Performance assessment of a compression ignition engine propelled with rice bran biodiesel/propanol mixtures

Abstract

This work examines the effect of propanol as an oxygenated additive to improve the performance aspects of rice bran biodiesel. The single-cylinder, oil-cooled compression ignition engines are employed in this work. Neat rice bran biodiesel (R100) is blended with two proportion of propanol at 10% and 20% volume and mentioned as P10R90 and P20R80, respectively. Methanol and alkaline catalyst (KOH) was used for transesterification process for biodiesel production. The transesterification technique yielded 88% of biodiesel from raw rice bran oil. BSFC (Fuel consumption) lowered and BTE (efficiency) increased with the inclusion of propanol blends (P10 and P20) to neat rice bran biodiesel.