M.A. Asokan

Bio: M.A. Asokan is an academic researcher from VIT University. The author has contributed to research in topics: Diesel fuel & Diesel engine. The author has an hindex of 6, co-authored 14 publications receiving 325 citations.

Experimental studies on the combustion characteristics and performance of a DI diesel engine using kapok oil methyl ester/diesel blends

Abstract: The present study shows the biodiesel produced from the kapok oil through transesterification process blended with diesel. The kapok oil methyl ester (KOME) blends (B20, B30, B40 and B100) are tested in the single cylinder direct injection (DI) diesel engine. The performance of B30 blend matches closer to diesel among the blends and also its brake specific fuel consumption (BSFC) and exhaust gas temperature (EGT) were found to be 1.9% and 3.1% higher than the diesel where as brake thermal efficiency (BTE) of all blends is almost closer to diesel. The combustion characteristics of cylinder pressure and heat release rate coincided with the diesel fuel. At 100% load the emission characteristics of carbon monoxide (CO), hydrocarbon (HC) and smoke opacity of B100 were decreased by 23.33%, 40% and 45.53% respectively compared with diesel, where as nitrogen oxide (NOX) slightly increases by 3.5%. In future, KOME will find a place among biodiesel fuels. [Received: March 22, 2014; Accepted: November 15, 2014]

Rice bran oil-based biodiesel as a promising renewable fuel alternative to petrodiesel: a review.

Abstract: The drastic rise in global warming and the fossil fuel consumption have resulted in destruction of the ecological balance, reduction of the environmental quality, and demotion of the sustainable development. The utilization of biofuels have been paid much attention to by researchers and policy makers due to its benefits and indisputable contributions to protect the living environment. Free fatty acid-rich rice bran oil which is unsuitable for food purposes could be a good candidate for biofuel production. Accordingly, rice bran oil-based biofuels (straight oil and its biodiesel) as promising alternative fuels to petrodiesel were reviewed in this article from the sources, components, and physicochemical perspectives. In addition, biodiesel production from rice bran oil using various methods and catalysts was thoroughly detailed. The oxidative stability of rice bran biodiesel as a function of the storage time was also discussed. The application of rice bran oil-based biofuels to diesel engines was completely analyzed and critically discussed based on engine performance, combustion, and emissions characteristics. The effects of using rice bran oil-based biofuels on the lubricating oil degradation, deposit formation, wear, and sound intensity of diesel engines were explained in detail. Finally, the economic aspects of using rice bran oil and its biodiesel as fuels were also assessed. As a conclusion, the blend containing 20% rice bran oil biodiesel and 80% petrodiesel fuel, both in volume, could be the most effective composition considering the techno-economic aspects of diesel engines; meanwhile the remaining blends appeared to be improper for the existing diesel engines.