Deposit Characteristics of Diesel Engine Power Plant Fueled by Crude Palm Oil

Abstract

This study emphasizes the impact of using Crude Palm Oil (CPO) as fuel (Bio-oil) on the deposit characteristics formed in the diesel engine power plant. Before entering the engine, CPO was treated by heating, separation, and filtering to decrease its viscosity. Deposit composition and morphology were investigated using Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) equipped with a spectrometer. The result showed that unburned fuel on the surface of the cylinder head and liner wall was found after the performance test. Furthermore, inspection after durability test shows that there are carbon deposits on the combustion chamber, hard deposits on the cylinder head edge, and scratches on the surfaces of the liner. Hard black deposits were also found in the fuel nozzle tip. These deposits can disrupt the fuel atomizing process and create an unbalance pressure between the chambers. The deposits formed were continuous and contained Calcium (Ca), Aluminium (Al), and Iron (Fe). The SEM and spectroscopy analysis showed that the deposit formed by using CPO as fuel for diesel engines contain complex substances and erode materials from the cylinder liner.