Performance study of a compression ignition engine fuelled with biodiesel and ethanol

Biodiesel and ethanol are recognized as a potential fuel of the future with several environmental advantages. While several published literature details the practical uses and applications of ethanol, little or no evidence is available in the public domain on the dual fuel mixture with biodiesel and ethanol and associated engine performance. There is a large established diesel infrastructure on remote islands powered by generators. A good understanding of exhaust gas emissions by these generators can provide useful information on the environmental implication of emissions. There is an established knowledge on the quantitative reduction of harmful emissions when using biodiesel and ethanol. This knowledge can forecast the state of the engine performance and the other detrimental health effects it can have on the general population. A good understanding of the quantitative and qualitative trends is available in the literature, for Cl engines run on biodiesel, as established knowledge. However, information of the reduced emissions and fuel consumption, using biodiesel and ethanol mixture is not extensively available in the public domain. Manufacturers of diesel generators have specific data available for use of biodiesel but the use and performance of their generators using dual fuels is not discussed. In this thesis, rigorous design and modifications for conversion of a Kubota generator to run on biodiesel-ethanol dual fuel system is proposed and built from first principles. The test rig development associated with the calculations for fuel flow rates and associated engine management systems will be integral part of this overall systematic design. As part of this investigation an innovative fuel injection system, to accommodate biodiesel and ethanol, is designed and incorporated. Data acquisition systems to measure on-line measurements of engine performance such as the Brake Specific Fuel Consumption (BSFC) and emissions will be developed as part of this work. In this investigation a comprehensive range of engine operating conditions will tested using both biodiesel-ethanol dual fuel. Over the range of engine operating conditions, emissions will be measured using on-board gas analyzer for systematic injection and increase of ethanol mixture. In this work, emissions such as Hydro Carbons (HC), carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide and Nox are measured. The qualitative and quantitative comparison of harmful emissions for B100 biodiesel and various ratios of ethanol mixture in the blends will be carried out. The discussions will highlight the specific benefits, if any, of injecting ethanol and biodiesel. This work is a step towards understanding the levels of decreased emissions using bio-fuels and establishing qualitative and quantitative trends of engine performance on a sound mathematical and quantitative basis.