Combustion, performance, and emission analysis of a CI engine fueled with mustard oil biodiesel blended in diesel fuel

Abstract

The present paper discusses the use of mustard oil as a feedstock in the transesterification process through biodiesel production. In this work, the processing of biodiesel takes place via the transesterification process using an alkali catalyst (KOH-6.36 gm) with lower alcohol (methanol-260 ml) for one litre of mustard oil, at the reaction temperature of 65 °C, which provides a conversion efficiency of 91.10%. Four test fuels are prepared for engine testing by blending 10%, 20%, 30%, and 40% of mustard oil biodiesel in diesel fuel on a volumetric basis and labeled as diesel–biodiesel blend B10, B20, B30, and B40, respectively. Various combustion parameters are evaluated of the above-mentioned blends and compared with the diesel fuel, at different load conditions. In addition to that, the performance parameters and emission parameters are also evaluated of the above-mentioned blends and compared with the diesel fuel. Diesel fuel and all blends exhibit nearly the same value of cylinder peak pressure at higher load conditions. The value of cumulative heat release rate for blend B10 is lowest among all the blends and diesel fuel at both at 75% and 100% load conditions. Up to around 80% load, the B10 blend shows the highest brake thermal efficiency among all the blends and diesel fuel, due to more concentration of the oxygen in the fuel, which increases the combustion efficiency. The B20 blend consistently exhibits the lowest NOx emissions at 0%, 25%, 50%, and 75% loading conditions which makes it the better and least NOx emission blend.