An Extensive Analysis of Biodiesel Blend Combustion Characteristics under a Wide-Range of Thermal Conditions of a Cooperative Fuel Research Engine

Vu H. Nguyen, Minh Q. Duong, Kien T. Nguyen, Thin V. Pham and Phuong X. Pham
Additional contact information
Vu H. Nguyen: Department of IC Engine, Faculty of Vehicle & Energy Engineering, Le Quy Don Technical University, 236 Hoang Quoc Viet, Bac Tu Liem, Hanoi 10000, Vietnam
Minh Q. Duong: Division of Automobile Engineering Technology, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, University of Transport Technology, Hanoi 10000, Vietnam
Kien T. Nguyen: Department of IC Engine, Faculty of Vehicle & Energy Engineering, Le Quy Don Technical University, 236 Hoang Quoc Viet, Bac Tu Liem, Hanoi 10000, Vietnam
Thin V. Pham: Department of Physics, Faculty of Physical & Chemical Engineering, Le Quy Don Technical University, 236 Hoang Quoc Viet, Bac Tu Liem, Hanoi 10000, Vietnam
Phuong X. Pham: Department of IC Engine, Faculty of Vehicle & Energy Engineering, Le Quy Don Technical University, 236 Hoang Quoc Viet, Bac Tu Liem, Hanoi 10000, Vietnam

Sustainability, 2020, vol. 12, issue 18, 1-21

Abstract: Examining the influence of thermal conditions in the engine cylinder at the start of fuel injection on engine combustion characteristics is critically important. This may help to understand physical and chemical processes occurring in engine cycles and this is relevant to both fossil fuels and alternative fuels like biodiesels. In this study, six different biodiesel–diesel blends (B0, B10, B20, B40, B60 and B100 representing 0, 10, 20, 40, 60 and 100% by volume of biodiesel in the diesel–biodiesel mixtures, respectively) have been successfully tested in a cooperative fuel research (CFR) engine operating under a wide range of thermal conditions at the start of fuel injection. This is a standard cetane testing CFR-F5 engine, a special tool for fuel research. In this study, it was further retrofitted to investigate combustion characteristics along with standard cetane measurements for those biodiesel blends. The novel biodiesel has been produced from residues taken from a palm cooking oil manufacturing process. It is found that the cetane number of B100 is almost 30% higher than that of B0 and this could be attributed to the oxygen content in the biofuel. Under similar thermal conditions at the start of injection, it is observed that the influence of engine load on premixed combustion is minimal. This could be attributable to the well-controlled intake air temperature in this special engine and therefore the evaporation and mixing rate prior to the start of combustion is similar under different loading conditions. Owing to higher cetane number (CN), B100 is more reactive and auto-ignites up to 3 degrees of crank angle (DCA) earlier compared to B0. It is generally observed in this study that B10 shows a higher maximum value of in-cylinder pressure compared to that of B0 and B20. This could be evidence for lubricant enhancement when operating the engine with low-blending ratio mixtures like B10 in this case.

Keywords: biodiesel; CFR engine; engine combustion; ignition delay; maximum rate of pressure rise; thermal condition at start of injection (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/12/18/7666/pdf (application/pdf)
https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/12/18/7666/ (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:12:y:2020:i:18:p:7666-:d:414667

Access Statistics for this article

Sustainability is currently edited by Ms. Alexandra Wu

More articles in Sustainability from MDPI
Bibliographic data for series maintained by MDPI Indexing Manager ().