Importance of Tribological study for Internal Combustion Engines using Biofuel

Abstract

Biofuel applications in internal combustion engines have become a burning issue nowadays. This is because of the fact that fossil fuels have limited storage in the earth crust as well as for their polluting nature to the environment. For the last one decade or so, researchers are trying their level best to utilize different biofuels in engines. The selection of biofuel mainly depends on their availability, geographical location, climatic conditions etc. It has been found in the literature that researchers have given their utmost efforts to find out engine performances, combustion characteristics and emission characteristics using different biofuels. In some cases, it has been found a particular biofuel which satisfies most of the criteria in so far as performance or combustion or emission or combination of these to a considerable extent. But the earlier research did not include the lifespan of the engine components. The reduced lifespan due to utilizing higher viscous fuel in the engine is not economic at all if so happens. Therefore, it is required to make a new dimension of the research in terms of lifespan measurement of the vital parts of the engine operated by any biofuel. With a view to measuring lifespan, tribological studies have been highlighted in this present work. Finally, it has been concluded the importance of tribological parameters study in the context of IC engine research.