Effect of Injection Time and Injection Pressure on CI Engine Fuelled with Methyl Ester of Thevetia Peruviana Seed Oil

Fast depletion of the fossil fuels and stringent emission norms direct us to search for some alternative fuel which can reduce our dependence on fossil fuels. Vegetable oil is a promising alternative fuel for CI engine because it is renewable, environment friendly, and can be produced easily in rural areas. The use of non-edible vegetable oils when compared with edible oils is very significant in developing countries. In this direction, it has already been proved that thevetia peruviana seed oil can be a good alternative fuel for CI engine. In this study, an attempt has been made to study the effect of injection timing and injection pressure on diesel engine fuelled with methyl ester of thevetia peruviana seed oil. A fully automated, single cylinder, constant speed, direct injection diesel engine was operated with the methyl ester of thevetia peruviana seed oil. Advancing the injection timing from the base diesel value and increasing the injector opening pressure has been found to increase the brake's thermal efficiency and reduce CO, HC and smoke emissions significantly. Also, optimum injection time and injection pressure were found as 27 degrees before TDC and 225 bar respectively.