EXPERIMENTAL INVESTIGATION ON USE OF PREHEATED PONGAMIA OIL BIO-DIESEL IN DI DIESEL ENGINE

Biofuels have received much attention in the current situation of reducing fossil fuel reservoirs and increased emission legislation. Many ideas have been implemented upon uses of biofuels for energy production to achieve low-emission levels. Internal combustion engines are the basic prime movers for power generation as well as for transportation purpose, which are basically run on fossil fuels. The present work investigates the engine performance and combustion characteristics with unheated pongamia bio-diesel, preheated pongamia biodiesel and petroleum diesel. The Pongamia bio-diesel is preheated to 800 C to study the effect of preheating of biodiesel on engine characteristics. The performance characteristics like total fuel consumption, brake specific fuel consumption, brake specific energy consumption, brake thermal efficiency and the combustion characteristics like variation in cylinder pressure and net rate of heat release are investigated. The engine characteristics are also investigated with preheated bio-diesel at injection opening pressure of 200, 220 and 240 bars and at compression ratios of 17, 17.5 and 18.Improvement in engine characteristics is observed by preheating the bio-diesel. Among different injection opening pressure and compression ratios highest brake thermal efficiency obtained at 200 bars and 18 compression ratios respectively.