DIESEL-JATROPHA-ETHANOL BLENDS PERFORMANCE AND EMISSIONS

OF A COMPRESSION IGNITION ENGINE

Karthik.P *Jayanth.D *Madhu.D *Kaushik.R*
ABSTRACT:
There has been a growing concern on the emission of exhaust gases into the
atmosphere whose consequence is environmental degradation and global warming. The
sources of greenhouse gases have been identified of which the major contributor is the
combustion of fossil fuels. Transportation accounts for about 30% of the worlds secondary
energy consumption and about the same in greenhouse gases. In this project, Bio-Fuels like
Jatropha Curcas & Ethanol are used as alternate fuel.
Experiments were conducted on a Single Cylinder, Four-Stroke Diesel Engine using
Diesel-Jatropha-Ethanol blends as well as on diesel fuel alone. The Engine performance &
emission characteristics were analysed by varying Injection Timings & load. Experimental
results indicate that the blends 93D+2E+5J, 88D+2E+10J, 83D+2E+15J, 78D+2E+20J and
75D+20J+5E showed improved brake thermal efficiency and lower exhaust emissions and
were found to be a good alternative fuel for Compression Ignition Engine.

INTRODUCTION
India, one of the largest consumers
of energy in the world uses a large chunk
of liquid fuels which is met by imports.
About 30% of is only produced within the
country. The ever growing demand for this
liquid fuel is growing at a speed of 4.8%
and expected to rise at a much higher rate.
The present bio-fuels that are bio-diesel
and ethanol which are gaining immense
importance and awareness across the globe
.This is particularly because of the wider
acceptance due to its environment friendly,
providing energy security at grass root
level providing employment to rural
community and improved income
generation.
Ethanol obtained from various sources like
sugar cane, sweet sorghum, sugar beet,
molasses and other biological wastes is
used as fuel or as an oxygenate to gasoline.
Brazil uses Ethanol as 100% fuel and 25%
blend with gasoline in the rest of the
vehicles. In India already approved 5%
blend of Ethanol with gasoline as per BIS
standards, while tests are on for increasing
the blend to 10%.
Bio-Diesel is made from the raw oil from
plant sources especially non-edible type
and also used vegetable oil through trans-
esterification and requires little or no
Engine modifications up to 20% blend and
minor modifications for higher percent
blends. The use of Bio-Diesel results in
considerable reduction of un-burnt
hydrocarbons, carbon monoxide and
particulate maters. It has no sulphur, no
aromatics and has about 10% build
oxygen, which helps it to burn fully. Its
higher Cetane number also improves
combustion.
The western world uses even the edible
vegetable oil for biofuels like soybean,
sunflower, rapeseed etc. while Thailand
uses palm oil, Ireland uses frying oil and
animal fats. In India it is proposed to use
only non-edible oil for manufacture of
biodiesel. As the country imports edible oil
to meet its requirements and the prices of
edible oils are higher than that of
petroleum diesel. India has the potential to
produce non-edible oils from plant species
like Neem (Azadirachta Indica), Karanja
(Pongamia Pinatta), Mahua (Madhuca
Indica), Sal (Shorea robusta) and Jatropha
(Jatropha curcas) as they can be grown in
waste lands.
Definition of Bio-fuels
Bio-fuels are alternative to conventional
fuels and as such may be viewed as
alternative fuels.
Biodiesel as an effective fuel
The biodiesel taking up a major
programme for the production in India for
blending with diesel lies in the context of:
Bio-diesel being a superior fuel
than HSD from the environmental
point of view.
Use of bio-diesel becomes
compelling in view of the
tightening of automotive vehicle
emission standards and court
interventions.
The need to provide energy
security, especially for the rural
areas.
The need to create employment.
Providing nutrients to soil,
checking soil erosion and land
degradation.
Rehabilitating degraded lands
through greening.
Addressing global concern relating
to containing carbon emissions as
provided in the Framework
Convention on Climate Change
and
Reduce dependence on crude oil
imports.
Economics of Biodiesel production

The by-products of Bio-diesel from
Jatropha seed are the oil cake and
glycerol which have good commercial
value. These bye-products shall reduce
the cost of Biodiesel depending upon
the price which these products can
fetch. The cost components of Bio-
diesel are the price of seed, seed
collection and oil extraction, oil trans-
esterification, transport of seed and oil.
The cost of Bio-Diesel produced by
trans-esterification of oil obtained from
Jatropha curcas seeds will be very
close to the cost of seed required to
produce the quantity of biodiesel as the
cost of extraction of oil and its
processing in to biodiesel is
recoverable to a great extent from the
income of oil cake and glycerol which
are bye-products. Taking these
elements into account, the price of Bio-
diesel has been worked out assuming
cost of seed as Rs. 5 per kg, 3.28 kg of
seed giving one litre of oil and varying
prices of by-products. The cost of Bio-
diesel varies between Rs. 16.59 to
14.98 per litre if the price of glycerol
varies between Rs 60 and 40 per kg.