An attempt for improving the performance, combustion and exhaust emission attributes of an existing unmodified diesel engine powered with Palmyra biodiesel blends

Abstract

The demand for petroleum fuels has been swiftly escalating due to the widespread use of automobiles and other agricultural engines which favour diesel as the most important fuel. The usage of diesel imposes negative impact on environment due to the inherent engine emissions. So there is a need for a suitable substitute for liquid fuels in the form of biodiesel which reduces the emissions. In search of potential feedstock, the extraction of palmyra oil from palmyra fruit and subsequent transesterification process for the preparation of palmyra oil methyl esters (POME10, POME20, POME30 and POME40) was carried out. The various physical-chemical properties of Palmyra biodiesel and its blends are determined as per the ASTM standards and are compared with diesel fuel. From the experimental tests, it is found the exhaust emissions like CO, HC and smoke emissions are reduced by 15.86%, 18.5% and 14.28% for the POME20 blend when compared to the diesel.

KEYWORDS:

• Biodiesel
• transesterififcation
• Palmyra oil methyl ester
• performance
• combustion
• emissions

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).