Performance Evaluation of a Diesel Engine with Madhuca (Madhuca indica) Biodiesel and its Blends

The objective of the present work is to substitute madhua biodiesel as a replacement for diesel in a DI diesel engine and to study its performance and emission characteristics. The results of experimental investigation with biodiesel blends were compared with that of baseline diesel. The biodiesel performed similar to that of diesel fuel in diesel engine. In the case of biodiesel, the fuel consumption in the diesel engine was 15, 16 and 16% higher than that of diesel at 1.5, 2.0 and 2.5 kW load. The BTE for biodiesels and its blends were found to be slightly higher than that of diesel fuel and there wasno difference between the biodiesel and its blended fuel efficiencies. For biodiesel and their blended fuels, the exhaust gas temperature increased with increase in load and amount of biodiesel. The highest exhaust gas temperature was observed as 212, 321 and 364ºC for madhua biodiesel at 1.5, 2.0 and 2.5 kW load. The diesel mode exhaust gas temperature was observed as 184, 220 and 280ºC. The CO₂ emission from the biodiesels fuelled engine was slightly higher than diesel fuel. The CO reduction by biodiesel were 13, 14 and 15% at 1.5, 2.0 and 2.5 kW load. The NOx emission from biodiesel increased by 19, 23 and 29% higher than that of the diesel fuel at 1.5, 2.0 and 2.5 kW load. At all loads, the oxygen emission level was almost same for biodiesel blended fuel and for biodiesel.