TY - JOUR
TI - The effects of ethanol addition with waste pork lard methyl ester on performance, emission and combustion characteristics of a diesel engine
AU - Panneer Selvam Dharmaraj John
AU - Vadivel Karuppannan
JN - Thermal Science
PY - 2014
VL - 18
IS - 1
SP - 217
EP - 228
PT - Article
AB - In the recent research, as a result of depletion of world petroleum reserves,  considerable attention has been focused on the use of different alternative  fuels in diesel engines. The present work aims to ensure the possibility of  adding ethanol as an additive with animal fat biodiesel that is tested as an  alternative fuel for diesel in a CI engine. In this study, biodiesel is  obtained from waste pork lard by base-catalyzed transesterification with  methanol when potassium hydroxide as catalyst. 2.5%, 5% and 7.5% by volume of  ethanol is blended with neat biodiesel in order to improve performance and  combustion characteristics of a diesel engine. The experimental work is  carried out in a 3.7 kW, single cylinder, naturally aspirated, water cooled,  direct injection diesel engine for different loads and at a constant speed of  1500 rpm. The performance, emission and combustion characteristics of  biodiesel-ethanol blends are investigated by comparing them with neat  biodiesel and standard diesel. The experimental test results showed that the  combustion and performance characteristics improved with the increase in  percentage of ethanol addition with biodiesel. When compared to neat  biodiesel and standard diesel, an increase in brake thermal efficiency of  5.8% and 4.1% is obtained for BEB7.5 blend at full load of the engine. With  the increase in percentage of ethanol fraction in the blends, peak cylinder  pressure and the corresponding heat release rate are increased.  Biodiesel-ethanol blends exhibit longer ignition delay and shorter combustion  duration when compared to neat biodiesel. Optimum reduction in carbon  monoxide, unburned hydrocarbon and smoke emission are attained while using  BEB5 blend at full load of the engine. However, there is an adverse effect in  case of nitrogen oxide emission.