Direct injection diesel engine characteristics fuelled with diesel, biodiesel and 1-butanol blends

The current study concentrated on performance, combustion and emission characteristics of a direct injection diesel engine. The experiments were carried out on single cylinder Kirloskar make TV-1 diesel engine test-rig. The blends were made using equal parts of Karanja biodiesel (Pongamia pinnata) and 1-butanol with plain diesel. For the experiment, five mixes were investigated at constant speed of 1500 rpm and varying loading condition from no load to full load in 25 % steps. The properties of the mixtures considered are within the permissible ASTM limits. The study revealed that performance characteristics such as brake thermal efficiency, mechanical efficiency are observed highest for D80K10B10 blend at 100 % BP and BSEC at 25 % BP for D80K20 blend. No appreciable variations are observed in volumetric efficiencies and concentration of 1-Butanol showed greater reduction in EGT amongst others. Highest CO emission reduction to 53 % whereas 31 % CO2 increases and HC, and NOx emissions are observed marginally increased. Long term test and energy-exergy analysis should be required to get more in insights from the research.