Performance Analysis on 2.5 kW CI Engine Using Ethanol-Diesel Blends

Abstract

Diesel engines are one of the major contributors of air pollution as they emits exhaust gases like particulate matter (PM), carbon monoxide (CO), nitrogen oxides (NOX); unburnt hydrocarbon (UHC) and other harmful compounds , which are very toxic for living beings as they can cause many diseases ,even cancer. They are even causing damages to our environment. So it is very important for us to switch to a cleaner fuel. Ethanol secures a special place as it has a lot of advantages over others. Most important reason for using alcohols is: it is cheap, renewable and echo-friendly. In very small blend percentage it has an ability to drive the existing CI engines without modifications. Many researchers’ have concluded that the brake thermal efficiency and brake power due to combustion process in diesel engines can be increased further by allowing the diesel fuel to combine with more oxygen atoms to form better combustion. As ethanol has oxygen atoms, when blended with diesel fuel it improves fuel characteristics. This whole process of addition of oxidants to the diesel fuel can reduce the smoke, carbon monoxide (CO) and unburnt hydrocarbon (UHC) emissions to a great extent. The objective of this research work is focused mainly on performance analysis of diesel engine by using diesel- ethanol blends. The tests are conducted with a single cylinder, four-stroke, naturally aspirated, 2.5 kW air cooled diesel engine. Present research work is focused on the test conducted on a diesel engine using diesel – ethanol blends by having 5% & 10% ethanol blend with diesel. The performance tests are carried out under normal engine operating conditions and the evaluations are compared with that of diesel fuel. All experiments have been conducted at 0% to 50 % load conditions to study the performance of different proportions of ethanol on CI engine. Overall results of the methods show that with the increase in percentage of ethanol in diesel fuel, highest temperature in cycle kept on decreasing also exhaust gas temperature goes on decreasing. Power developed and torque also increases with increase in percentage blend.