The Performance and Emission Analysis of a Diesel Engine Using Vegetable Oil Blends and Bio-Diesel as Fuel - A Review

Abstract

Conventional fuels are depleting rapidly, releasing greenhouse gases, and increasing prices. Vegetable oils, being renewable, biodegradable, and green, can be used as an alternative fuel. Research has been conducted on bio-diesel and straight vegetable oil as fuel for internal combustion engines. This review study compares the physio-chemical parameters, chemical composition, performance, and emission characteristics of a diesel engine running on different straight vegetable oils. The study found that bio-diesel mixes produced higher brake thermal efficiency, mechanical efficiency, and lower emissions compared to pure diesel. The project also investigated the viability of using clean Beef Tallow Oil (BTO) in a compression ignition engine directly. Various vegetable oils were used for experimental investigation, with no modifications required. In this study preheating of Thumba vegetable oil is carried out to enhance the Reynold’s number by reducing the viscosity of the oil. Instead of transesterification process preheating was carried out by utilization of heat of exhaust gases and temperature of exhaust gases coming out from the exhaust manifold was also lowered. In this study no engine modifications were required. By reviewing all mentioned papers it was found that the research work which has been carried out was not done in researches which were previously carried out. Whatever researches we have mentioned in this review paper were not mentioned in previously published review papers. Most of the papers bio-diesel were prepared and utilized along with diesel for for performance and emission analysis. In this review paper a new thing which we mentioned is utilization of heat of exhaust gases for preheating of vegetable oil by fitment of heat exchanger in between outlet of exhaust manifold and fuel supply system. So this is the novelty work which has been carried out.