Performance Analysis of a Biodiesel-Fired Engine for Cogeneration

The continuous demand to reduce both the pollutant emissions and the greenhouse gas (GHG) is increasing the use of alternative fuels as biodiesel in direct-injection compression ignition engines under combined heat and power (CHP) configuration. Although the biodiesel has different thermophysical properties compared to the standard diesel, it can be used in compression ignition engines without significant modifications. However, the pure biodiesel and biodiesel/diesel blends provide different performance and combustion characteristics with respect to the standard diesel engine. In order to estimate the behaviour of a micro-CHP system fuelled with biodiesel, a zero dimensional (0D) numerical model was development. This model is based on a single zone model and predicts the behaviour of a biodiesel/diesel blend-fired engine at full and partial load in terms of electrical efficiency, thermal efficiency and specific fuel consumption. Notwithstanding the biodiesel/diesel blend reveals lower performance in terms of electric and thermal efficiencies, can be used in CHP systems preserving the environmental sustainability avoiding significant modifications in the engine architecture