An experimental investigation was conducted to explore the possibility of using the Thumba oil (Citrullus colocyntis) and Argemone Mexicana (non-edible and adulterer to mustard oil) as a dual fuel blend with diesel as an alternative of using pure diesel for its performance and emission characteristics.
The work was carried on a single cylinder, four strokes, In-line overhead valve, direct injection compression ignition engine. The argemone and Thumba biodiesel were produced using the transesterification process and thereafter the important physio-chemical properties of produced blends were investigated. Four dual biodiesel blends like B10 (5% Argemone, 5% Thumba and 90% Diesel), B20, B30 and B40 were prepared for investigation process. The operating conditions adopted for the study was the entire range of engine loads and speed (1000-1500 r/min) keeping the injection pressure and injection timing at the OEM settings.
In this exertion, performance and emission parameters were evaluated. The performance parameters like brake thermal efficiency (BTE), indicated power, brake specific fuel consumption (BSFC), brake mean effective pressure, indicated mean effective pressure and indicated thermal efficiency were studied and compared with diesel fuel results.
In addition, emission parameters such as carbon monoxide (CO), hydrocarbon (HC), nitrogen oxides (NOx) and carbon dioxide (CO2) were evaluated by comparing with diesel fuel emission parameters. The results show significant improvement in indicated thermal efficiency with an increased amount of biodiesel blend in diesel when compared to conventional diesel. Moreover, the marginal increase in brake specific fuel consumption was observed, when compared to conventional diesel.
In addition, for exhaust emissions under full load condition it was found that percentage volume of CO released by B10, B20 and pure diesel is 0.09% vol, 0.075% vol and 0.13% vol respectively.
Also, under full load, higher fuel blends (B30 and B40) are significantly producing less HC emission as compared to conventional diesel. Also, it was found that among all blends, heavier blends (B30 and B40) are depicting lesser NOx emission than from pure diesel.
From the results, it can be concluded that Argemone and Thumba dual fuel blend might be used along with diesel for NOx, HC and CO reduction and improved indicated thermal efficiency even at higher loads.