Exploring the impact of diesel-vegetable oil blends as an alternative fuel in combustion chambers

Abstract

This study investigated using diesel-vegetable oil blends as an alternative fuel in combustion chambers. Vegetable oils, such as soybean and rapeseed oil, were blended with diesel fuel to create different blends, and the resulting properties were studied. It was found that vegetable oil blends had higher densities and flash points than pure diesel, which may affect combustion. Adding vegetable oil to the fuel reduced NOx and particulate matter emissions but had no significant impact on CO and CO2 emissions. Blends of vegetable oils were identified as promising alternative fuels for combustion chambers. In the experimentation, a combustion chamber was equipped with six swirl blades comprising two curved and one straight blade fired at different swirl angles (20°, 30°, 40°, 50°, and 60°) using VR1, VR2, VR3, and VR4 mix ratios of the blends. The results revealed that the maximum temperature for straight-edge blades was 50 °C, while curved-edge blades achieved a maximum temperature of 60 °C. Notably, due to the higher density and flash point of DIRO compared to DISO, the maximum temperatures of DISO blends tended to surpass those of DIRO blends. Furthermore, the study highlighted the superior combustion characteristics of curved blades, attributed to their swirling curved edges that elevated temperatures and enhanced turbulence. The optimal temperature was achieved using a 60 °C curved-edge blade swirling at a VR1 blend ratio in the DISO blend. Further exploration into additional features like pressure, emissions, and flame characteristics could contribute to supporting the use of these oil blends in diverse applications.