Effect of Antioxidants on the Performance Characteristic of A Diesel Engine Fuelled With Diesel And Jatropha Biodiesel Blends

Abstract

Biodiesel is a clean-burning alternative fuel produced from renewable resources. However, it is susceptible to oxidative degradation due to autoxidation in the presence of oxygen, which hinders its widespread use. Antioxidant addition is a prospective solution to this problem. It is expected that antioxidants may affect the clean-burning characteristic of biodiesel. The aim of current study is to investigate the feasibility of biodiesel-diesel blended fuel of (30%, 35% and 40% biodiesel) treated antioxidants, as fuel for unmodified diesel engines. The physical and chemical properties such as density, Kinematic viscosity, flash point and Calorific value were carried out for, Jatropha oil and Jatropha Oil Methyl Ester (JOME) produced in the laboratory. The experimental test were conducted to study the engine performance such as brake power, brake specific fuel consumption, brake thermal efficiency, indicated power, indicated specific fuel consumption, indicated thermal efficiency and mechanical efficiency. Experiments were carried out on four cylinders, four stroke, compression ignition engine, at four different (speeds, loads) and five different fuel samples. According to the results obtained it was found Antioxidant added blends increases the brake power slightly by load compared to the brake power output from engine when using biodiesel fuel, more precisely the blend (D65B35DM) gives the highest brake power and blend (D60B40DM) gives the lowers brake power compared to the other fuel samples and decreases the brake specific fuel consumption by load and speed. Antioxidant blends improve the brake thermal efficiency relatively high slightly compared to the brake thermal efficiency when using biodiesel fuel, more precisely the maximum efficiency was obtained at engine speed of 2000 rpm; and that when using (D70B30DM) blend (47.7%).