Jatropha derived Biodiesel – its suitability as CI engine fuel

The increased demand of energy in the next millennium will bring two major challenges, namely energy crisis and environmental degradation. The crying need of the day is to have energy which in simple terms means fuel. Bulk of the petroleum fuels are being consumed by agriculture and transport sector for which diesel engines happen to be the prime mover. Though there are wide varieties of alternative fuels available, the research has not yet provided the right renewable fuel to replace diesel. In the present study biodiesel is produced from jatropha by transesterification plant indigenously developed by the authors and their properties were measured to compare with diesel fuel. The blends of varying proportions of this biodiesel with diesel were prepared, analyzed and compared with diesel oil. The engine performance and emission characteristics were evaluated in a single cylinder CI engine and a comparison was made to suggest the better option among the biodiesels under study.