A detailed investigation of the combustion characteristics of a DI diesel engine fuelled with plastic oil and rice bran methyl ester

This study analyses the effect of using two different fuels, synthesised by two different methods, in a constant speed diesel engine. In this paper the combustion and performance characteristics of direct injection diesel engine were examined. The engine was run on, plastic oil, which is obtained from the pyrolysis of waste plastic materials and rice bran methyl ester obtained using the methanolysis of rice bran oil. The results indicate that the engine can be operated smoothly with 100% Plastic oil (PO) and Rice bran methyl ester (RME). The brake thermal efficiency at rated power was lower for both fuels. The combustion characteristics of all fuels followed a similar trend. The combustion was delayed for both PO and RME and the maximum heat release was shifted further away from the baseline diesel readings. Ignition delay and combustion duration and for PO and RME were higher when compared to diesel. (C) 2015 Energy Institute. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.