester blending into diesel fuel

The engine performance impact of soybean oil ethyl ester blending into diesel fuel was analyzed employing heat release analysis, in-cylinder exergy balances and dynamometric tests. Blends with concentrations of up to 30% of soybean oil ethyl ester in volume were used in steady-state experiments conducted in a high speed turbocharged direct injection engine. Modifications in fuel heat value, fuel-air equivalence ratio and combustion temperature were found to govern the impact resulting from the addition of biodiesel on engine performance. For the analyzed fuels, the 20% biodiesel blend presented the best results of brake thermal efficiency, while the 10% biodiesel blend presented the best results of brake power and sfc (specific fuel consumption). In relation to mineral diesel and in full load conditions, an average increase of 4.16% was observed in brake thermal efficiency with B20 blend. In the same conditions, an average gain of 1.15% in brake power and a reduction of 1.73% in sfc was observed with B10 blend.     

Performance of rapeseed oil blends in a diesel engine

The concept that 100% vegetable oil cannot be used safely in a direct-injection diesel engine for long periods of time has been stressed by many researchers. Short-term engine tests indicate good potential for vegetable oil fuels. Long-term endurance tests may show serious problems in injector coking, ring sticking, gum formation, and thickening of lubricating oil. These problems are related to the high viscosity and nonvolatility of vegetable oils, which cause inadequate fuel atomization and incomplete combustion. Fuel blending is one method of reducing viscosity. This paper presents the results of an engine test on three fuel blends. Test runs were also made on neat rapeseed oil and diesel fuel as bases for comparison. There were no significant problems with engine operation using these alternative fuels. The test results showed increases in brake thermal efficiency as the amount of rapeseed oil in the blends increases. Reduction of power-output was also noted with increased amount of rapeseed oil in the blends. Test results include data on performance and gaseous emissions. Crankcase oil analyses showed a reduction in viscosity. Friction power was noted to increase as the amount of diesel fuel in the blend increases.     

Properties and use of jatropha curcas oil and diesel fuel blends in compression ignition engine

In the present investigation the high viscosity of the jatropha curcas oil which has been considered as a potential alternative fuel for the compression ignition (C.I.) engine was decreased by blending with diesel. The blends of varying proportions of jatropha curcas oil and diesel were prepared, analyzed and compared with diesel fuel. The effect of temperature on the viscosity of biodiesel and jatropha oil was also studied. The performance of the engine using blends and jatropha oil was evaluated in a single cylinder C.I. engine and compared with the performance obtained with diesel. Significant improvement in engine performance was observed compared to vegetable oil alone. The specific fuel consumption and the exhaust gas temperature were reduced due to decrease in viscosity of the vegetable oil. Acceptable thermal efficiencies of the engine were obtained with blends containing up to 50% volume of jatropha oil. From the properties and engine test results it has been established that 40–50% of jatropha oil can be substituted for diesel without any engine modification and preheating of the blends.     

Tribological behavior of pongamia oil as a lubricant additive

This study assesses the friction and wear characteristics of a pongamia oil-contaminated bio-lubricant by using a pin-on-disc tribometer. To formulate the bio-lubricants, pongamia oil was blended in the ratios of 15, 30, and 50% by volume with the base lubricant SAE 20 W 40. Tribological characteristics of these blends were obtained at 1.3 and 2.5 m/s sliding velocity and the load was 150 N. Experimental results showed that the lubrication regime that occurred during the test was boundary lubrication while the main wear mechanisms were abrasive and the adhesive wear. During testing, the lowest wear was found with the addition of 15% pongamia oil, and above this contamination, the wear rate was increased considerably. With an increase in load, the viscosity of all the bio-lubricants increases and meets the International Standard Organization (ISO) VG 100 requirement at 40°C except PB 50. The addition of pongamia oil in the base lubricant acted as a very good lubricant additive which reduced the friction and wear scar diameter during the test. It has been concluded that the PB 15 can act as an alternative lubricant to increase the mechanical efficiency and contribute to reduction of dependence on the petroleum-based products.     

Transesterified Hingan (Balanites) oil as a fuel for compression ignition engines

The study endeavor to utilize esters of Balanites aegyptiaca (L.) Del(Balanites) as a fuel for diesel engine. Ester developed from balanites oil by the transesterification process is investigated for its properties and the engine performance. A single stage alkali-catalyzed esterification process by using 1.25% KOH, methyl alcohol 8:1 molar ratio with respect to balanites oil, gives the maximum ester yield of 95%. The performance and emission characteristics of the engine are analyzed using balanites oil methyl esters and diesel as fuel. The viscosity of balanites oil is found to be decreased by 89% after esterification, and the calorific value of balanites oil methyl esters is nearly 94% of the diesel fuel. The engine performance with balanites oil methyl ester as a fuel resembles to that of conventional diesel fuel, while the exhaust gas emissions are reduced with the use of balanites oil methyl esters.     

The comparison of engine performance and exhaust emission characteristics of sesame oil–diesel fuel mixture with diesel fuel in a direct injection diesel engine

The use of vegetable oils as a fuel in diesel engines causes some problems due to their high viscosity compared with conventional diesel fuel. Various techniques and methods are used to solve the problems resulting from high viscosity. One of these techniques is fuel blending. In this study, a blend of 50% sesame oil and 50% diesel fuel was used as an alternative fuel in a direct injection diesel engine. Engine performance and exhaust emissions were investigated and compared with the ordinary diesel fuel in a diesel engine. The experimental results show that the engine power and torque of the mixture of sesame oil–diesel fuel are close to the values obtained from diesel fuel and the amounts of exhaust emissions are lower than those of diesel fuel. Hence, it is seen that blend of sesame oil and diesel fuel can be used as an alternative fuel successfully in a diesel engine without any modification and also it is an environmental friendly fuel in terms of emission parameters.     

Crude palm oil fuel for diesel-engines: Experimental and ANN simulation approaches

In the current work, the effect of using CPO (crude palm oil)-OD (ordinary diesel) blends as fuel on the performance of CI (compression ignition) engine is studied. Three different blends of CPO-OD (25%, 50% and 75%) were investigated using direct-injection, stationary diesel engine. The CPO-OD blends were preheated to about 60 °C before the injection to reduce the viscosity of the blends. The experiments were conducted at variable engine speeds (1000 rpm through 3000 rpm) under fixed throttle opening. The results revealed that the CPO-OD exhibited higher torque and power output at engine speeds lower than 2000 rpm, while the BSFC (brake specific fuel consumption) was found to be higher than the OD at the same engine speeds. CPO enhanced the BSFC at higher engine speeds (above 2000 rpm). The CPO-OD blends exhibited lower emissions of NO_x and higher emission of CO compared to the OD.     

Performance and emission evaluation of a diesel engine fueled with methyl esters of rubber seed oil

Recent concerns over the environment, increasing fuel prices and scarcity of its supply have promoted the interest in development of the alternative sources for petroleum fuels. At present, biodiesel is commercially produced from the refined edible vegetable oils such as sunflower oil, palm oil and soybean oil, etc. by alkaline-catalyzed esterification process. This process is not suitable for production of biodiesel from many unrefined non-edible vegetable oils because of their high acid value. Hence, a two-step esterification method is developed to produce biodiesel from high FFA vegetable oils. The biodiesel production method consists of acid-catalyzed pretreatment followed by an alkaline-catalyzed transesterification. The important properties of methyl esters of rubber seed oil are compared with other esters and diesel. Pure rubber seed oil, diesel and biodiesel are used as fuels in the compression ignition engine and the performance and emission characteristics of the engine are analyzed. The lower blends of biodiesel increase the brake thermal efficiency and reduce the fuel consumption. The exhaust gas emissions are reduced with increase in biodiesel concentration. The experimental results proved that the use of biodiesel (produced from unrefined rubber seed oil) in compression ignition engines is a viable alternative to diesel.     

Utilization of unattended Putranjiva roxburghii non-edible oil as fuel in diesel engine

The search for alternative sources of energy has been driven by the increased cost and depletion of supply of fossil fuels. The alternatives are mainly vegetable oils. Putranjiva roxburghii, a non-edible vegetable oil can be used in diesel engine for its fuel properties which are comparable with diesel. Blends (10%, 20%, 30%, and 40% v/v) of pure Putranjiva oil and diesel are used in Ricardo Variable Compression Diesel Engine to study the performance and emission characteristics at various brake power. Putranjiva oil blends yield better performance at 45° CA bTDC injection timing in comparison to 40° CA bTDC timing for diesel. Maximum 30% blend of Putranjiva oil with diesel can be used as an alternative fuel in diesel engine for it differs very little from diesel in performance and is better than diesel with regard to emissions.     

Performance evaluation of a vegetable oil fuelled compression ignition engine

Fuel crisis because of dramatic increase in vehicular population and environmental concerns have renewed interest of scientific community to look for alternative fuels of bio-origin such as vegetable oils. Vegetable oils can be produced from forests, vegetable oil crops, and oil bearing biomass materials. Non-edible vegetable oils such as linseed oil, mahua oil, rice bran oil, etc. are potentially effective diesel substitute. Vegetable oils have high-energy content. This study was carried out to investigate the performance and emission characteristics of linseed oil, mahua oil, rice bran oil and linseed oil methyl ester (LOME), in a stationary single cylinder, four-stroke diesel engine and compare it with mineral diesel. The linseed oil, mahua oil, rice bran oil and LOME were blended with diesel in different proportions. Baseline data for diesel fuel was collected. Engine tests were performed using all these blends of linseed, mahua, rice bran, and LOME. Straight vegetable oils posed operational and durability problems when subjected to long-term usage in CI engine. These problems are attributed to high viscosity, low volatility and polyunsaturated character of vegetable oils. However, these problems were not observed for LOME blends. Hence, process of transesterification is found to be an effective method of reducing vegetable oil viscosity and eliminating operational and durability problems. Economic analysis was also done in this study and it is found that use of vegetable oil and its derivative as diesel fuel substitutes has almost similar cost as that of mineral diesel.