International Journal of Pure and Applied Mathematics
Volume 118 No. 20 2018, 1803-1808
ISSN: 1311-8080 (printed version); ISSN: 1314-3395 (on-line version)
url: http://www.ijpam.eu
Special Issue
ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS OF A SINGLE CYLINDER DI DIESEL ENGINE FUELLED WITH
NON-EDIBLE PONGAMIA BIODIESEL FEEDSTOCK USED FOR AGRICULTURE
1
Muralidharan.K, 2Raja Sankar.M, 3Arun Balasubramanian.K, 4Senthilkumar. D
1,2,3
Associate Professor, 4Professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering,
1,4
Sona College of Technology,2Karpagam College of Engg, 3Sethu Institute of Technology,
1
Muralidharan_dr@sonatech.ac.in
Abstract: In this research, the environmental impact of
a single cylinder direct injection diesel engine fuelled
with pongamia biodiesel derived from a non-edible oil
feedstock for agriculture application was analysed. The
effect of fuel injection pressure on the DI diesel engine
performance and emission characteristics has been
investigated. Biodiesel blends are prepared from B0%
to B30% by volume with an increment of 5% by
volume at full load. The tests were conducted at
injection pressures from 190 to 230 bar in steps of 10
bar by means of adjusting injector spring tension. Fuels
tested exhibits better performance and emission at
injection pressure of 220 bar. At 220 bar, B10 showed
higher BTE of 30.9% and slightly higher NOx of
2.82% with lower bsfc values. Significant reduction in
CO and HC emission achieved was 14.29%, 11.11% at
full load.
Keywords: Pongamia biodiesel, Diesel, Injection
Pressure, Engine pollution.
1. Introduction
In recent years, Biodiesel seems to be more attractive
fuel and acts as an alternate fuel to diesel because of its
environmental benefits and the fact that it is made from
renewable energy resources [1, 2].
Authors analysed various blends of pongamia
biodiesel with diesel and revealed B-20 blend as the
most appropriate fuel for diesel supplement in engines
[3]
. Many studies revealed catalytic transesterification as
an effective way to improve fuel properties of
triglycerides with alcohols to form alkyl esters named
as biodiesel which is similar to diesel fuel. The
performance parameters are found to be similar to
diesel with a significant reduction in emission levels
are observed at all loading conditions [4, 5] .The fatty
acid content of methyl ester was identified by a
standard titrimetric method [6].
Methyl ester prepared from vegetable oil through
transesterification reaction shows a similar performance
to diesel at all loading conditions and can be used as
alternate fuel to diesel without any modifications in
engine design [7] and the direct use of vegetable oils for
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both direct and indirect injection type diesel engine is
not suggested due to their high viscosities and low
volatilities [8]. Lower emissions are obtained for
Pongamia blend B20 with improved performance than
diesel without any engine modifications [12].
The fuel injection timing delay resulted in
significant reduction of greenhouse gases involving
oxides of nitrogen and carbon dioxide especially for
lower blends of biodiesel over the entire range of
engine operation [13]. Injection pressure variation caused
better fuel atomization with improved engine emissions
characteristics for diesel and biodiesel blends [14].
Experiments confirmed that higher injection pressure
makes engine to attain a high value of brake thermal
efficiency due to its high heat release rate both for
diesel and biodiesel blends [15]. The influence of yttria
stabilized zirconia plasma spray coating of 300µm
thickness on engine combustion chamber components
resulted in lesser bsfc with significant reduction in
emissions of CO, HC, smoke emission for diesel and
biodiesel fuels [16].
2. Materials and Methods
The experimental work was carried out in a 4-stroke
direct injection diesel engine runs at a constant speed of
1500 rpm, compression ratio of 17:1, injection timing
of 23° CA BTDC. The engine was coupled to an eddy
current dynamometer and output shaft of eddy current
dynamometer was fixed to a strain gauge type load cell.
Engine cooling water inlet and outlet temperature,
Engine exhaust temperature are measured using K type
thermocouples. The air flow rate to the engine is
measured by using the mass air flow sensor and the fuel
consumption was measured by using two optical slot
sensors placed at either levels of burette. A piezo
electric pressure transducer was used to measure
combustion pressure. The Multi gas analyser was used
to measure emissions CO, HC, NOx and CO2.
The methyl ester was blended with diesel in various
proportions from blend B0 to B30 in steps of 5% by
volume. The fuel properties are determined as per
ASTM standard. Diesel and biodiesel blends are tested
at full load condition. The engine performance
International Journal of Pure and Applied Mathematics Special Issue

evaluation are analysed in various loadings under at an injection pressure of 190 bar and was found to be
different injection pressures. The standard injection 0.21 Kg/Kwh.
timing was set to 23° CA BTDC and injection pressure
was varied from 190, 200, 210, 220, 230 bar. All test
runs were conducted on the test-bench. In each run,
engine speed and load were recorded. For each
injection pressure, the combination of all tests included
engine setting at full load in rated speed. Each test was
repeated three times. The values given in this study are
the average of these three results.

3. Results and Discussion

Performance analysis:

Brake thermal efficiency (BTE):

Figure 2. Injection Pressure Vs Bsfc

Exhaust Gas Temperature (EGT):

It was found from Fig. 3 that exhaust gas temperature

Figure 1. Injection Pressure Vs BTE
It can be seen in Fig. 1 that the increase of injection
pressure up to 220 bar cause an increase of BTE at full
load both for diesel and blends while the increase in
concentration of blend in diesel decreases BTE due to
the lower calorific value of methyl ester. Highest value
of BTE obtained for diesel at 220 bar pressure is 31%
which is 1.52% higher than standard injection pressure
of 210 bar pressure. At 220 bar injection pressure,
blends B5, B10, B15, B20, B25 and B30 showed
slightly improved BTE of 4.35%, 6.5%, 3.29%, 5.97%,
2.32% and 2.78% at full load compared to standard
injection pressure of 210 bar. Among various fuels
tested, B10 showed higher thermal efficiency of 30.9%
in 220 bar pressure and found to be closer with diesel at
full load.
increases for diesel and blends at full load with the
increase of injection pressure from 190 to 220 bar,
while at 230 bar it slightly decreases. This may be due
to increased cylinder temperature as a result of better
atomization and improved combustion. Also by
increasing the blend concentration in diesel, exhaust
gas temperature increases which may be due to
presence of oxygen content of methyl ester. B10 and
B15 shows high exhaust gas temperature values than
diesel at an injection pressure of 220 bar in full load.
Compared to standard injection pressure of 210 bar,
exhaust gas temperature increases at high injection
pressure of 220 bar in the percentage of 14.73%,
4.55%, 4.6%, 9.51%, 2.08%, 5.32% and 3.81% for the
fuels diesel and blends B5, B10, B15, B20, B25, B30
respectively.

Brake specific fuel consumption (BSFC):

Fig. 2 shows that brake specific fuel consumption

increases with the increase of injection pressure since
the amount of fuel delivered during the ignition delay
period increases because of high injection rate. Fuel
consumption slightly increases for an injection pressure
of 220 bar at full load compared to standard injection
pressure for all the fuels tested. The lowest value of Figure 3. Injection Pressure Vs EGT
fuel consumption was observed for blends B5 and B10

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International Journal of Pure and Applied Mathematics
Emission Analysis:
Oxides of nitrogen (NOx) :
It is clear from Fig. 4 that by increasing the injection
pressure NOx emission shows an increasing trend up to
220 bar. Increase of injection pressure tends to increase
NOx emission due to higher heat release rate in the
premixed phase of combustion.
Figure 4. Injection pressure Vs NOx
At very high injection pressure of 230 bar, NOx
emission for diesel and blends B5, B10, B15, B20,
B25, B30 showed a significant reduction of 6.52%,
1.176%, 7.04%, 3.46%, 2.88%, 3.33% and 1.45%
respectively on comparing to standard injection
pressure. B5 and B10 exhibits slightly higher NOx
emission than diesel at higher injection pressures
compared to all fuels tested at full load.
Carbon monoxide (CO):
Test results show that CO emission decreases with the
increase of injection pressure for all fuels up to 220 bar
as seen in Fig. 5 while it increase at 230 bar due to poor
atomization resulting in incomplete combustion.
Compared to standard injection pressure, significant
reduction of CO emission was observed in percentage
of 11.11%, 14.29%, 1.43%, 11.11%, 11.11%, 12.5%
and 11.11% for diesel and blends B5, B10,B15, B20,
B25, B30 respectively at an injection of 220 bar.
Blends B5 and B10 are having lower CO emission than
diesel.
Figure 5. Injection Pressure Vs CO emission
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Carbon dioxide (CO2):
It can be noticed from the Fig. 6 that CO2 emission rate
was higher for diesel and blends at an injection pressure
of 220 bar and lower values are obtained for the fuels at
190 bar pressure. Compared to standard injection
pressure of 210 bar, a significant reduction in CO2
emission was observed at lowest injection pressure of
190 bar in percentage of 8.51%, and 8%, 9.62%,
5.77%, 9.43%, 1.96%, 3.85% for diesel and blends B5,
B15, B20, B25, B30 respectively.
Figure 6. Injection Pressure Vs CO2 emission
Hydrocarbon (HC):
It was observed from Fig. 7 that the unburnt
hydrocarbon emission tends to decrease with the
increase of injection pressure and increases while
increasing the concentration of methyl ester in diesel.
This may be due to complete combustion since the
usage of oxygenated methyl ester as fuel. HC emission
was found to be higher for almost all the fuels tested
except B5 and B10 at all injection pressures from 190
to 230 bar. A significant reduction in HC emission was
obtained at 220 bar for diesel and blends in percentage
of 12%, 11.11%, 10.53%, 10%, 8.7%, 7.7% and 7.41%
respectively at full load.
Figure 7: Injection Pressure Vs HC emission
International Journal of Pure and Applied Mathematics
4. Conclusion
In this study, the injection pressure was varied from
190 to 230 bar at standard injection timing of 23° CA
BTDC to evaluate the behaviour of engine performance
and emission fuelled with a non-edible biodiesel
feedstock and the following observations were made
• Bsfc was found to be lower in blend B10 at 220
bar.
• Higher values of thermal efficiency are observed
for diesel 31% and B10 as 30.9% at full load.
• Higher exhaust gas temperature in B10 caused
higher NOx of about 2.82% than diesel at 220 bar.
• Lower CO emission of 0.069% was obtained for
blend B10 at 220 bar.
• Unburnt Hydro carbon emission was found to be
higher for almost all the fuels tested except B5 and B10
at all injection pressures.
5. Acknowledgment
The authors acknowledge the support given by the
management of Sona College of Technology for
providing an opportunity for doing research in the
Internal Combustion Engine laboratory.
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