Assessing the Engine Performance of Rubber Seed Oil Biodiesel Blends in Compression Ignition

This study investigates the efficiency of a compression ignition (CI) engine powered by biodiesel derived from rubber seed oil (RSO) and its various blends. This research aims to assess the feasibility of using RSO biodiesel as a substitute fuel in CI engines to reduce harmful emissions and the depletion of fossil fuels. Initially, the process of obtaining rubber seed oil was preceded by transesterification. After transesterification, the same was blended in different proportions with conventional diesel in B20, B40, B60, B80, and B100. Results show that brake thermal efficiency (BTE) decreased with rising concentration of biodiesel, particularly at higher blends. B100 had a 20-25% lower BTE in every load condition than conventional diesel. The brake specific fuel consumption (BSFC) generally decreased with increasing biodiesel content, particularly at lower loads applied to the engine. B100 portrayed a perceptible improvement of 25.6% in BSFC compared diesel at 1 kg load. This suggests that higher biodiesel blends may reduce thermal efficiency. However, they could provide better fuel economy, particularly at partial loading.