Comparative Studies on Exhaust Emissions from a Low Heat Rejection Diesel Engine with Carbureted Methanol and Jatropha Oil

Abstract – Investigations were carried out to control the exhaust emissions from different versions of low heat rejection (LHR) diesel engine- LHR-1 engine, LHR-2 engine and LHR-3 with carbureted methanol and crude jatropha oil (CJO). Exhaust emissions of smoke, oxides of nitrogen (NOx) and aldehydes from different configurations of the LHR engines were determined at peak load operation of the engine with test fuels with varied injection pressure and compared with pure diesel operation on conventional engine (CE). LHR-1 engine contained a ceramic coated cylinder head engine, LHR-2 engine- Air gap insulated piston with 3-mm air gap with superni (an alloy of nickel) crown and air gap insulated liner with superni insert, and LHR-3 engineceramic coated cylinder head, air gap insulated piston and air gap insulated liner. Smoke and NOx were measured at peak load operation by AVL Smoke meter and Netel Chromatograph NOx analyzer respectively. Aldehydes which include formaldehyde and acetaldehyde at peak load operation were measured by dinitrophenyle (DNPH) method. LHR-3 version of the engine decreased exhaust emissions considerably with carbureted methanol. Smoke emissions decreased by 58%, while NOx emissions decreased by 12% with LHR-3 engine in comparison with CE with pure diesel operation. The emissions decreased further with increase of injection pressure in different versions of the engine.