EXPERIMENAL INVESTIGATION OF PERFORMANCE AND COMBUSTION CHARACTERISTICS OF PONGAMIA BIODIESEL AND ITS BLENDS ON DIESEL ENGINE AND LHR ENGINE

Abstract

Over the last two decades there has been a tremendous increase in the number of automobiles and a corresponding increase in the fuel price. In this regard, alternative fuels like vegetable oils play a major role. Use of pure vegetable oil in diesel engines causes some problems due to their high viscosity compared with diesel fuel. To solve the problems due to high viscosity various techniques are used. One such technique is fuel blending. In the present work the pongamia methyl esters (B25, B50, B75, and B100); prepared by transesterification process was used as an alternative fuel in a diesel engine. Investigations were carried out for the performance and combustion characteristics of pongamia methyl esters. The results were compared with diesel fuel. For this experiment, a single cylinder, four stroke, water cooled diesel engine at a rated speed of 1500 rpm was used. Tests were carried out over the entire range of engine operation at varying load of 0,1, 2, 3, 4, 5.2 at rated speed of 1500rpm and results are compared with diesel. The thermal efficiency, bsfc, mechanical efficiency, volumetric efficiency are well comparable with diesel for diesel engine and low heat rejection engine and better performance and combustion characteristics are observed in case of LHR engine. From investigation it can be stated that up to 25% blend of pongamia biodiesel can be substituted for diesel engine without any modification and with modification we can blend up to 25% we can get better performance and combustion characteristics than normal engine.