Performance Study of Diesel Engine by using Mahua Methyl Ester (biodiesel) and its Blends with Diesel Fuel

The results of the performance of a compression ignition engine (direct injected, 4-stroke 2-cylinder engine) by using mahua methyl ester from non-edible vegetable oil (Madhuca indica) and its blends with diesel fuel have been presented in this paper. Short-term engine performance tests were conducted using four different blends of mahua methyl ester oil with diesel fuel from 20% to 100% by volume at three fuel temperatures (30, 50 and 700-C) and at two injection pressures (17640 kPa and 24010 kPa). The engine performance parameters studied were power output, brake specific fuel consumption (BSFC), brake thermal efficiency (BThE) and exhaust gas temperature (ExGT) by using diesel fuel alone and the above mentioned blend fuels. The performance of engine with blend fuel (20% mahua methyl ester and 80% diesel) was found to be better than the other blend fuels. But the values of power output, BSFC, BThE and ExGT in case of blend fuel B20 (20% mahua methyl ester and 80% diesel) were observed to be respectively 3% more, 9% more, 12%more and 0.5% less than the diesel fuel at 700-C temperature and 24010 kPa pressure. The mahua methyl ester (blends of B20) can be used as an alternative diesel fuel replacement with little sacrifice in brake specific fuel consumption