Experimental investigation on fuel properties and engine characteristics of biodiesel produced from Eruca sativa

This paper aims to consider the potential of Eruca sativa (ES) crops, which is a plant with a short production cycle and drought tolerance, for biodiesel feedstock source and to compare exhaust emissions and engine performance of using its biodiesel blends with pure diesel. Thus, ES methyl ester was produced through a transesterification reaction by using KOH as a catalyst. The fatty acid composition of ES biodiesel was determined by FTIR and GC-MS analysis and its properties were compared with ASTM biodiesel standard and regular diesel. The GC-MS analysis showed that oleic and palmitic acids were the main compounds in ES methyl ester. Then, biodiesel blends were injected into a single-cylinder 4-stroke diesel engine at various speeds. Experimental tests revealed that using ES methyl ester led to reductions in HC and CO emissions substantially and NOx emissions moderately, whereas there was a minor rise in CO2 emissions. Moreover, a slight decrease in engine power and an increase in specific fuel consumption (5.3%) occurred, which are acceptable due to the reduction of exhaust emissions. Based on the results, ES biodiesel has the capability to apply in CI engines and to diminish emissions.