Performance and emission characteristics of a DI diesel engine using diestrol blends and diesel as fuel

Abstract

Biofuels, namely, biodiesel and ethanol produced from renewable energy sources are used as fuels in the blended form along with diesel to investigate the performance and emission characteristics of a DI diesel engine. Diestrol blend consists of diesel, biodiesel/methyl ester and ethanol. In diestrol blends, ethanol percentage is steadily elevated with an incremental factor of 5% culminating into three blends with a maximum percentage of 15% by volume and named as EB5, EB10 and EB15 respectively. A comprehensive analysis of engine performance characteristics such as brake thermal efficiency, brake specific fuel consumption, exhaust gas temperature and emission characteristics such as carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, unburned hydrocarbon, oxides of nitrogen and smoke opacity were carried out. From the above investigation, it was found that brake thermal efficiency increased by 3%, 5% and oxides of nitrogen emission decreased by 23%, 24.5% when compared to diesel and B20 respectively.