Theoretical modeling and experimental studies on biodiesel-fueled engine

In recent years, much research has been carried out to find suitable alternative fuel to petroleum products. The use of renewable fuels like ethanol, biogas and biodiesel in diesel engines is significant in this context. The properties of biodiesel depend on the type of the vegetable oil used for the transesterification. process. Experimental analysis of the engine with various biodiesel and its blends requires much effort and time. Hence, a theoretical model is developed to analyze the performance characteristics of the compression ignition engine fueled by biodiesel and its blends. In the present investigation, biodiesel is produced using unrefined rubber seed oil. A two-step trans-esterification process (i.e. acid-alkaline trans-esterification) is developed for the production of methyl-esters of rubber seed oil. The properties of this biodiesel are closely matched with those of diesel fuel. The performance tests are carried out on a C.I. engine using biodiesel and its blends with diesel (B20 and B100) as fuel. The effects of relative air-fuel ratio and compression ratio on the engine performance for different fuels are also analyzed using this model. The comparison of theoretical and experimental results are presented. (c) 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.