Combustion characteristics of CI engine fueled with WCO biodiesel/diesel blends at different compression ratios and EGR

The present study investigated the effect of compression ratio (CR) with the use of exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) technology on the performance of combustion characteristics at different CRs and engine loads; the brake thermal efficiency (BTE), specific fuel consumption (SFC), volumetric efficiency (VOL.EFF), exhaust gas temperature, carbon dioxide emission (CO2), hydrocarbons (HC), nitrogen oxides (NOx), and oxygen content (O-2). The single-cylinder, four-stroke compression ignition engine was run on a mixture of diesel and biodiesel prepared from Iraqi waste cooking oil at (B0, B10, B20, and B30). A comparison has been achieved for these combustion characteristics at different blends, load, and CRs (14.5, 15.5, and 16.5) at 1500 rpm constant engine speed. The transesterification process is used to produce biodiesel and ASTM standards have been used to determine the physical and chemical properties of biodiesel and compare them to net diesel fuel. The preliminary conducting tests indicated that engine performance and emissions improved with the B20 mixture. Experimental test results showed an increase in BTE when CR increased by 17% and SFC increased by 23%. It also found a higher VOL.EFF by 6% at higher pressure ratios. A continuous decrease in BTE values and an increase in SFC were sustained when the percentage of biodiesel in the mixture was increased. Emissions of carbon dioxide, HC, and NOx increased by 12%, 50%, and 40%, respectively, as CR reached high values. NOx increased with the addition of biodiesel to 35%, which necessitated the use of EGR technology at rates of 5% and 10%. The results indicated that the best results were obtained in the case of running the engine with a mixing ratio of B20 with the addition of 10% EGR, NOx decreased by 47% against a slight increase in other emissions.