Performance analysis of a diesel engine using margosa oil ethyl ester-based biodiesel with diethyl ether as an oxygenated additive

Abstract

In this study, the effect of Margosa oil ethyl ester (MOEE) with oxygenated additive Diethyl ether (DEE) on the thermal performance, combustion, and emission characteristics of a direct-injection compression ignition engine (CIE) was examined. Experiments were performed under various engine loadings at a constant speed of 1500 rpm. Two-step transesterification process was followed for producing MOEE-based biodiesel from Margosa oil owing to its high free fatty acid content. Further, four different blends of MOEE and Diesel with fixed DEE concentration (5% by vol.) were fuelled in a CIE and compared its performance with Diesel. Results showed that the increase in MOEE proportion in the blends decremented the mean brake thermal efficiency and the maximum reduction was about 14.3% for MOEE20 as compared to diesel. Moreover, there was a decline in In-cylinder pressure and net heat release rate when MOEE20 fuelled in a CIE by up to 8.1% and 8.7% respectively. Emission results found that the MOEE blends emitted more oxides of nitrogen and carbon dioxide by up to 18.8% and 14.7% respectively with a major decrement in emissions of hydrocarbon by up to 41.2%. Overall, it is concluded that the fueling of MOEE20 could be the plausible option for swapping the diesel usage in CIE with an excellent reduction in emission despite a marginal drop in performance.