Energy and exergy analysis of compression ignition engine fuelled with rice bran biodiesel blends

The present study aims to investigate a four-stroke single cylinder, water-cooled compression ignition (CI) engine coupled with an eddy current dynamometer. The rice bran oil biodiesel blends of B10, B20, B30 and pure diesel are tested for its performance in the engine. Energy and exergy analysis is carried out for the biodiesel blends and pure diesel. The experimental data were collected using steady-state tests which enable accurate measurements of air, fuel and cooling water flow rates, engine load and all the relevant temperatures. The performance parameters, energy and exergy efficiencies were computed for each fuel operation and compared with each other. The energy and exergy analysis has made to find input availability, brake power availability, cooling water availability and exhaust gas availability. From the exergy analysis, component of major exergy destruction was found. Balances of energy and exergy rates for the engine were also computed.