An Assessment of Performance of Compression Ignition Engine Fueled with Diesel-Bio Butanol Blends Enhanced with Castor Oil for Properties

Bio-butanol addition into diesel for utilization as fuel is an attractive attempt by most researchers. However, the usage of bio-butanol decreases the essential properties of the final blend significantly. This is study is to overcome this limitation by addition of castor oil into the base blend (containing 20% bio-butanol) by enhancing the properties. The study starts with the addition of castor oil (1% to 10%) and testing the properties. One blend is chosen by comparing the properties considering diesel fuel properties. The result depicts the blend of bio-butanol with 10% and 15% of castor oil is found suitable and this blend produces higher thermal efficiency, lower oxides of nitrogen and smoke, and higher heat release and pressure when fueled in the engine at higher brake powers. However, this blend produces higher hydrocarbons and carbon monoxide at low brake power. This study enhances the use of utilization of biobutanol blends in the engine for a long-term duration as the kinematic viscosity is competent to diesel fuel which lowers the friction in the parts of the engine. 20BB80D COBD 10 and 20BB80D COBD 15 produce 8.3% and 5.2% which are slightly low EGT by taking the reference values of diesel. Maximum pressure when fueling with 20BB80D COBD 10 and 20BB80D COBD 15 are low by 3.1% and 1.8% while comparing the diesel values Emissions of oxides of nitrogen are found to be significantly low by 13.2% and 3.4% and the smoke emissions are high by 10.2% and 3.2% (comparing diesel values). Also, the saving of fossil fuel resources through the decrease in imports is significant. There is no modifications necessary in the engine to use this blend.