![Sample our Built Environment journals, sign in here to start your access, Latest two full volumes FREE to you for 14 days]({"type":"image" , "src" : "/sda/5926/TOC-Subject-Sample-2021-Built-Environment.jpg"})
ABSTRACT
Fast exhausting fossil fuel reserves and high rise in the air pollution levels due to combustion of these fuels bound us to discover some cleaner and environment-friendly fuels for the engines. Biodiesel from edible and non-edible seed oils has been identified as a better alternate of the diesel fuel in engines with a little sacrifice in terms of power output but with an improvement in exhaust emissions. The aim of the present research work is to optimize the input parameters of diesel engine running on Polanga biodiesel to improve performance and exhaust emissions. The input parameters selected for optimization are fuel injection timing, fuel injection pressure, Polanga biodiesel blend, and engine load with respect to brake thermal efficiency, brake specific fuel consumption, hydrocarbon emission, smoke opacity, and emission of nitrogen oxides. Relative weights of the response variables were calculated by standard deviation. The optimum combination of input parameters was obtained by Taguchi-based Multi-Objective Optimization by Ratio Analysis. Experiments were performed according to Taguchi’s L16 orthogonal array in a random manner in which three replicates of each experiment were noted. The optimum combination of input parameters for maximum performance and minimum exhaust emissions found to be as fuel injection timing 27° bTDC, fuel injection pressure – 220 bar, biodiesel blend – B40, and engine load – 60%. The optimum values of the response variables, at the obtained optimum combination of input parameters, were predicted by Taguchi method and then verified experimentally and a good relation was found between them. These optimum values found to be as brake thermal efficiency – 36.351%, brake specific fuel consumption – 0.322 kg/kW-h, hydrocarbon emission – 2.193 ppm, smoke opacity – 80.925 HSU, and NOx emission – 690.987 ppmv.