Combustion analysis of Jatropha methyl esters and Pongamia methyl esters with the addition of ethanol as fuel in a diesel engine

Abstract

The aim of our project is to experimentally access the practical applications of ethanol and blending it with some lubricating oils in a direct injection compression ignition engine. This replacement of conventional diesel with ethanol requires some of the properties of ethanol to be altered. In order to increase the lubricating property of ethanol, it is blended with some lubricating oils. Some of the preferred lubricating oils are methyl esters of Jatropha oil, Pongamia oil, etc. Ethanol is blended with these lubricating oils to reduce the corrosive property of ethanol. The different fuel blends [Pongamia–ethanol (50–50) and Jatropha–ethanol (50–50)] are used in the direct injection CI engine, the combustion characteristics are calculated and they are compared with diesel and a perfect blend is analysed. The engine combustion parameters such as peak pressure, heat release rate (HRR) and cumulative heat release rate were computed. The combustion analysis revealed that the early rate of pressure rise causes the cylinder pressure to rise early in the case of alternate fuels with a resulting lower rate of pressure rise and peak pressure. However, HRR and cumulative HRR show a maximum for Pongamia–ethanol (50–50) when compared with the neat diesel fuel.