AN EXPERIMENTAL INVESTIGATION OF PERFORMANCE AND POLLUTION LEVELS ON DI DIESEL ENGINE WITH WASTE FRIED COOKING OIL AND ITS BIO DIESEL

Alternative fuels research had geared up nowadays and in this connection any fuel that can replace diesel can be a major breakthrough as diesel is being used in transport as well as agricultural sectors. Vegetable oils are treated as alternative fuels for diesel, the reason being their cetane value is nearer to that of diesel and are of renewable in nature. Used cooking oil was collected from various sources and was tested in a 3.68kW Direct Injection (DI) diesel engine at manufacturer specified injection timing and pressure values of 270bTDC and 190 bars. The performance parameters along with pollution levels were investigated and compared with pure diesel operation. Used cooking oil had relatively less volatility as well as more viscosity. These problems can be overcome by obtaining biodiesel through a process known as esterification by treating used cooking oil. Experiments were carried out with used cooking oil and its biodiesel at different operating conditions like normal/room temperature (NT) and preheated temperature (PT). Peak brake thermal efficiency (BTE) and Volumetric efficiency (VE) values were found to be higher for pure diesel operation followed by biodiesel and waste fried vegetable oil(WFVO). Biodiesel operation resulted in lower smoke levels and comparable Nitrogen oxide levels(NOx)in comparison to diesel operation.