The increasing demand for alternative fuels due to environmental concerns has sparked interest in biodiesel as a viable substitute for conventional diesel. Most automotive engines use diesel fuel engines. They contribute a major portion of today’s air pollution, which causes serious health issues including chronic bronchitis, respiratory tract infections, heart diseases, and many more. Greenhouse gases are produced using fossil fuel in the engines and causes global warming. To combat air pollution, we need clean renewable and environmentally friendly fuels. Due to depletion of fossil fuels, it has become necessary to find alternative fuel which are safer for the environment and humankind. One such possible solution is Biodiesel.
In present study, series of experiments were carried out on 435cc naturally aspirate DI Diesel engine with port water injection and different blend of Jatropha based Biodiesel. Biodiesel was derived from Jatropha oil, produced using a heterogeneous catalyst. The physical and chemical properties were determined for different blends of Biodiesel specifically JB20, JB30 and JB100 before engine testing. Engine tests were recorded on engine eddy current dynamometer and vehicle emission were recorded on chassis dynamometer to investigate the performance and emission characteristics of different biodiesel blends compared with conventional diesel.
Recorded engine test performance infers improvement in observed torque and power. BSFC and Smoke results were comparable on full load and part load conditions. There is reduction in HC, CO raw emission with JB20 and JB30 Biodiesel fuel as compared to conventional Bharat Stage 6 Diesel fuel. Particulate Matter are comparable with all the above fuels. Vehicle mass emission with combination of port water injection and JB20 biodiesel has benefited further to reduce HC & NOx emission to meet Bharat Stage 6 emission norms on Diesel three-wheel vehicle on Indian Driving cycle. These findings highlight the potential of Jatropha biodiesel as a cleaner alternative to conventional diesel.