Performance and emission characteristics of a DI compression ignition engine operated on Honge, Jatropha and sesame oil methyl esters

The high viscosity of vegetable oils leads to problem in pumping and spray characteristics. The inefficient mixing of vegetable oils with air contributes to incomplete combustion. The best way to use vegetable oils as fuel in compression ignition (CI) engines is to convert it into biodiesel. Biodiesel is a methyl or ethyl ester of fatty acids made from vegetable oils (both edible and non-edible) and animal fat. The main resources for biodiesel production can be non-edible oils obtained from plant species such as Pongamia pinnata (Honge oil), Jatropha curcas (Ratanjyot), Hevea brasiliensis (Rubber) and Calophyllum inophyllum (Nagchampa). Biodiesel can be used in its pure form or can be blended with diesel to form different blends. It can be used in CI engines with very little or no engine modifications. This is because it has properties similar to mineral diesel. This paper presents the results of investigations carried out on a single-cylinder, four-stroke, direct-injection, CI engine operated with methyl esters of Honge oil, Jatropha oil and sesame oil. Comparative measures of brake thermal efficiency, smoke opacity, HC, CO, NO_X, ignition delay, combustion duration and heat release rates have been presented and discussed. Engine performance in terms of higher brake thermal efficiency and lower emissions (HC, CO, NO_X) with sesame oil methyl ester operation was observed compared to methyl esters of Honge and Jatropha oil operation.     

Effect of hydroxy gas enrichment on vibration,noise and combustion characteristics of a diesel engine fueled with Foeniculum vulgare oil biodiesel and diesel fuel

Gaseous fuels can be used in diesel engines to improve combustion and obtain more favorable emission. Vibration and noise formation in diesel engines is a rather complex phenomenon which is created during combustion of fuels and leads to a reduction in vehicle comfort. Although there are studies in the literature that examine the noise and vibration of the diesel engine using different biofuels, there is no study that thoroughly examines the effect of combined utilization of Foeniculum vulgare oil biodiesel (FVB) and hydroxy gas (HHO) on vibration, noise and combustion characteristics. Therefore, this study aimed to explore the effects of FVB, a promising biodiesel feedstock, and HHO dual fuel operation on vibration, noise and exhaust emissions of a diesel engine. The vibration, noise and emission data obtained by the use of diesel fuel were taken as a reference and the effects of FVB and HHO mixture utilization on vibration, noise and emission formation were examined. The results show that the total vibration and noise generated by the engine was decreased by the use of FVB. In addition, the utilization of HHO together with biodiesel further reduced the engine vibration and noise according to experimental data. According to exhaust emission formation measurements, the minimum carbon monoxide values were obtained when the engine was fueled with HHO and FVB mixtures. However, CO₂ and NO_X emissions increased with the combination of HHO and FVB usage.     

Effect of induction on exhaust gas recirculation and hydrogen gas in compression ignition engine with simarouba oil in dual fuel mode

Biofuels extracted from non-edible oil is sustainable and can be used as an alternative fuel for internal combustion engines. This study presents the performance, emission and combustion characteristic analysis by using simarouba oil (obtained from Simarouba seed) as an alternative fuel along with hydrogen and exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) in a compression ignition (CI) engine operating on dual fuel mode. Simarouba biofuel blend (B20) was prepared on volumetric basis by mixing simarouba oil and diesel in the proportion of 20% and 80% (v/v), respectively. Hydrogen gas was introduced at the flow rate of 2.67 kg/min, and EGR concentration was maintained at 30% of total air introduction. Performance, combustion and emission characteristics analysis were examined with biodiesel (B20), biodiesel with hydrogen substitution and biodiesel, hydrogen with EGR and were compared with neat diesel operation. Results indicate that BTE of the engine operating with biodiesel B20 was decreased when compared to neat diesel operation. However, introducing hydrogen along with B20 blend into the combustion chamber shows a slight increase in the BTE by 1%. NO_x emission was increased to 18.13% with the introduction of hydrogen than that of base fuel (diesel) operation. With the introduction of EGR, there is a significant reduction in NO_x emission due to decrease in in-cylinder temperature by 19.07%. A significant reduction in CO, CO_2, and smoke emissions were also noted with the introduction of both hydrogen and EGR. The ignition delay and combustion duration were increased with the introduction of hydrogen, EGR with biodiesel than neat diesel operation. Hence, the proposed biodiesel B20 with H₂ and EGR combination can be applied as an alternative fuel in CI engines.     

Combustion and performance evaluation of a diesel engine fueled with biodiesel produced from soybean crude oil

In this study, the biodiesel produced from soybean crude oil was prepared by a method of alkaline-catalyzed transesterification. The important properties of biodiesel were compared with those of diesel. Diesel and biodiesel were used as fuels in the compression ignition engine, and its performance, emissions and combustion characteristics of the engine were analyzed. The results showed that biodiesel exhibited the similar combustion stages to that of diesel, however, biodiesel showed an earlier start of combustion. At lower engine loads, the peak cylinder pressure, the peak rate of pressure rise and the peak of heat release rate during premixed combustion phase were higher for biodiesel than for diesel. At higher engine loads, the peak cylinder pressure of biodiesel was almost similar to that of diesel, but the peak rate of pressure rise and the peak of heat release rate were lower for biodiesel. The power output of biodiesel was almost identical with that of diesel. The brake specific fuel consumption was higher for biodiesel due to its lower heating value. Biodiesel provided significant reduction in CO, HC, NO_x and smoke under speed characteristic at full engine load. Based on this study, biodiesel can be used as a substitute for diesel in diesel engine.     

Comparative study of biodiesel from Jatropha and orange peel oils as pilot fuels in a dual-fuel engine

The diesel-like properties of biodiesel make it a good alternative for CI engines. In the present work, the scope of biodiesel as a pilot fuel has been studied and compared with diesel. The results show that the use of Jatropha oil methyl ester (JOME) and orange peel oil methyl ester (OPOME) as pilot fuel improves BTE and BSFC of dual-fuel engines compared to diesel as a pilot fuel. The use of JOME and OPOME as a pilot fuel for CNG also decreases the emissions like unburnt hydrocarbons, CO, and smoke. However, NO_X emissions increase at higher load. In contrast, use of biodiesel as pilot fuel improves the performance and emissions characteristics of dual-fuel engines.     

Investigation on combustion and emission characteristics of hydrogen-enriched dual-fuel engine operated under waste frying oil biodiesel

Using nonedible waste frying oil (WFO) as biodiesel and hydrogen in the mix composition may partly replace significant quantities of diesel fuel and help reduce fossil fuel reliance. The combination of diesel fuel, waste-fired biodiesel, and hydrogen gas can improve the performance, combustion, and emissions of single-fuel and dual-fuel diesel engines. This may lead to a novel alternative fuel mix pattern and modification for diesel engines, which is the research gap. Although there has been some research on waste-fired biodiesel and hydrogen gas-powered dual-fuel engines with the goal of partly replacing fossil fuels to a larger degree, there has been very little progress in this area. As a result, the current research effort focuses on using diesel fuel (100%, 30%, and 60%), waste-fired biodiesel (at 100%, 70%, and 40%), and hydrogen gas as fuel sources (5 and 10 liters per minute [LPM]). According to the current experiment, it was perceived in both dual-fuel and single-fuel modes. Under duel-fuel mode, the engine results for WFOB70D30 + H10 fuel blend had higher 4.2% (brake thermal efficiency [BTE]), 19.72% (oxides of nitrogen [NO_x]), and 9.09% (ignition delay [ID]) with a minimal range of (in-cylinder pressure, MFB, volumetric efficiency and heat release rate [HRR]) and a dropped rate of 4.34% (brake-specific energy consumption [BSEC]), 33.33% (carbon monoxide [CO]), 39.28% (hydrocarbons [HC]), 9.43% (smoke), and 6.97% (combustion duration [CD]) related to diesel fuel at peak load. However, single-fuel powered diesel engines provide minimal performance for the WFOB40D60 fuel blend with (11.32% lower BTE and 2.04% higher BSEC) and minimal rate of combustion (lower cylinder pressure, 2.12% minimal CD, 14.72% higher ID, minimal HRR combustion, volumetric efficiency, and MFB). Emitted fewer emissions (9.09% less CO, 4.87% less HC, 0.92% higher NO_x, and 1.69% more smoke) than diesel fuel at peak load. Therefore, it was concluded that adding 10 LPM of hydrogen gas to the biodiesel under a dual-fuel condition leads to better combustion, better performance, and less pollution than the single-fuel mode of operation.     

Potential and challenges for large-scale application of biodiesel in automotive sector

Biodiesel is receiving serious attention globally as a potential alternative fuel for replacing mineral diesel, partially or fully. In this review paper, most prominent methods of biodiesel production commercially, life-cycle analysis and economic issues related to biodiesel, engine performance, combustion and emission characteristics including particulate, engine compatibility issues and effect of biodiesel usage on engine component wear and lubricating oil are comprehensively discussed. Majority of biodiesel produced globally is via base-catalyzed transesterification process since this is a low temperature and pressure process, having high conversion rates without intermediate steps, and it uses inexpensive materials of construction for the plant. Catalyst types (alkaline, acidic or enzymatic), catalyst concentration, molar ratio of alcohol/oil, reaction temperature, moisture content of reactants, and free fatty acid (FFA) content of oil are the main factors affecting biodiesel (ester) yield from the transesterification process. Substantial reduction in particulate matter (PM), total hydrocarbons (THC) and carbon monoxide (CO) emissions in comparison to mineral diesel, and increased brake specific fuel consumption (BSFC) and oxides of nitrogen (NO_X) emissions are reported by most researchers using unmodified compression ignition (CI) engines. This review covers several aspects, which are not covered by previous review articles, such as effect of biodiesel on unregulated emissions, effect of biodiesel on carbon deposits, wear of key engine components, and lubricating oil in long-term endurance studies. It emerges from literature review that even minor blends of biodiesel help control emissions and ease pressure on scarce petroleum resources without sacrificing engine power output, engine performance and fuel economy. This review underscores that future studies should focus on optimization of fuel injection equipment and hardware modifications to develop dedicated biodiesel engines, improve low temperature performance of biodiesel fuelled engines, develop new biodiesel compatible lubricating oil formulations and special materials for engine components before implementing large-scale substitution of mineral diesel by biodiesel globally.     

Experimental investigation of control of NOx emissions in biodiesel-fueled compression ignition engine

Biodiesel is an alternative fuel consisting of the alkyl esters of fatty acids from vegetable oils or animal fats. Vegetable oils are produced from numerous oil seed crops (edible and non-edible), e.g., rapeseed oil, linseed oil, rice bran oil, soybean oil, etc. Research has shown that biodiesel-fueled engines produce less carbon monoxide (CO), unburned hydrocarbon (HC), and particulate emissions compared to mineral diesel fuel but higher NO_x emissions. Exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) is effective to reduce NO_x from diesel engines because it lowers the flame temperature and the oxygen concentration in the combustion chamber. However, EGR results in higher particulate matter (PM) emissions. Thus, the drawback of higher NO_x emissions while using biodiesel may be overcome by employing EGR. The objective of current research work is to investigate the usage of biodiesel and EGR simultaneously in order to reduce the emissions of all regulated pollutants from diesel engines. A two-cylinder, air-cooled, constant speed direct injection diesel engine was used for experiments. HCs, NO_x, CO, and opacity of the exhaust gas were measured to estimate the emissions. Various engine performance parameters such as thermal efficiency, brake specific fuel consumption (BSFC), and brake specific energy consumption (BSEC), etc. were calculated from the acquired data. Application of EGR with biodiesel blends resulted in reductions in NO_x emissions without any significant penalty in PM emissions or BSEC.     

Plant oils as fuels for compression ignition engines: A technical review and life-cycle analysis

As an alternative fuel for compression ignition engines, plant oils are in principle renewable and carbon-neutral. However, their use raises technical, economic and environmental issues. A comprehensive and up-to-date technical review of using both edible and non-edible plant oils (either pure or as blends with fossil diesel) in CI engines, based on comparisons with standard diesel fuel, has been carried out. The properties of several plant oils, and the results of engine tests using them, are reviewed based on the literature. Findings regarding engine performance, exhaust emissions and engine durability are collated. The causes of technical problems arising from the use of various oils are discussed, as are the modifications to oil and engine employed to alleviate these problems. The review shows that a number of plant oils can be used satisfactorily in CI engines, without transesterification, by preheating the oil and/or modifying the engine parameters and the maintenance schedule. As regards life-cycle energy and greenhouse gas emission analyses, these reveal considerable advantages of raw plant oils over fossil diesel and biodiesel. Typical results show that the life-cycle output-to-input energy ratio of raw plant oil is around 6 times higher than fossil diesel. Depending on either primary energy or fossil energy requirements, the life-cycle energy ratio of raw plant oil is in the range of 2–6 times higher than corresponding biodiesel. Moreover, raw plant oil has the highest potential of reducing life-cycle GHG emissions as compared to biodiesel and fossil diesel.     

Combustion performance and emission reduction characteristics of automotive DME engine system

This article is a condensed overview of a dimethyl ether (DME) fuel application for a compression ignition diesel engine. In this review article, the spray, atomization, combustion and exhaust emissions characteristics from a DME-fueled engine are described, as well as the fundamental fuel properties including the vapor pressure, kinematic viscosity, cetane number, and the bulk modulus. DME fuel exists as gas phase at atmospheric state and it must be pressurized to supply the liquid DME to fuel injection system. In addition, DME-fueled engine needs the modification of fuel supply and injection system because the low viscosity of DME caused the leakage. Different fuel properties such as low density, viscosity and higher vapor pressure compared to diesel fuel induced the shorter spray tip penetration, wider cone angle, and smaller droplet size than diesel fuel. The ignition of DME fuel in combustion chamber starts in advance compared to diesel or biodiesel fueled compression ignition engine due to higher cetane number than diesel and biodiesel fuels. In addition, DME combustion is soot-free since it has no carbon–carbon bonds, and has lower HC and CO emissions than that of diesel combustion. The NO_x emission from DME-fueled combustion can be reduced by the application of EGR (exhaust gas recirculation). This article also describes various technologies to reduce NO_x emission from DME-fueled engines, such as the multiple injection strategy and premixed combustion. Finally, the development trends of DME-fueled vehicle are described with various experimental results and discussion for fuel properties, spray atomization characteristics, combustion performance, and exhaust emissions characteristics of DME fuel.     

Emission analysis on compression ignition engine fueled with lower concentrations of Pithecellobium dulce biodiesel‐diesel blends

The present study investigates the effect of Pithecellobium dulce biodiesel (PDBD) blends with diesel fuel on compression ignition (CI) engine emissions. Initially, PDBD was prepared by using a base transesteri?cation process. The GC‐MS, ¹H NMR, and Fourier transform infrared characterization of PDBD was carried out, and fuel properties were determined. The experiments were conducted on a single cylinder, CI engine using three blended fuels: PDBD5 (5% biodiesel and 95% diesel), PDBD10 (10% biodiesel and 90% diesel), and PDBD20 (20% biodiesel and 80% diesel). The experimental outcomes revealed that 20% of PDBD reduces 19.64% carbon monoxide, 17.64% hydrocarbon, and 6.73% oxides of nitrogen emissions. Furthermore, from this study, it was inferred that the PDBD20 blend could be used as an alternative fuel for CI engines with no modi?cations in engine design.     

Biodiesel fuel in diesel micro-turbine engines: Modelling and experimental evaluation

Many performance and emission tests have been carried out in reciprocating diesel engines that use biodiesel fuel over the past years and very few in gas turbine engines. This work aims at assessing the thermal performance and emissions at full and partial loads of a 30 kW diesel micro-turbine engine fed with diesel, biodiesel and their blends as fuel. A cycle simulation was performed using the Gate Cycle GE Enter software to evaluate the thermal performance of the 30 kW micro-turbine engine. Performance and emission tests were carried out on a 30 kW diesel micro-turbine engine installed in the NEST laboratories of the Federal University of Itajubá, and the performance results were compared with those of the simulation. There was a good agreement between the simulations and the experimental results from the full load down to about 50% of the load for diesel, biodiesel and their blends. The biodiesel and its blends used as fuel in micro-turbines led to no significant changes in the engine performance and behaviour compared to diesel fuel. The exhaust emissions were evaluated for pure biodiesel and its blends and conventional diesel. The results revealed that the use of biodiesel resulted in a slightly higher CO, lower NO_x and no SO₂ emissions.     

Performance and emission analysis of cottonseed oil methyl ester in a diesel engine

In this study, performance and emissions of cottonseed oil methyl ester in a diesel engine was experimentally investigated. For the study, cottonseed oil methyl ester (CSOME) was added to diesel fuel, numbered D2, by volume of 5%(B5), 20%(B20), 50%(B50) and 75%(B75) as well as pure CSOME (B100). Fuels were tested in a single cylinder, direct injection, air cooled diesel engine. The effects of CSOME-diesel blends on engine performance and exhaust emissions were examined at various engine speeds and full loaded engine. The effect of B5, B20, B50, B75, B100 and D2 on the engine power, engine torque, bsfc's and exhaust gasses temperature were clarified by the performance tests. The influences of blends on CO, NO_x, SO₂ and smoke opacity were investigated by emission tests. The experimental results showed that the use of the lower blends (B5) slightly increases the engine torque at medium and higher speeds in compression ignition engines. However, there were no significant differences in performance values of B5, B20 and diesel fuel. Also with the increase of the biodiesel in blends, the exhaust emissions were reduced. The experimental results showed that the lower contents of CSOME in the blends can partially be substituted for the diesel fuel without any modifications in diesel engines.     

Emission analysis of Botryococcus braunii algal biofuel using Ni-Doped ZnO nano additives for IC engines

Microalgae biodiesel has been considered ?as a clean renewable fuel for diesel marine engines. This is due to its optimistic characterizations such as ?rapid growth rate, high productivity, and its ability to convert CO₂ into fuel. In this study, the use of microalgae biodiesel, obtained from Botryococcus braunii, as an alternative fuel for diesel marine engines has been investigated. The diesel engine is verified experimentally using Ni-Doped ZnO nano additive blends with algae biodiesel and neat diesel fuel. The results showed that doped nano additive blends? produce less emission compared to B20.     

Biodiesel improves lubricity of new low sulphur diesel fuels

In this work, biodiesel from waste vegetable oil was used as an additive in low sulphur diesel fuel in automobile engines. The result was a fuel mixture with high lubricating power. According to the lubrication trials, the experimental mixtures complied with lubricity conditions established by European regulations, even when only a small quantity of biodiesel was used. It was also found that the mixtures were compatible with different engine gaskets and engine lubricant. Lastly, bench tests were performed using an automobile engine with mixtures of diesel fuel without conventional lubricant additive and biodiesel. The results showed that engine performance curves were very similar to those obtained with diesel fuel and that contaminating emissions from the engine decreased substantially by including biodiesel in the fuel, except for nitrogen oxides.     

新型麻疯树油醚基酯生物柴油的发动机燃烧特性研究

针对一种新型生物柴油——麻疯树油二乙二醇甲醚酯的发动机燃烧特性进行研究,分别对该生物柴油及其与柴油的混合燃料进行了理化性质分析和发动机台架试验。结果表明:麻疯树油二乙二醇甲醚酯的各项理化性质良好;与燃用0#柴油相比,在相同转速和负荷条件下,麻疯树油二乙二醇甲醚酯的发动机压力示功图的整体趋势没有发生较大的变化,而压力升高率和放热率均具有曲线前移和峰值降低等明显特点。燃烧有效热效率随混合燃料中生物柴油的含量增高而增大,表明该生物柴油具有较高的含氧量,且十六烷值高于柴油,因此着火性能优异,具备代替柴油单独应用的条件。     

Effect of hydrogen on compression-ignition (CI) engine fueled with vegetable oil/biodiesel from various feedstocks: A review

Compression ignition (CI) engines used in the transportation sector operates on fossil diesel and is one of the biggest causes of air pollution. Numerous studies were carried out over last two decades to substitute the fossil diesel with biofuels so that the net carbon dioxide (CO₂) emission can be minimized. However, the engine performance with these fuel was sub-standard and there were many long-term issues. Therefore, many researchers inducted hydrogen along with the biofuels. The present study gives an outlook on the effect of hydrogen addition with biodiesel/vegetable oil from various sources in CI engine. Engine parameters (brake thermal efficiency, brake specific fuel consumption), combustion parameters (in-cylinder pressure and heat release rate) and emission parameters (unburned hydrocarbon (HC), carbon monoxide (CO), oxides of nitrogen (NOx) and smoke emissions) were evaluated in detail. The results show that hydrogen induction in general improves the engine performance as compared to biodiesel/vegetable oil but it is similar/lower than diesel. Except NOx emissions all other emissions showed a decreasing trend with hydrogen addition. To counter this effect numerous after-treatment systems like selective catalytic reduction (SCR), exhaust gas recirculation (EGR), selective non-catalytic reduction system (SNCR) and non-selective catalytic reduction system (NSCR) were proposed by researchers which were also studied in this review.     

A study on the performance and emission of a diesel engine fueled with Jatropha biodiesel oil and its blends

Biodiesel either in neat form or as a mixture with diesel fuel is widely investigated to solve the twin problem of depletion of fossil fuels and environmental degradation. The main objective of the present study is to compare performance, emission and combustion characteristics of biodiesel derived from non edible Jatropha oil in a dual fuel diesel engine with base line results of diesel fuel. The performance parameters evaluated were: brake thermal efficiency, brake specific fuel consumption, power output. As a part of combustion study, in-cylinder pressure, rate of pressure rise and heat release rates were evaluated. The emission parameters such as carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, un-burnt hydrocarbon, oxides of nitrogen and smoke opacity with the different fuels were also measured and compared with base line results. The different properties of Jatropha oil after transestrification were within acceptable limits of standards as set by many countries. The brake thermal efficiency of Jatropha methyl ester and its blends with diesel were lower than diesel and brake specific energy consumption was found to be higher. However, HC, CO and CO₂ and smoke were found to be lower with Jatropha biodiesel fuel. NO_x emissions on Jatropha biodiesel and its blend were higher than Diesel. The results from the experiments suggest that biodiesel derived from non edible oil like Jatropha could be a good substitute to diesel fuel in diesel engine in the near future as far as decentralized energy production is concerned. In view of comparable engine performance and reduction in most of the engine emissions, it can be concluded and biodiesel derived from Jatropha and its blends could be used in a conventional diesel engine without any modification.     

Effect of ethanol blending with biodiesel on engine performance and exhaust emissions in a CI engine

The use of biodiesel as an alternative diesel engine fuel is increasing rapidly. However, due to technical deficiencies, they are rarely used purely or with high percentages in unmodified diesel engines. Therefore, in this study, we used ethanol as an additive to research the possible use of higher percentages of biodiesel in an unmodified diesel engine. Commercial diesel fuel, 20% biodiesel and 80% diesel fuel, called here as B20, and 80% biodiesel and 20% ethanol, called here as BE20, were used in a single cylinder, four strokes direct injection diesel engine. The effect of test fuels on engine torque, power, brake specific fuel consumption, brake thermal efficiency, exhaust gas temperature, and CO, CO₂, NO_x and SO₂ emissions was investigated. The experimental results showed that the performance of CI engine was improved with the use of the BE20 especially in comparison to B20. Besides, the exhaust emissions for BE20 were fairly reduced.     

Comprehensive study of biodiesel fuel for HSDI engines in conventional and low temperature combustion conditions

In this research, an experimental investigation has been performed to give insight into the potential of biodiesel as an alternative fuel for High Speed Direct Injection (HSDI) diesel engines. The scope of this work has been broadened by comparing the combustion characteristics of diesel and biodiesel fuels in a wide range of engine loads and EGR conditions, including the high EGR rates expected for future diesel engines operating in the low temperature combustion (LTC) regime.The experimental work has been carried out in a single-cylinder engine running alternatively with diesel and biodiesel fuels. Conventional diesel fuel and neat biodiesel have been compared in terms of their combustion performance through a new methodology designed for isolating the actual effects of each fuel on diesel combustion, aside from their intrinsic differences in chemical composition.The analysis of the results has been sequentially divided into two progressive and complementary steps. Initially, the overall combustion performance of each fuel has been critically evaluated based on a set of parameters used as tracers of the combustion quality, such as the combustion duration or the indicated efficiency. With the knowledge obtained from this previous overview, the analysis focuses on the detailed influence of biodiesel on the different diesel combustion stages known ignition delay, premixed combustion and mixing controlled combustion, considering also the impact on CO and UHC pollutant emissions.The results of this research explain why the biodiesel fuel accelerates the diesel combustion process in all engine loads and EGR rates, even in those corresponding with LTC conditions, increasing its possibilities as alternative fuel for future DI diesel engines.