A STUDY ON THE PERFORMANCE AND EMISSION CHARACTERISTICS OF A DIESEL ENGINE FUELLED WITH LINSEED OIL AND DIESEL BLENDS

To meet the challenges of increased energy need and concerned about environmental friendly, renewable fuels are being explored in the current energy scenario. In the present study non edible Linseed oil was used as alternative source for diesel engine fuel. The physico-chemical properties were evaluated and compared with mineral Diesel and found in close resemblance. The fuel was tested by using performance and emission parameters on an unmodified single cylinder diesel engine. The study was done by using diesel & Diesel-linseed oil blends at various loads from no load to 100% loads with interval of 20%. The linseed fuel was blended into 5%, 10%, 15% and 20% v/v ratio with neat diesel and compared with baseline data of neat diesel operation. Performance parameters such as brake thermal efficiency and brake specific fuel consumptions were studied and emission parameters such as CO (carbon mono oxide), UBHC (unburned hydrocarbon), NOx (oxides of nitrogen), CO2 (carbon di oxide), exhaust temperature were measured. The thermal efficiency of the engine was lower and the brake specific energy consumption of the engine was higher when the engine was fueled with Linseed oil-Diesel blends compared to diesel fuel. Emission characteristics are better than diesel fuel. NOx formations, using various fuel blends during the whole range of experiment were lower than diesel fuel. The results from the experimental study suggest that the linseed oil could be a potential substitute for diesel engine in the near future as far as small and medium energy productions are concerned.