Investigations on durability and lubricating oil degradation of CIDI engine fuelled with tamarind seed oil methyl ester

Abstract

Owing to the different chemical composition of biodiesel and diesel fuel, the comparative effect of long-term usage of this fuel can have a significant effect on engine service life. In the present work, the durability and lubricating oil degradation of diesel engine, fuelled with Tamarind seed oil methyl ester (TSOME), was studied in 512 h endurance test and results were compared with baseline diesel fuel. The diesel-operated engine showed higher carbon deposition on engine components than TSOME-operated one. Piston wear was lowered by 18–20%, while weight loss of piston ring was lowered for TSOME fuel. Similarly, the wear of fuel injection components was reduced by 29–36% for TSOME-operated engine. Long-term use of biodiesel lowered the viscosity lubricating oil by 4–6%; however, other properties, such as density, flash point and total base number, did not alter much. The overall results indicate that TSOME can deliver excellent endurance performance in diesel engines.