Performance and Heat Release Rate of a Diesel Engine using Sunflower Methyl Esters and Diesel Fuel Blends in experimental comparison

Abstract

Biodiesel fuels are among the leading renewable alternative fuels, available to implement on diesel engines simply. Testing biodiesel fuels on engines, results similar to nominal engine performance data are reported in the literature, since having chemical properties very close to diesel fuel. Methyl/Ethyl esters (Biodiesel fuels), of various oils extracted from vegetables or animals, are used by many researchers on various types of engines and for various testing conditions. In the study, effects of sunflower oil methyl esters on engine performance, heat release rate and indicated engine parameters are investigated experimentally on a single cylinder, DI Diesel engine. Tests are performed with diesel fuel and B50 blend fuel, consisting of 50% diesel and 50% biodiesel, fuels at full load condition and at different speeds. Engine brake torque, brake power, brake specific fuel consumption, brake thermal efficiency, heat release rate, and indicated engine parameters are calculated from test data, and the results obtained using diesel fuel and B50 blend fuel are compared. Although some worsening on performance data and heat release rate on B50 side, results are very close to each other.