Investigation on the performance, emissions and combustion characteristics of CRDI engine fueled with tallow methyl ester biodiesel blends with exhaust gas recirculation

Abstract

This paper demonstrates the study of performance, combustion and emission characteristics of a common rail diesel injection (CRDI) engine with the influence of exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) (5, 15 and 25%) at various fuel injection pressures (400, 500 and 600 bar) under the effective load conditions (0, 25, 50, 75 and 100%). The experiments were carried out in a controlled manner using the CRDI engine fuelled with 80% (D80) diesel (98% purity) blended with 20% (B20) tallow biodiesel. The engine has been operated at a rated speed of 1500 rpm on all load conditions, fuel injection timings of 10°, 15° and 20° bTDC, fuel injection pressures of 400, 500 and 600 bar, respectively. Combustion-influenced performance characteristics such as variation of in-cylinder pressure and net heat release rate in J deg−1 are also studied with the above operating conditions. It was observed that the usage of 20% biofuel blend shows considerable improvement in combustion, and it further enhances with an increase in the injection pressures. Besides, EGR (up to 25%) reduced significant pollutants at higher operating pressures (600 bar) at higher load conditions. It was also observed that CO2 emission increased with increase in the % EGR with an increase in the load conditions. However, for CO emission increased up to 50% load condition and subsequently tends to decrease due to improved combustion at higher load; hence higher temperature. NOx, smoke opacity continue to increase with the increase in pressure and the percentage increase in EGR due to its attainment of adiabatic temperature, which leads to the pathway for the Zeldovich mechanism. The present work shows light on the usage of tallow methyl ester produced from the wastes in the tannery industry as alternate biofuel operating the CRDI engines without compromising its combustion and emission characteristics to deliver the same power as petro-diesel.