Emission studies on Karanja biodiesel fuelled diesel engine with ethanol as additive

The idea of using vegetable oils as fuel for diesel engines is not new. With the advent of cheap petroleum, appropriate crude oil fractions were reined to serve as fuel and diesel fuels and diesel engines evolved together. In the 1930s and 1940s vegetable oils were used as diesel fuels from time to time, but usually only in emergency situations. Recently, because of increases in crude oil prices, limited resources of fossil oil and environmental concern there has been a renewed focus on vegetable oils and animal fats to make biodiesel fuels. Diesel engines have proven their utility in the transportation, agriculture, and power sectors in India. They are also potential sources of decentralized energy generation for rural electrification. Concerns on the long-term availability of petroleum diesel and the stringent environmental norms have mandated the search for a renewable alternative to diesel fuel to address these problems. In this study, performance tests were carried out on diesel engine with neat diesel fuel; biodiesel 30% blend and B30 blend with ethanol in various percentage as additive. Biodiesel was made by transesterification process. Karanja oil was selected for biodiesel production. Fuel blends were tested in a single cylinder, direct injection, water cooled diesel engine. The effects of B30, B30 with ethanol and commercial diesel on the engine power, engine torque, BSFCs and exhaust gasses temperature were ascertained by performance tests. The influence of blends on CO, NO, and CO₂ emission were investigated. The experimental results showed that the use of biodiesel with ethanol additive improves the performance parameters and decrease the CO and HC emission as compared to diesel fuel. 10% ethanol as additive would give beneficial effects.