Experimental Investigation of Algal Oil Diesel Blends on Combustion Process and Emission Parameters in a Single Cylinder Diesel Engine

Abstract

In today’s world, renewable fuel for transportation is extremely necessary for our economic sustainability and environmental conditions. Continual usage of carbon derivatives from fossil fuel i.e. petroleum sourced fuel is a unsustainable one because of depleting sources and also leads to increase in the rate of global warming. So to make the environment a suitable place to live for our future generation, it is extremely important to replace the fossil based transport fuel with a high potential, renewable energy source like algae’s which undergoes a photosynthetic reaction using sunlight to produce oil. Such an approach can contribute to a large extent in reducing the environmental pollution and also to the future crisis of shortage in transportation fuel. In this approach we have used the common species of Chlorella, Spirulina and Cynobacteria. The study was undertaken to know the physiochemical properties, transesterification rate and the biodiesel production rate. The algal oil was found higher in Spirulina sp than in BGA sp. The indication shows that Spirulina sp is a better source for algal oil production. The experimental investigation was carried out using biodiesel ester from Spirulina sp. Based on the physical and chemical properties of the biodiesel, the blending was carried out in different proportions. The test was carried out on a single cylinder naturally aspirated direct injection diesel engine and the performance on power, brake thermal efficiency, cylinder peak pressure, HC, CO, NOx, and Smoke are studies. Finally the evaluated results is compared with standard test results of commercial diesel fuel and found to be very much in the acceptable level. There is a significant variation the smoke and particulates but the NOx emission shows minimal variation. The test also shows a moderate increase in power and thermal efficiency.