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. 2022 Nov 7;7(45):41651-41666.
doi: 10.1021/acsomega.2c05658. eCollection 2022 Nov 15.

Preparation, Characterization, and Evaluation of Emission and Performance Characteristics of Thumba Methyl Ester (Biodiesel)

Abhijeet D Patil  1 , Saroj Sundar Baral  2 , Dillip Kumar Mohanty  3 , Nitin M Rane  4
Affiliations

Preparation, Characterization, and Evaluation of Emission and Performance Characteristics of Thumba Methyl Ester (Biodiesel)

Abhijeet D Patil et al. ACS Omega. .

Abstract

Thumba oil with a higher triglyceride content can be a promising feed for synthesizing a fatty acid alkyl ester as an alternative to pure diesel. The current study investigates the emission and performance characteristics of thumba methyl ester (TME) in compression ignition (CI) engines corresponding to variable loads and compression ratios (CRs), respectively. TME was prepared at an optimized pressure of 5 bar by hydrodynamic cavitation. The properties of TME-diesel blends with varied volume percentages of biodiesel, such as 5, 10, 15, 20, and 25, denoted B5, B10, B15, B20, and B25, respectively, were compared to pure TME (100% biodiesel) and pure diesel (100%). The B20 biodiesel blend has been observed as the optimal one based on the lower emission composition and higher brake thermal efficiency. For B20 fuel, injection at 23° before the top dead center (TDC) and a CR of 18 resulted in the lowest brake specific fuel consumption of 0.32 kg/kW h and a maximum brake thermal efficiency of 36.5%. Using titanium dioxide nanoparticles in the pre-stage of TME manufacturing has ultimately reduced the nitrogen oxide, hydrocarbon, and carbon monoxide emissions. At a CR of 18 and advanced injection 23° before TDC for a CI engine, TME derived from thumba oil has the potential to be a viable diesel substitute.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no competing financial interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
(a) Hydrodynamic cavitation setup for biodiesel synthesis.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Steps in TME synthesis.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Schematic diagram of the engine setup. (1) Diesel tank, (2) fuel control valve, (3) exhaust gas silencer, (4) air filter, (5) airflow indicator, (6) inlet valve, (7) exhaust valve, (8) charge amplifier, (9) airflow meter, (10) diesel injector, (11) in-cylinder pressure transducer, (12) crank angle encoder, (13) high-speed combustion data acquisition system, (14) computer, (15) VCR test engine, (16) coupling, (17) exhaust gas analyzer, (18) exhaust gas probe, (19) dynamometer, and (20) control panel.
Figure 4
Figure 4
SEM images of TiO2 nanoparticles at solvent to precursor ratios of (a) 40 and (b) 60; EDAX plots at solvent to precursor ratios of (c) 40 and (d) 60.
Figure 5
Figure 5
(a) BTE with load; (b) BSFC with load; and (c) BSEC with load.
Figure 6
Figure 6
(a) Impact of injection timing (spill timing) on HC emissions; (b) CO emissions; (c) NOx emissions; and (d) CO2 emissions.
Figure 7
Figure 7
(I–VII) Effects of CR on HC emissions for various blends.
Figure 8
Figure 8
(I–VII) Effects of CR on CO emissions for various blends.
Figure 9
Figure 9
(I–VII) Effects of CR on NOx emissions for various blends.
Figure 10
Figure 10
(I–VII) Effects of CR on CO2 emissions for various blends.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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