Neem Biodiesel Research Articles

Effects of ZnO Nano-Particles’ on The Performance Study of CI Engines Utilizing a Combination of Diesel and Neem Biodiesel

Study on the exploitation of nano-materials has produced promising results in several applications, including medicine and reversing ecological damage. ZnO nanoparticles are added to diesel and biodiesel blends in this investigation. The primary purpose of this investigation was to examine the impact of ZnO nanoparticle incorporation on engine outcome measures. Developing countries are currently investing in the development of better diesel and petrol better options. In the present investigation, diesel is merged with biofuel made from neem oil at a range of mixtures (5%, 10%, 15%, 20%, and 25%), with ZnO nanoparticles added to the B25% mixture at a range of percentages (25, 50, 75, 100 ppm). The chemical composition and utility of these combinations are examined. Increases in biodiesel and ZnO nanoparticle mixtures are followed by increases in calorific value and kinematic viscosity. As more biofuel and zinc oxide nanoparticles were introduced, BTE and BSFC in the performance test rose.

A quantitative comparison of economic viability, volatile organic compounds, and particle-bound carbon emissions from a diesel engine fueled with biodiesel blends

Despite the environmental advantages of biofuel blends, detailed studies on emissions of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), n-alkanes, and particle-bound carbon from diesel engines, particularly when fueled with biodiesel, remain limited. This study addresses these gaps by analyzing biodiesel blends from neem, linseed, and jatropha oils produced via mechanical extraction and assessing their impact on volatile organic compounds and particle-bound carbon emissions in diesel engine. Economic evaluations of production costs, engine modifications, and payback periods are also conducted. The result shows that jatropha biodiesel exhibits a calorific value of 35.7 MJ/kg, while neem biodiesel shows superior oxidative stability due to its low iodine value. Additionally, linseed biodiesel displays favorable cold flow properties due to its high density and cetane value. Compared to D100, the N10 and N30 blend notably reduced high molecular weight PAH emissions by 10.7 % and 38.4 %, respectively, with the N30 blend achieving a remarkable 76 % reduction in formaldehyde emissions. Conversely, the J10 blend increased specific PAHs, while the J30 blend reduced PAHs by 21.3 %. Both L10 and L30 blends showed reduced naphthalene emissions, with the J30 blend notably reducing elemental carbon (EC) by 31.4 %, although organic carbon (OC) slightly increased. In contrast, the N30 blend decreased both EC and OC emissions, demonstrating a dose-dependent relationship between biodiesel concentration and emissions reduction. Overall, Jatropha biodiesel blends offer the best balance of economic efficiency and emission reductions, resulting in shorter payback periods and lower carcinogenic risks. Neem and linseed blends also provide environmental benefits but with varying economic implications, highlighting the trade-offs between production costs and long-term sustainability.

Exploring copper corrosion inhibition in value added neem biodiesel: Evaluation by traditional and machine learning approaches

Neem seed biodiesel is an eco-friendly fuel, however, to minimize its corrosion on copper metal used in engine parts, ethyl acetate extract of Syzygium aromaticum flowers was tested as an inhibitor. Copper corrosion evaluation in biodiesel revealed an inhibition efficiency of 97.96 %. Corrosion at the operating temperature of diesel engine was predicted by machine learning - quadratic regression. Thermodynamics and spectral evaluations bring to light the adsorption of inhibitors on the metal surface for inhibiting the corrosion of copper metal immersed in biodiesel. Surface morphological studies revealed the protective nature of the copper metal corrosion. Quadratic Surface Vector Machine (SVM) algorithm classified the corrosion classes as low, medium, and high with an overall accuracy value of 94.6 %. The percentage of non-corroded area of copper metal specimen in biodiesel medium with the said inhibitor as estimated with quadratic SVM is 97.193 %. The research findings suggest that the ethyl acetate extract of S. aromaticum flowers has the potential to perform as an effective corrosion inhibitor for copper in biodiesel medium and revealed the potential of quadratic SVM machine learning algorithm in corrosion estimation and classification.

Thermodynamic and exhaust emission studies of CI engine powered by neem oil methyl ester blends doped with nickel oxide nano additives

AbstractAssessment of alternate fuel is categorized on thermophysical aspects and performance—emission derived due to its combustion. Data derived from such analysis is short as the energy expenditure to available chemical exergy of fuel is rarely studied. The study of energy derived from fuel energy gives a detailed picture of fuel efficiency and broadens the field of fuel search criteria. The current article aims to find the thermodynamic effects in terms of energy and exergy utilization of neem biodiesel blends and nickel oxide nano additive dosed neem biodiesel blends. Neem biodiesel was transesterified using standard procedures and analyzed using gas chromatography and mass spectroscopy. Later, neem biodiesel was blended with diesel in three volumetric proportions, that is, NB25, NB50, NB75, and pure Neem Oil Methyl ester was investigated as an engine fuel, and later synthesized nickel oxide nano additives of 25 mg/L was added to all the above fuels and further studied for energy, exergy utilization on a TV‐1 VCR engine test rig under varying engine CR. Nickel oxide additives were manufactured using homogenous addition method and were thoroughly studied for formation and presence of constituents using XRD, FE‐SEM, and EDS methods. The usage of nano additives does prove reduction in exergy destruction and entropy generation for NB25 base blend with 25 mg/L NiO leading to a reduction of 8.2% and 9.7% when compared to base blends. Also, the emission found for hydrocarbon, and carbon monoxide for all base fuel blends reduced by an average of 16.8% and 7.35%.

Corrosion inhibition by Myristica fragrans extract in neem biodiesel: Evaluation by machine learning and traditional methods

Ethyl acetate extract of Myristica fragrans mace flowers was investigated as an effective inhibitor for copper in neem biodiesel. Employing the ASTM D130 method to assess copper corrosion in biodiesel, a remarkable inhibition efficiency of 98.04% was achieved. Inhibitor adsorption on the surface of copper metal was substantiated by FTIR spectral evaluation. Surface morphology studies by SEM confirmed the protective nature of the inhibitor for copper metal corrosion prevention. Further, several support vector machine (SVM) learning algorithms were employed with three different classes of corrosion to study the corrosion inhibition of which, the medium Gaussian procedure gave a maximum accuracy of 92.4%. The work reveals the applicability of the SVM algorithm for accurate corrosion estimation and classification not only in biodiesel medium but also in various environments.

Relative exergy and energy analysis of DI‐CI engine fueled with higher blend of Azadirachta indica biofuel with n‐butanol and NiO as fuel additives

AbstractAlternate fuels are in high demand for current engines and such fuels are studied both property‐wise and tested as fuel in the current engines. In current work, diesel engines are studied for higher blend Neem (Azadirachta indica) biodiesel (NB) as fuel, and fuel additives such as n‐butanol and NiO nano additives are chosen. Experimentation was performed on the experimental stationary engine which is coupled to eddy current dynamometer for four test fuels under varying fuel injection timings. Four test fuels were chosen for experimental studies which are Diesel 90% (vol %) + n‐butanol (10%), pure Neem biodiesel, NB 90% (vol %) + n‐butanol (10%), and Neem Biodiesel 90% + 25 ppm of nickel oxide dissolved in solvent. The synthesis of nickel oxide nano additives was done using a homogenous grinding method and XRD, FESEM, and EDS characterization signifies the presence of NiO. The Neem biodiesel was derived from base catalytic process and was studied using Gas Chromatography and Mass Spectroscopy apparatus for its chemical composition. The experimentation results which were focused were on the energy, exergy derived, and expenditure at varying fuel injection timings. The exergy and energy usage were almost similar in nature and entropy produced during the chemical‐to‐mechanical energy transfer reduced with the advancement in fuel injection timing to 27° bTDC for Diesel 90% + Bt.10%, NB90 + Bt.10% and NB100 + 25 ppm of NiO by 2.2%, 2.9%, and 4.6% respectively. Also, the exergy destruction retarded when with advancement in fuel inlet timing to 27° bTDC by 2.1%, 3%, 6.2%, and 6.8% for the same fuels, respectively.

Electric discharge machining of hybrid composite with bio-dielectrics for sustainable developments

ABSTRACT The hybrid composite (Al-SiC-Ni) has a wide range of applications due to its high strength-to-weight ratio and exceptional mechanical and wears resistance properties. Electric Discharge Machining (EDM) is a common method for machining high-strength composites. However, one significant challenge associated with EDM is the emission of harmful fumes caused by the thermal cracking of hydrocarbon-based dielectrics, as well as the rate of material removal, both of which impact process productivity. However, no research has been conducted on the effect of non-edible biodiesel-based bio-dielectrics on the EDM of hybrid composites (Al-SiC-Ni). As a result, the primary goal of this research is to assess the environmental effects of machining. This study specifically investigates the impact of four types of non-edible biodiesel-based bio-dielectrics on key EDM process output parameters such as material removal rate (MRR), tool wear rate (TWR), and surface roughness (SR). The EDM performance of the hybrid composite (Al-SiC-Ni) was compared to that of three electrode materials (copper, brass, and graphite) and four bio-diesel-based bio-dielectrics such as Neem biodiesel (NBD), Jatropha biodiesel (JBD), Pongamia biodiesel (PBD), and Polanga biodiesel (POBD). From investigation, it has been observed that the maximum value of material removal rate (MRR) for POBD using a graphite electrode was 18.54 mg/min, which was 58.5% higher than the MRR for JBD using a brass electrode (7.17 mg/min). And it was found that the MRR with POBD was 108.15% higher than with kerosene oil. The graphite as mentioned above electrode obtains its smoothest surface under POBD. This roughness value is 77.41% lower than the JBD value obtained. Tool wear is observed lowest in the brass electrode in conjunction with the JBD. It is 68.88% lower than the TWR value obtained with PBD using the same electrode material. The results indicated that biodiesel derived from non-edible oils could be a promising dielectric for the future of the EDM process.

Optimization of port injection of n‐decanol in a PCCI engine using response surface methodology

AbstractThis work aims to define the optimum n‐decanol fraction in the inlet port and the corresponding engine load for the better emissions and performance characteristics of a partially premixed charged compression ignition (PCCI) engine by response surface methodology (RSM). The numerical model based on multi‐linear regression was established using experimental data. For this, the influence of various proportions of n‐decanol through intake port including 10%, 20%, 30%, and 40% were experimentally investigated besides the primary injection of neem oil biodiesel in the volumetric ratio of 80% diesel and 20% neem biodiesel, namely NB20. The optimization using RSM is exploited to capitalize the brake thermal efficiency (BTE) and diminish the emissions including oxides of nitrogen (NOx), carbon monoxide (CO) emission, smoke opacity, and hydrocarbon (HC) emission. The n‐decanol fraction in the port injection of 31.43% and the engine load in terms of brake power of 2.950 kW were found to be optimum parameters with the maximum desirability of 0.752. The optimal responses for brake‐specific fuel consumption (BSFC), BTE, CO, HC, smoke, and NOx under these operating conditions were found to be 0.305 kg/kWh, 28.8%, 0.145%, 19.61%, 54.85 ppm, and 837.7 ppm, respectively. Likewise, the correlation coefficient R2 values for BSFC, BTE, CO, HC, smoke and NOx have been found to be 99.85%, 99.95%, 93.58%, 90.32%, 99.97%, and 99.93%, respectively. According to the study's findings, the RSM is a realistic method for calculating and enhancing a diesel engine's emission and performance values operating in PCCI mode and using n‐decanol and NB20 as fuels.

Performance and Emission Characteristics of Second-Generation Biodiesel with Oxygenated Additives

Biofuels are environmental friendly renewable fuels, that can be directly used in a diesel engine. However, a few shortcomings like a higher density, viscosity, a lower calorific value and increase in NOx emissions, has caused researchers to look for fuel additives to improve the physiochemical properties of these fuels and to enhance their performance and reduce harmful emissions. It is for this reason that modern research is focused on blending oxygenated additives such as alcohols and ethers with different generations of biodiesel. Since most studies have covered the effect of alcohol on biodiesel, there are few studies which have investigated the effect of oxygenated additives such as alcohols and ethers, especially related to second-generation biodiesel. Moreover, the details of their composition and molecular structure are still lacking. Hence, this study focuses on the performance and emission characteristics of biodiesel with the inclusion of oxygenated additives (alcohols and ethers) of non-edible-oil-based second-generation blends. The reviewed results showed that Neem biodiesel with methanol or diethyl ether reduced brake-specific fuel consumption by 10%, increased brake thermal efficiency by 25% and reduced CO and HC emissions due to a higher oxygen content. Diethyl ether reduced NOx emissions as well by producing a cooling effect, i.e., a reduced in-cylinder temperature. The addition of heptane, butanol and di ethyl ether to Jatropha biodiesel showed an improved brake thermal efficiency and an increment in brake-specific fuel consumption (5–20%), with reduced HC and CO2 (3–12%) emissions. Calophyllum inophyllum biodiesel also showed impressive results in terms of improving efficiency and reducing emissions with addition of butanol, pentanol, decanol and hexanol. Other factors that influenced emissions are the cetane number, viscosity, density and the latent heat of evaporation of tested biodiesel blends. This review would help the research community and the relevant industries to consider an efficient biodiesel blend for future study or its implementation as an alternate fuel in diesel engines.

Emission Reduction and Performance Enhancement of CI Engine Propelled by Neem Biodiesel-Neem Oil-Decanol-Diesel Blends at High Injection Pressure

Diesel emissions have resulted in air pollution, which is harmful to the sustaining of life. The concerns of energy security and poor air quality have propelled researchers to seek alternate and environment-friendly fuels for the transport sector, keeping diesel engines at the core. Thus, a quaternary blend (diesel-biodiesel-vegetable oil-alcohol) proves to be a promising key to address the above problems. This experimental work focuses aims on investigating the performance and emissions of a diesel engine powered with quaternary blends by changing the fuel injection pressure. The quaternary blend comprised of diesel, neem biodiesel, pure neem oil, and decanol was used to prepare quaternary blends of varied volumetric proportions. This study involves the testing of quaternary blends at varied fuel injection pressure (IP) ranging from 400–500 bar. The engine load varied from 10 Nm to 20 Nm, and the shaft speed was constant at 2000 rpm. It was evident from the outcomes that the least DBODec45 resulted in minimum carbon monoxide (CO) and un-burnt hydrocarbon (UHC) emissions, which were obtained to be 83.33% and 54.5% less than diesel at 500 bar and at a load of 10 Nm and 20 Nm, respectively. Moreover, the blend containing 45% of decanol led to the lowest NOx and smoke concentrations. The lowest brake-specific fuel consumption (BSFC) was achieved at 500 bar and 20 Nm for the same blend and was found to be 3.22% higher than diesel. Moreover, at the same IP and load, DBODec45 led to highest BTE, which was 3.26% lower than pure diesel.

Property enhancement on neem biodiesel by varying the temperature of transesterification process

The world's energy demands, with the exception of hydroelectric and nuclear power, are met mostly by coal, natural gases and petrochemicals. At the present pace of use, all of these finite resources will be gone in no time. Using petroleum and other nonrenewable energy sources comes with a number of downsides, such as increased greenhouse gas emissions, high processing costs and energy demands, and so on. This has prompted the search for viable alternatives to petroleum-based energy. Alternate fuels for internal combustion engine are the wide range of research area. Among that field fuels from the nonedible vegetable oils got more preference. In this study focused on the improvement of the bio fuel properties by means of varying the parameter of the processing. Biodiesel can be derived from the need seed vegetable oil by transesterification process. The temperature maintained for this process was taken as influencing parameter for the properties enhancement. This temperature varied from 45 ℃ – 65 ℃ with increment of 5 ℃ in separate process. The corresponding fuel properties were measured and compared to identify the suitable temperature for the greatest fuel properties.

Noise and Vibration Analysis of Diesel Engine fueled using Diesel and Neem Biodiesel with Inclusion of MoO3 Nano Particles

Abstract: Biodegradable, renewable, and environmentally friendly oxygenated fuels will replace fossil fuels. A single-cylinder, four-stroke, variable compression ratio, compression ignition engine was tested for performance, combustion, emission, and vibration. Biodiesel from inedible neem, which contains 30–45% wt oil, may replace traditional liquid fuels. This work esterified and transesterified methanol and triglycerides at a 7:1 molar ratio to extract biodiesel at 96% volume. This research uses diesel and neem methyl ester (NME) at 50, 75, and 100 ppm. Engine testing at 1500 rpm and 15:1 compression ratio are performed under various loading circumstances. The vibration levels were reduced for 75 ppm inclusion of MoO3 in biodiesel blends when compared with diesel fuels. As the load increased vibrations observed were at maximum.

An investigation of performance and emission of diesel engine by using quaternary blends of neem biodiesel–neem oil–decanol–diesel

An investigation of performance and emission of diesel engine by using quaternary blends of neem biodiesel–neem oil–decanol–diesel

Effect of Al<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub> and CeO<sub>2</sub> Nano-Additives on Performance and Emission Characteristics of Diesel Engine Fueled with Neem Oil-Biodiesel

Due to the rapid depletion of petroleum reserves, many countries recommended the use of vegetable oils as diesel engine fuel. The best way to use edible and non-edible oil as a diesel fuel is to convert it into biodiesel. Biodiesel is a fuel which can be used instead of diesel fuel as an alternative for the existing system of CI engines. The usage of biodiesel causes a few disadvantages like high nitrogen oxides, utilization of high fuel and higher density. To conquer these problems some promising nano-additives are identified for having been used in the production of biodiesel. However, the addition of Nanoparticles will possibly enhance the performance and reduce the emissions. Therefore, the present investigation focuses on the influence of Al2O3 and CeO2 nano-additives on the performance and emissions characteristics of CI engine fueled with methyl esters of Neem. As nano-additives Al2O3 and CeO2 contain high oxygen content, it leads to complete combustion of fuel thereby increasing performance and reducing the oxide formation. In the experimentation, 50ppm, 100ppm of Al2O3 and CeO2 nano-additives were mixed in methyl esters of Neem. Subsequently, the fuel blends of Neem biodiesel (B20N) alone and Neem biodiesel with 50ppm, 100ppm of Al2O3 and CeO2 nano additives in CI engine were employed. The results revealed that, there is a increase in the break thermal efficiency and decrease in specific fuel consumption for B20N and B20N additive blends. Significant reductions in the parameters like CO, UBHC and NOx emissions are attained at B20N in conjunction with 50ppm, 100ppm of Al2O3 and CeO2 Nano-additives blends as compared with diesel. However, there is a slight increase in NOx emissions for B20N and and additive blends.

Surface characteristics and recast layer thickness analysis of µed machined Inconel 718 alloy with biodiesels

ABSTRACT µED-milling is a modern machining process for manufacturing precise microstructures on a wide variety of conductive materials without considering their mechanical properties. Using mineral oils as a dielectric fluid in µEDM causes a hazardous environment for the operator. This study attempts to identify the substitute for hydrocarbon oil during milling of Inconel 718 at various order of discharge energy. Neem and Sunflower biodiesels are chosen as dielectric fluids and a comparison was made in terms of response measures of EDM oil. Top (higher) order discharge energy offered a maximum MRR with EDM oil, Neem and Sunflower biodiesels. However, the EDM oil yielded a higher MRR than biodiesels due to its higher current conductivity and lower viscosity. The fine craters are achieved when lower-order discharge energy is used due to tiny sparks generated at machining gap. Neem biodiesel follows more closely with EDM oil than Sunflower biodiesel for all considered response measures. The contact angle of the machined surface with biodiesels is smaller than EDM oil attributed to the presense of broader craters in the surface. The recast layer thickness is increased by 92% and 44% with and Neem biodiesel than EDM oil.

Effect of Al2O3 Nanoparticles on Performance and Emission Characteristics of Diesel Engine Fuelled with Diesel–Neem Biodiesel Blends

Indagation in the sphere of nanoparticle utilisation has provided commendatory upshots in discrete areas of application varying from medicinal use to environmental degradation alleviation. This study incorporates alumina nanoparticles as additives to diesel and biodiesel blends. The prime objective of the present study was the scrutinisation of the denouement of Al2O3 nanoparticle incorporation in diesel–biodiesel blends on a diesel engine’s performance and emission characteristics. Test fuel samples were prepared by blending different proportions of biodiesel and dispersing two concentrations of alumina nanoparticles (25 and 50 ppm) in the diesel. Dispersion was made without the use of a nanoparticle stabiliser to meet real-world feasibility. High-speed shearing was employed to blend the biodiesel and diesel, while nanoparticles were dispersed in the blends by ultrasonication. The blends so devised were tested using a single-cylinder diesel engine at fixed RPM and applied load for three compression ratios. Upshots of brake-specific fuel consumption (BSFC) and brake thermal efficiency (BTE) for fuel samples were measured with LabView-based software, whereas CO emissions and unburnt hydrocarbon (UBHC) emissions were computed using an external gas analyser attached to the exhaust vent of the engine. Investigation revealed that the inclusion of Al2O3 nanoparticles culminates in the amelioration of engine performance along with the alleviation of deleterious exhaust from engine. Furthermore, the incorporation of alumina nanoparticles assisted in the amelioration of dwindled performance attributed to biodiesel blending. More favourable results of nanoparticle inclusion were obtained at higher compression ratios compared to lower ones. Reckoning evinced that the Al2O3 nanoparticle is a lucrative introduction for fuels to boost the performance and dwindle the deleterious exhaust of diesel engines.

Evaluating corrosion effect of biodiesel produced from neem oil on automotive materials

In this study, biodiesel was produced from neem oil feedstock by using a single-step direct transesterification process method. The single-step direct transesterification process method uses acid-base catalysts simultaneously. The fuel characteristics of biodiesel made from neem oil and different biodiesel-diesel blends were investigated and compared. In terms of kinematic viscosity, calorific value, and density, biodiesel made from neem oil performed better. Transesterification, particularly alkali-catalyzed transesterification, is the most prevalent method for producing biodiesel. The alkali catalyst reacts with the free fatty acids to create soaps when the raw materials (oils or fats) have a high proportion of free fatty acids or water. Water can hydrolyze fats into diglycerides, resulting in the formation of additional free fatty acids. Many of the preceding reactions are unfavorable and diminish the biodiesel product’s production. The acid ingredients must be pretreated to prevent the saponification process in this case. Alcohol percentage, reaction duration, reaction temperature, and catalyst amount are the primary factors impacting biodiesel production. This research shows that neem oil has a satisfactory consistency for valorization in biodiesel production based on its physicochemical properties. After biofuel production, the current study investigates the corrosion effect of biodiesel on pure copper by means of immersion testing. The corrosion rate of neem biodiesel and diesel was both observed in copper. It is noted that the corrosion rate increases when the concentration of biodiesel increases in conventional diesel. The corrosion rate is 8.108 μm/year in the case of 10% biodiesel and 90% pure diesel, 9.9103 μm/year in the case of 20% biodiesel and 80% pure diesel, 15.315 μm/year in the case of 30% biodiesel and 70% pure diesel, and 38.740 μm/year in the case of 100% biodiesel.

Effect of manifold injection of hydrogen gas in producer gas and neem biodiesel fueled CRDI dual fuel engine

The high flammability of hydrogen gas gives it a steady flow without throttling in engines while operating. Such engines also include different induction/injection methods. Hydrogen fuels are encouraging fuel for applications of diesel engines in dual fuel mode operation. Engines operating with dual fuel can replace pilot injection of liquid fuel with gaseous fuels, significantly being eco-friendly. Lower particulate matter (PM) and nitrogen oxides (NOx) emissions are the significant advantages of operating with dual fuel.Consequently, fuels used in the present work are renewable and can generate power for different applications. Hydrogen being gaseous fuel acts as an alternative and shows fascinating use along with diesel to operate the engines with lower emissions. Such engines can also be operated either by injection or induction on compression of gaseous fuels for combustion by initiating with the pilot amount of biodiesel. Present work highlights the experimental investigation conducted on dual fuel mode operation of diesel engine using Neem Oil Methyl Ester (NeOME) and producer gas with enriched hydrogen gas combination. Experiments were performed at four different manifold hydrogen gas injection timings of TDC, 5°aTDC, 10°aTDC and 15°aTDC and three injection durations of 30°CA, 60°CA, and 90°CA. Compared to baseline operation, improvement in engine performance was evaluated in combustion and its emission characteristics. Current experimental investigations revealed that the 10°aTDC hydrogen manifold injection with 60°CA injection duration showed better performance. The BTE of diesel + PG and NeOME + PG operation was found to be 28% and 23%, respectively, and the emissions level were reduced to 25.4%, 14.6%, 54.6%, and 26.8% for CO, HC, smoke, and NOx, respectively.

Production and emission evaluation of neem biodiesel blends in a single cylinder diesel engine

Biodiesel made from edible and non-edible vegetable oils, waste cooking oils, and animal fats is gaining popularity these days due to its renewable nature and environmental friendliness. As a result, several nations are switching to biodiesel production from plant oils such as maize, soy bean, canola, sunflower, palm, and others. However, these oils are out of reach for developing nations like India, since they may result in a lack of food-grade oil as well as a significant increase in gasoline prices. In this study, we used domestic non-edible neem oil to produce biodiesel, and to determine the best biodiesel blend for future fuel without compromising air quality. Using an Acid and Base catalyst, unprocessed neem oil with a high FFA (Free Fatty Acid) content was successfully transformed into pure biodiesel. As a result, according to this study, using 20% neem biodiesel will reduce the consumption of petroleum diesel while having no negative impact on the environment.

Performance and Emission Characteristics of Diesel Engine Fueled with Blends of Neem Biodiesel

In this research, biodiesel produced from locally available Neem seed was used on the direct injection variable compression ratio (VCR) diesel engine without any modification. Neem seed, which contains 30-60% oil, was transformed into biodiesel through acid-base transesterification. The 1:6 of methanol to oil ratio, 1.2% (v/v) sulfuric acid during pretreatment and KOH as alkali catalyst for optimum yield was used. The characterization of prepared biodiesel was done according to ASTM standard. The effect of Neem biodiesel blends such as 10% Neem biodiesel and 90% conventional diesel (NBD10), 15% Neem biodiesel and 85% conventional diesel (NBD15), and 20% Neem biodiesel and 80 % conventional diesel (NBD20) were prepared and their performance and emission characteristics were studied. The test was performed at 17:1 compression ratio and 230 bar injection pressure with varying loads of 1 kg, 3 kg, 6 kg, 9 kg and 12 kg. The brake thermal efficiency (BTE), specific fuel consumption (SFC), torques and exhaust gas temperature (EGT) were analyzed on those different loads. The BTE for conventional diesel, NBD10, NBD15 and NBD20 were recorded as 8.12%, 7.23%, 6.56% and 6.23% respectively, at same loadings. These efficiencies increase with increment of load up to 31.25%, 28.96%, 27.56% and 27.35% respectively. The difference for specific fuel consumption (SFC) in pure diesel and NBD20 was recorded as 21.66% at 1 kg load whereas at 12 kg load this difference was 19.23%. The EGT for NBD20 was recorded higher than diesel for entire loading condition. The CO emission decreases with the increment of load and the proportion of biodiesel, whereas HC shows just reverse result. The smoke opacity was found better for NBD20 in comparison to conventional diesel. The performance and emission characteristics demonstrate that the blend of Neem biodiesel up to 20% with conventional diesel can be used as an alternative fuel in diesel engine without any change in the engine.