Effect of antioxidants on CI engine characteristics of safflower biodiesel with varying fuel injection pressures

Abstract

A product of microorganisms, crop plants, and animal-based oil, biodiesel holds excellent promise as a sustainable energy resource and a solution to the world's rising energy issues. Biofuel resembles the qualities of fossil diesel, while it is also proven to be a greener fuel and viable alternative. To enhance the properties of biodiesel, the additives, mainly antioxidants, were added to the 20 % blend of safflower biodiesel (B20) at various injection pressures (190, 200, and 210 bar). At a concentration of 1000 ppm, the antioxidants, namely BHA (butylated hydroxy anisole) and BHT (butylated hydroxytoluene), were added to the B20 blend of higher IP. Investigation on the effects of antioxidants with biodiesel on the performance and emission characteristics were tested in CI diesel engines at different injection pressures (IP). The findings from this study indicate that antioxidants added to biodiesel significantly improved the engine's performance. Higher IP resulted in higher BTE (1.6 %) with lesser emissions of CO (33.33 %), HC (10 %) and smoke (19.5 %) than diesel. But it emits higher NOx emissions (2.5 %). The addition of the antioxidant BHA showed a decrease in NOx emissions by 5 % to higher IP. Thus, the safflower biodiesel B20 added with antioxidant BHA will likely be a tremendous alternate fuel for the CI engine.