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CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION
1.1. Introduction: India is one of the fastest developing countries with a stable economic growth, which multiplies the demand for transportation in many folds. Fuel consumption is directly proportionate to this demand. India depends mainly on imported fuels due to lack of fossil fuel reserves and it has a great impact on economy. India has to look for an alternative to sustain the growth rate.

Bio-diesel is a promising alternative for our Diesel needs. With vast vegetation and land availability, certainly bio-diesel is a viable source of fuel for Indian conditions. Recent studies and research have made it possible to extract bio-diesel at economical costs and quantities. The blend of Bio-

diesel with fossil diesel has many benefits like reduction in emissions, increase in efficiency of engine, higher Cetane rating, lower engine wear, low fuel consumption, reduction in oil consumption etc. It can be seen that the

efficiency of the engine increases by the utilization of Bio-diesel. This will have a great impact on Indian economy. Diesel fuels have deep impact on the industrial economy of a country.

These are used in heavy trucks, city transport buses, locomotives, electrical generators, farm equipments, underground mine equipments etc. The consumption of diesel fuels in India for the period 2007-08 was 28.30 million tons, which was 43.2% of the consumption of petroleum products. met by importing crude petroleum as well as

This requirement was.

petroleum products. The import bill on these items was 17,838 crores. With the expected growth rate for diesel consumption more than 14% per annum, shrinking crude oil reserves and limited refining capacity, India is likely to depend more on imports of crude petroleum and petroleum products. 1.2. History of vegetable oils: India is importing crude petroleum & petroleum products from Gulf countries. Indian scientists searched for an alternate to diesel fuel to

preserve global environment and to withstand economical crisis. So, vegetable oils from plants both edible, crude non-edible and Methyl esters (Bio-diesels) are used as alternate source for Diesel oil. Bio-diesel was found as the best alternate fuel, technically and environmentally acceptable, economically competitive and easily available. Several types of oils that are extensively studied include Sunflower, Soya bean, Peanut, Rapeseed, Rice bran, Karanji etc. [16, 19, 24]. One of the disadvantages in using these oils in diesel engines is nozzle deposits, which drastically affects the engine performance and emissions. The refining

process of vegetable oil gives better performance compared to crude vegetable oil [28, 29, 33]. Goering et al [7] studied the properties for eleven types of vegetable oils to determine the best suitable oil which is used as alternative to diesel. Among the eleven types of oils tested, corn, rapeseed, sesame, cottonseed, and soybean oils have the most favourable fuel properties.

There is an improvement in the engine performance when this modified vegetable oils are used instead of base vegetable oils [17, 57, 27, 23].This improvement in performance can be attributed to good atomization of these modified fuels in the injector nozzle and a significant reduction in viscosities [20, 21, 46]. The performance of non-edible types like Rice bran [27] and cotton seed oils [26] was found satisfactory. The idea of using vegetable oil as fuel for diesel engines is not a new one. Rudolph Diesel used peanut oil as fuel in his engine at Paris Exposition of 1900.Inspite of the technical feasibility, vegetable oil as fuel could not get acceptance, as it was more expensive than petroleum fuels. Later various factors as stated earlier, renewed the interests of researchers in using vegetable oils as substitute fuel for diesel engines. The density and

viscosities of the blends increase with the increase of biodiesel concentration in the fuel blend. It also reduces the filter clogging and ensures smooth flow of oil. Some of the researchers [63, 85] conducted experiments on diesel engine using non-edible vegetable oils as alternate fuels and found maximum Brake thermal efficiency, bsfc. Emissions like CO, HC also increased without any engine modification. The use of biodiesel [28] in conventional diesel engines results in substantial reduction in the emission of unburned hydrocarbons, carbon monoxide and particulate. The neat oils can be converted into their respective Methyl esters (biodiesel) using Trans-estrification process. Methyl and ethyl esters of Karanja oil [30] can also be used as fuel in compression ignition engine without

heating and without engine modification. Higher viscosity creates various undesirable combustion properties of Neat vegetable oil. Four techniques are used to reduce the viscosity of vegetable oils, namely dilution, Pyrolysis, Micro emulsion and Trans-esterification [47]. From the very beginning, Indias energy scenarios have been characterized by a mix of noncommercial and commercial sources of energy, namely cow dung,

agriculture waste, coal, hydro, oil, gas and now nuclear. The share of oil in the total energy consumption is about 34%. India imported petroleum crude and products worth rupees 94,520 crores out of 3, 59,107 crores of import bills for the year 2003-2004 [33]. Which amount to 26.32% of total import. The import bills are likely to increase sharply. Total petroleum crude import rose from 90 million tons in 2003-2004 to 95.314 million tons in 2004-2005 [58] with a net increase in 5% of import. The estimated demand for highspeed diesel is 52.3 million tons during 2006-2007, which is higher than the current demand. On the other hand, Indias known crude oil reserves are estimated to last only for another 21 years [39]. The international oil trade is made to violate fluctuations and has often leaded to war like situations in the past, especially with regards to the supply from Gulf countries. In such circumstances with insufficient oil resources, India cannot rely on imported oil, and it will seriously affect its economic development and sovereignty in international political relations. So far few types of vegetable oils have been tried on C.I.Engines. Among them, many are edible type. Continuous use of Vegetable oil as

alternate fuel is likely to create shortage in food items. Hence it demands for the identification of new types of non edible oils for C.I. Engines. 1.3. Present work: In the view of future energy crisis, the author has chosen five nonedible vegetable oil types, Viz. Linseed, Castor, Palm stearin, Mahua and Neem oil for investigation in diesel engine. In this the author has focused on Linseed, Castor, and Palm Stearin, Mahua and Neem oils, blends and their respective Methyl esters have been tested as alternate fuel for C.I.Engine. The important physical and chemical properties of the above said types of oils and their blends are determined. The effect of blending these types of oils with diesel was studied. Effect of temperature on viscosity has been studied. Then the suitability of vegetable oils as alternate fuel is identified through the evaluation based on the performance and emission parameters. These results are compared to those of diesel. Biodiesel for all the oils are prepared successfully using methanol, NaOH as catalyst in trans-esterifiction process. The important properties are determined for Biodiesel. Engine Performance and emission parameters with Bio-diesel are evaluated. These results are compared to those of Diesel and Neat oils. These results are also compared with other bio-diesels available in the literature for validation. Better performing biodiesel used in test engine is selected among the vegetable oils chosen. An exhaustive literature survey pertaining to the present investigation is presented in chapter- 2. A brief historical back ground on the use of various types of vegetable oils and their derivatives as fuel in diesel engine

and the present Indian scenario are explained. Properties of different Vegetable oil blends and their effect on combustion in diesel engine are discussed. The Engine Performance and emission parameters of Non-edible vegetable oils, their blends with diesel and biodiesel are presented. General morphology of plants and oil seeds chosen for the

investigation are explained. The important physical and chemical properties are shown. The effects on combustion and effect of blending vegetable oil with diesel on viscosity are explained. Variation of viscosity on blends with temperature is also presented in chapter-3. Detailed information on experimental setup with instrumentation is presented in chapter-4. Chapter 5. Presents detailed investigations on five chosen neat vegetable oils and their blends in the test engine. Performance parameters such as Brake thermal efficiency, Brake specific fuel consumption, Exhaust Gas temperature and Volumetric efficiency are evaluated. Emission

parameters such as Carbon monoxide, Carbon dioxide, Un-burnt Hydro Carbons, Nitrogen Oxides and smoke are also evaluated. These results are compared to those of diesel. Suitability of these oils as alternate fuel is examined. The performance parameter of suitable oil is compared with the results of similar type of work available in the literature for validation. These types of oils are further esterified. i.e, converted into bio-diesel. Engine Performance & Emission parameters using bio-diesel are presented in chapter 6.

Chapter 6.

Deals with the preparation of Methyl esters of Linseed,

Castor, Palm stearin, Mahua and Neem oils and their characteristics. Performance and emission parameters are evaluated with Methyl esters of Linseed, Castor, Palm stearin, Mahua and Neem oils. These results are compared with those of Diesel. The results are also compared to other esters available in the literature for validation. Among the prepared Bio- diesel types, better performing ester is selected. Conclusions and Scope of future work are presented in Chapter-7. Summary of the Project: 1. The physical and chemical properties of five chosen non edible oils(Linseed,Castor,Palm stearin, Mahua and Neem) and their blends with diesel are determined and analyzed. 2. The analysis for performance characteristics such as brake thermal efficiency, brake specific fuel consumption, exhaust gas temperature, volumetric efficiency of five chosen oils and their blends with diesel are done through graphs. 3. The analysis for emission characteristics such as carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, un-burnt hydrocarbons, nitrogen oxides and smoke of chosen five chosen oils and their blends with diesel are done through graphs.

4. The performance and emission characteristics of five chosen oils are compared to the other non-edible oils already available in the literature for validation. 5. The suitability of oils as alternate fuel in C.I.Engines is checked through validation process. 6. The reasons for the increase/decrease of performance and emission characteristics of five chosen oils and their blends with diesel are discussed. 7. Five chosen non edible oils are converted into their respective Methyl esters through trans-estrification process. 8. The physical and chemical properties of five methyl esters are

determined. The variation in properties is analyzed with their respective neat oils. 9. The performance characteristics of five methyl esters are done through experimentation. The variation in performance is compared with respective neat oils are analyzed through graphs. 10. The emission characteristics of five methyl esters are done through experimentation. The variation in emissions are compared with respective neat oils are analyzed through graphs. 11. The reasons for increase/decrease the performance and emissions are discussed.

12. All performance and emission characteristics of five methyl esters are compared to the other biodiesels available in literature for validation. There by the suitability is checked as an alternate fuel in C.I. Engines. 13. Better performing biodiesel and best blend for maximization of performance and minimization of the emissions are determined through analysis.