Combustion, performance and emission characteristics of a DI diesel engine fueled with ethanol-biodiesel blends

Intensive production and commercialization of biodiesel from edible-grade sources have raised some critical environmental concerns. In order to mitigate these environmental consequences, alternative oilseeds are being investigated as biodiesel feedstocks. Castor (Ricinus communis L.) is one of the most promising non-edible oil crops, due to its high annual seed production and yield, and since it can be grown on marginal land and in semi-arid climate. Still, few studies are available regarding its fuel-related properties in its pure form or as a blend with petrodiesel, many of which are due to its extremely high content of ricinoleic acid. In this study, the specifications in ASTM D6751 and D7467 which are related to the fatty acid composition of pure castor methyl esters (B100) and its blend with petrodiesel in a 10% vol ratio (B10) were investigated. Kinematic viscosity and distillation temperature of B100 (15.17 mm2 s−1 and 398.7 °C respectively) were the only two properties which did not meet the appropriate standard limits. In contrast, B10 met all the specifications. Still, ASTM D7467 requires that the pure biodiesel meets the requirements of ASTM D6751. This can limit the use of a wide range of feedstocks, including castor, as alternative fuel, especially due to the fact that in practice vehicles normally use low level blends of biodiesel and petrodiesel. These issues are discussed in depth in the present study.

Castor oil biodiesel and its blends as alternative fuel

Performance and emission characteristics of an CI engine fueled with diesel–biodiesel–bioethanol blends

Physical and chemical properties of ethanol–diesel fuel blends

Biodiesel fuels derived from a variety of plant and animal feedstocks are promising renewable alternative diesel fuels in view of energy security, environmental protection and the great potential of carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) reduction from the whole cycle of biodiesel production. This review only focused on the characteristics of oxides of nitrogen (NO x ), particulate matter (PM) and polyaromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) emissions found in recent years when various biodiesel fuels with different physicochemical properties were used in diesel engines. The effect of ethanol addition, exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) and various catalytic converters on the emissions above and particle size distributions of diesel engines was presented. To meet stringent exhaust emission regulations when biodiesel is used, efforts on engine electronic control systems, the improvement in conversion efficiency of catalysts, particulate trapping efficiency and biodiesel preparation require to be made.

Advances in emission characteristics of diesel engines using different biodiesel fuels

This paper highlights the results of scientific research on the possibility of increasing the biofuel concentration in the fuel used in diesel engines by introducing bioethanol in multicomponent diesel fuel mixtures containing fossil diesel fuel (D), rapeseed oil methyl esters (RME), and ethanol (E). In the initial stage of the research, we performed an analysis of the physicochemical parameters of fuel and comparative tests of a diesel engine running on pure fossil diesel fuel, rapeseed oil methyl esters (RME), and RME−E mixtures. In engine tests, it has been shown that increasing the ethanol amount in biodiesel fuel up to 40% leads to an increase in indicator index ηi of the tested diesel engine 1A41 by 2.5%. CO and NOx emissions decreased up to 10−12% for every 10% increase of ethanol amount in blend with rapeseed oil methyl esters. The influence of different levels of ethanol on CO and NOx emissions from fuel and on experimentally defined dynamics of the indicator process can show alternative improvem...

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Usage of Fuel Mixtures Containing Ethanol and Rapeseed Oil Methyl Esters in a Diesel Engine