Emissions analysis on diesel engine fueled with palm oil biodiesel and pentanol blends

Abstract

This study examined the effects of pentanol, palm oil biodiesel blends of varying proportions on the emissions pattern in a constant speed diesel engine. The main intention of this study was to investigate the reductions in HC, CO, NOX and smoke emissions when deploying four different fuels. The conversion of palm oil into biodiesel was achieved using the base catalysed transesterification process. The four different fuels evaluated were neat palm oil biodiesel (POBD100), pentanol blended with palm oil biodiesel by 10% volume (POBD90P10), palm oil biodiesel blended with pentanol (POBD80P20) by 20% volume and petroleum diesel. The experimental work concluded that by fuelling the diesel engine with palm oil biodiesel and pentanol blends, combustions were smooth. It was observed that the pentanol to palm oil biodiesel blend gave respective reduction of 9.3%, 3.8%, 6.6% and 2.7% in CO, HC, NOX and smoke emissions when compared to neat palm oil biodiesel.