Performance and Emission Characteristics of Diesel Engines Fueled With Jatropha Oil Methyl Esters

Abstract

Owing to gradual depletion of world petroleum reserves, increase in crude oil price and newlineimpact of environmental pollution of increasing exhaust emission there is a need for newlinesuitable alternative fuels for diesel engine. The use of vegetable oils in CI engine results newlinein low CO and HC emissions compared to conventional diesel fuel. The present study newlinecovers the various aspects of biodiesels fuel derived from crude Jatropha oil and newlineperformance emissions study on four stroke compression ignition engine using newlineJatropha oil. Crude Jatropha oil is converted into Jatropha oil methyl esters by newlineTransesterification process. The obtained biodiesel fuel properties are analyzed. newlineIn the initial stage, the tests are conducted on the four stroke single cylinder water newlinecooled direct injection diesel engine with constant speed by using the diesel and base newlineline data generated by varying loads. In second stage, experimental investigation has newlinebeen carried out on the same engine by taking Jatropha oil of methyl esters in different newlineproportions as J10, J20 and J30. The performance and emissions parameters are then newlineanalyzed and further compared with the baseline data obtained earlier by using diesel newlineand optimum Jatropha oil blend. newlineAfter finding optimum blend, the third stage tests have been conducted on the same newlineengine with addition of DEE (Ignition improver) 0.5ml, 10ml volume blend find out newlineperformance and emissions parameters. The main purpose of ignition improver is to newlineenrich combustion process and also obtain reduction in emissions. The results obtained newlineshowed blend J30 with ignition improver 10 ml have reduced emissions like CO, HC, newlineNOX , smoke density and also characteristics of excellent brake thermal efficiency, newlineBSFC etc. The results further resemble the potentiality of the Jatropha oil methyl esters newlineas an alternative fuel for compression ignition engine without compromising the newlineengine. newline