Thermal performance of compression ignition engine using high content biodiesels: A comparative study with Diesel Fuel

In this study, engine performance on thermal factors for different biodiesels has been studied and compared with diesel fuel. Biodiesels were produced from Pongamia pinnata (PP), Calophyllum inophyllum (CI), waste cooking oil (WCO), and acid oil. Depending on their free fatty acid content, they were subjected to the transesterification process to produce biodiesel. The main characterizations of density, calorific range, cloud, pour, flash and fire point followed by the viscosity of obtained biodiesels were conducted and compared with mineral diesel. The characterization results presented benefits near to standard diesel fuel. Then the proposed diesel engine was analyzed using four blends of higher concentrations of B50, B65, B80, and B100 to better substitute fuel for mineral diesel. For each blend, different biodiesels were compared, and the relative best performance of the biodiesel is concluded. This diesel engine was tested in terms of BSFC (brake-specific fuel consumption), BTE (brake thermal efficiency), and EGT (exhaust gas temperature) calculated with the obtained results. The B50 blend of acid oil provided the highest BTE compared to other biodiesels at all loads while B50 blend of WCO provided the lowest BSFC compared to other biodiesels, and B50 blends of all biodiesels provided a minimum % of the increase in EGT compared to diesel.