An Investigation of Diesel-Biodiesel-Methanol Blends in terms of Performance and Emissions in a Diesel Engine

Abstract

The aim of the study is to determine the effect of small percentage of methanol into diesel-biodiesel fuel blends. In this context, standard diesel fuel (50%)-biodiesel (47%)-methanol (3%) and diesel (50%)-biodiesel (44%)-methanol (6%) blends were tested in a single cylinder, direct injection diesel engine at full load conditions. Performance and exhaust emission characteristics of engine fuelled with biodiesel-methanol-diesel were compared to the conventional diesel fuel. Break power of the test fuel blends showed a decreasing trend due to their lower heating value. For all blend fuels, brake specific fuel consumption (BSFC) values increased as compared diesel fuel. Also, the study indicated that methanol percentage of 6% in test fuels is more effective than that of 3% in terms of reducing of the NOx and CO emissions.

Keywords

• Diesel,Biodiesel,Methanol,Engine Performance,Emissions

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