Experimental studies of pithecellobium dulce seed oil methyl ester on a di diesel engine

Abstract

The rapid exhaustion of fossil fuels, the hikes in world raw oil prices and the increased environmental problems have been led to exploration of substitute fuels derived from renewable feedstocks. Biodiesel is becoming an alluring substitute fuel for diesel engines due to its sustainable, non-hazardous and eco friendly nature. This research work investigates the possibilities of the biodiesel derived from Pithecellobium dulce Seed Oil newline(PDSO) being utilized as a fuel in DI diesel engine. In the present study, the PDSO was extracted with the aid of Soxhlet apparatus. The different factors affecting extraction of PDSO and process optimization was carried out using Response Surface Methodology newline(RSM). The optimum PDSO yield of 26.45% was obtained at an optimized condition of powder weight of 40 g, solvent volume of 314 ml, and extraction time of 6 h. Production of methyl esters from PDSO was carried out through transesterification process. As Free Fatty Acid (FFA) content in PDSO is 2.12%, alkaline based Potassium hydroxide (KOH) catalyst was used for yielding methyl ester from PDSO. The effect of four process variables, such newlineas molar ratio (oil: methanol), reaction temperature, catalyst loading and reaction time on the maximum yield of Pithecellobium dulce Seed Oil Methyl Ester (PDSOME) was studied and process optimization has been executed using RSM based Box-Behnken Design (BBD). An optimized PDSOME yield of 93.24% was achieved at 1:6 molar ratio, 60 °C reaction newlinetemperature, 0.8 wt. % catalyst and reaction time of 90 min. The estimated fuel properties of PDSOME met with the ASTM D6751 standards. The GCMS, FT-IR and 1HNMR analysis was conducted to evaluate the functional groups and chemical constituents present in the PDSOME. Further thermal analysis was also conducted to know the thermal stability of PDSOME. Engine tests were conducted for PDSOME and its blends (20, 40, 60 and 80 vol. %) and compared with diesel. The drop in cylinder pressure, Heat Release Rate (HRR) and Exhaust Gas Temperature (EGT) were observed for the PDSOME and its blends. Brake Specific Fuel Consumption(BSFC) was increased and consequent reduction in Brake Thermal Efficiency(BTE) was found for PDSOME and its blends. The exhaust emissions of CO,HC and NOx were decreased and CO2 and smoke intensity are increased with newlineincrease in PDSOME blending percentage in comparison with diesel fuel. newline newline