Biodiesel B10 – An Alternative Fuel for Diesel Pick-Up Trucks

Abstract

From the test study of the use of biodiesel B10 in a diesel pick-up truck with an engine size not over 2500 cc, it showed that biodiesel B10 can be effectively used as an alternative fuel giving low polluted emission. On dynamometer performance test of the Isuzu TFR 2500 Di pick-up truck used over 200,000 kilometers, it resulted that the maximum power output from the use of diesel was 60.9 hp@3,630 rpm whereas from the use of biodiesel B10 was 58.1 hp@3,700 rpm which was about 4.6% lower. Considering the heating value of diesel of 35,970 kJ/l, it was 8.4% higher than that of the pure biodiesel (32,940 kJ/l). Since biodiesel B10 is a mixture of 10% pure biodiesel and 90% diesel fuel, and the molecular structure of biodiesel contains 11%wt oxygen gives better combustion. However, biodiesel was more viscous compared to diesel at the same fuel injection pressure of 180 kgf/cm2, therefore, the fuel nozzle injector was changed to a 5-hole nozzle from the original 4-hole nozzle for better fuel spray and atomization in the combustion chamber. The maximum power output of 58.6 hp@3,685 rpm was achieved but the fuel consumption rate and soot emission were lower. Comparing the road test results at the average speed of 90 km/h, the average consumption rate of biodiesel B10 was 16.4 km/l which was about 5.2% higher than that of diesel of 17.3 km/l. When changing to 5-hole fuel injector, the average consumption rate of biodiesel B10 was 18.4 km/l, about 12.2% saver than from the original 4-hole nozzle use. Similarly the average consumption rate of diesel when using the 5-hole nozzle injector was saver to 18.6 km/l. It clearly provided better fuel atomization in the combustion chamber. From the random emission measurements, it showed that there was 33.7% soot from using biodiesel B10 which was lower than the use of diesel of 34.2% for 4-hole fuel injector, and decreased to 31.2% when switching to the 5-hole fuel injector. Keywords: biodiesel, B10, alternative fuel, diesel pick-up truck, fuel nozzle injector