International Journal of Automobile Engineering

Research and Development (IJAuERD)

ISSN(P): 2277-4785; ISSN(E): 22789413
Vol. 4, Issue 6, Dec 2014, 1-8
TJPRC Pvt. Ltd.

EXPERIMENTAL INVESTIGATION ON USE OF PREHEATED PONGAMIA OIL

BIO-DIESEL IN DI DIESEL ENGINE
SHIVAJI1, KAILASH B ANWAR2 & S. GOWREESH3
1
2

Department of Thermal Power Engineering, VTU PG Centre, RO Gulbarga, Karnataka, India

Assistant Professor, Department of Thermal Power Engineering, VTU PG Centre, RO Gulbarga, Karnataka, India
3

Project Leader, CYIENT Ltd, Hyderabad, Telangana, India

ABSTRACT
Biofuels have received much attention in the current situation of reducing fossil fuel reservoirs and increased
emission legislation. Many ideas have been implemented upon uses of biofuels for energy production to achieve
low-emission levels. Internal combustion engines are the basic prime movers for power generation as well as for
transportation purpose, which are basically run on fossil fuels. The present work investigates the engine performance and
combustion characteristics with unheated pongamia bio-diesel, preheated pongamia biodiesel and petroleum diesel.
The Pongamia bio-diesel is preheated to 800 C to study the effect of preheating of biodiesel on engine
characteristics. The performance characteristics like total fuel consumption, brake specific fuel consumption, brake specific
energy consumption, brake thermal efficiency and the combustion characteristics like variation in cylinder pressure and net
rate of heat release are investigated. The engine characteristics are also investigated with preheated bio-diesel at injection
opening pressure of 200, 220 and 240 bars and at compression ratios of 17, 17.5 and 18.Improvement in engine
characteristics is observed by preheating the bio-diesel. Among different injection opening pressure and compression ratios
highest brake thermal efficiency obtained at 200 bars and 18 compression ratios respectively.

KEYWORDS: Bio-Diesel, Pongamia, Total Fuel Consumption (TFC), Brake Specific Fuel Consumption (BSFC), Brake
Specific Energy Consumption (BSEC), Break Thermal Efficiency, Indicated Thermal Efficiency, Exhaust Gas
Temperature

INTRODUCTION
Diesel engine have the advantages of better fuel economy lower emission of HC and CO, however diesel engine
suffered from high emission of smoke density and Nox and there is inherent tradeoff between them from the point of view
of long term energy securely. It is necessary to develop alternative fuels with properties comparable to petroleum-based
fuel. The main commodity source for bio-diesel in India can be non-edible oils obtained from plant species such as
Pongamia Pinnata. Jatropha, Cottonseed, Neem seed etc, Heating of bio-diesel greatly reduces viscosity enhance to
overcome the high viscosity problem; the preheated oil can be used for engine. The Performance of IC engine with pre
heated Pongamia biodiesel tested in single cylinder direct injection diesel engine and obtaining the parameters and
combustion characteristics.
Morphology of Pongamia Tree
Pongamia pinnata is a species of family Leguminasae, native in tropical and temperate Asia including part of
www.tjprc.org

editor@tjprc.org

Shivaji, Kailash B Anwar & S. Gowreesh

India, China, Japan, Malaysia, and Australia. It grows about 15-20 meters in height with a large canopy, which spreads
equally wide. The leaves are soft, shiny burgundy in early summer and mature to a glossy, deep green as the season
progresses. Flowering starts in general after 4-5 years. Cropping of pods and single almond sized seeds can occur by 4-6
years and yields 9-90 kgs of seed. The yield potential per hectare is 900 to 9000 Kg/Hectare. As per statics available
pongamia oil has got a potential of 135000 million tons per annum and only 6% is being utilized. The tree is well suited to
intense heat and sunlight and its dense network of lateral roots and its thick long tap roots make it drought tolerant.
Making of Bio-Diesel
To prepare bio-diesel from pongamia crude oil first sodium hydroxide is added in to the methyl alcohol to form
sodium meth-oxide. Simultaneously oil is heated in a separate vessel of trans-esterification reactor and subjected to heating
and stirring. When temperature of oil reaches 60 0C, sodium meth-oxide are mixed in to the oil and reaction mixtures are
stirred for one and half hour. After reaction completion, the reaction mixture is transferred in separating funnel.
The mixtures of glycerol and methyl ester are allowed to settle for 8 hours. After settling for 8 hours glycerol and methyl
esters are separated manually. The methyl ester is washed with hot water to remove traces of sodium hydroxide impurity.
The washed bio-diesel then distilled to remove moisture and final good quality biodiesel is subjected for chemical analysis.
Engine Performance with Preheated Bio-Diesel
Sagar Pramodraoet al., 2010 [1] investigated of the use of preheat neat Karanja oil as a fuel in CI engine.
The research effort was directed towards improving the performance of CI engine by preheating the biodiesel during this
work the karanja oil biodiesel was preheated from 30-1000 C. the performance of engine studied for the speed range of
1500-4000 rpm at full load condition. K. S. Srinivasrao, et al. 2012 [2] investigated the characteristics of a direct injection
compression ignition (DI-CI) engine with preheated corn bio-diesel fuel. M. Martin and D. Prithviraj, 2011 [3] analyzed
viscosity of various blends of cottonseed oil (CSO) and diesel at various temperature. They found reduction viscosity with
increasing temperature.
S. M. A, Ibrahimet al. 2014 [4] prepared various blend of jotropha bio-diesel and diesel. They also preheated
bio-diesel based blends to 50, 70, 80 and 90C and burned in a diesel engine to study engine performance and emission.
Anbarasu Augustin, et al.2012 [5] investigated CI engine characteristics with unheated and preheated Cotton Seed Oil
Methyl Ester (CSOME) and compared with neat diesel. Experiments were conducted at different load conditions in a
single cylinder four stroke DI diesel engine. P. P. Sonune, H. S. Farkade, 2012 [6] investigated of CI Engine Fuelled,
Preheated Vegetable Oil and Its Blends with diesel. This said various fuel inlet temperatures, blending ratio, viscosity and
various loading conditions are some of the parameters that need to be analyzed for better engine performance and reduced
emissions. Rafidah Rahim, et al. 2012 [7]simulated the engine performance with various vegetable oil fuel blends.
The simulations were conducted at full load condition for fuel blends at various temperatures from 300K to 500K. A.V.
Mehta ET al.2013 [8] utilized straight jotropha oil fuel in diesel engine. They evaluated engine performance in terms of
specific fuel consumption, brake thermal efficiency and exhaust gas temperature. M. M. Kulkarni and V. S. Dhumal 2012
[9] conducted on single cylinder, water cooled engine. Major problems associated with vegetable oils were higher
viscosities, lower heating values, rise in stoichiometric fuel air ratio and thermal cracking. The performance parameters of
engine such as Brake thermal efficiency and volumetric efficiency were slightly lower and Brake specific fuel consumption
and Exhaust gas temperature were slightly higher compared to diesel for all bio-diesels. Avinash Kumar, Agarwal et al,
2013 [10] investigated use of unheated karanja oil in a direct injection CI engine at different loads and constant engine
Impact Factor (JCC): 5.1066

Index Copernicus Value (ICV): 3.0

Experimental Investigation on Use of Preheated Pongamia Oil Bio-Diesel in DI Diesel Engine

speed (1500 rpm) compared with mineral diesel. Analysis of performance parameters was done in terms of brake specific
fuel consumption (BSFC), thermal efficiency, and exhaust gas temperature; mass emissions of various gaseous pollutant
species; combustion parameters such as in-cylinder pressure rise, instantaneous heat release and cumulative heat release
etc. they found higher BSFC for all blends of karanja oil as compared to diesel. They also found lower HC, higher CO and
NOx emissions.

EXPERIMENTAL SETUP AND METHODOLOGY

The engine used is a single cylinder, four stroke, DI, water cooled, computerized Kirloskar make diesel engine.
Figure 1 shows line diagram and the experimental setup.

Figure 1: Experimental Setup

Tests have been conducted on the engines for the entire load ranges (0 to 100%) at constant speed of 1500 rpm.
The engine tests were performed using unheated, preheated biodiesel (800C) and diesel at standard injector opening
pressure and compression ratio and the results were recorded. The engine parameters such as brake specific fuel
consumption, brake thermal efficiency, exhaust gas temperature and combustion characteristics were measured during
investigation.
Experiments are carried out at different injection opening pressure of 200, 220 and 240 bar and compression ratio
of 17, 17.5 and 18 respectively. In-cylinder pressure and top dead centre (TDC) signals are acquired and stored on a high
speed computer based digital data acquisition system. The data from 100 consecutive cycles are recorded (hardware is
designed to take the data up to 300 consecutive cycles) and are processed with specially developed software to obtain
combustion parameters like, maximum rate of pressure rise, and net rate of heat release and maximum cylinder pressure.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS

Effect of Preheated Bio-Diesel on Engine Performance and Combustion Characteristics
The bio-diesel is preheated to 800C to reduce the viscosity, the investigation is carried out for the compression
ratio and injection opening pressure of 17.5 and 200 bar respectively. Figure 2 shows the variation of Total Fuel
Consumption and Brake power for different engine load for unheated, preheated and diesel fuel. The increase of total fuel
consumption is observed with unheated bio-diesel and reduction in fuel consumption with preheated bio-diesel, which are
due to reduced viscosity, and better combustion has resulted for less fuel consumption.

www.tjprc.org

editor@tjprc.org

Shivaji, Kailash B Anwar & S. Gowreesh

Figure 2: Total Fuel Consumption vs Brake power

Figure 3 and 4 shows the variation of BSFC and BSEC at different engine load condition. Highest BSFC and
BSEC is observed with unheated bio-diesel due to poor combustion. The preheated of bio-diesel resulted in reduction in
BSFC due to better atomization of fuel droplet size which is due to reduced viscosity.

Figure 3: Brake Specific Fuel Consumption vs Brake Power

Figure 4: Brake Specific Energy Consumption vs BP

Figure 5 shows the variation of the brake thermal efficiency. Lowest brake thermal efficiency is observed for
unheated bio-diesel which is due to poor combustion.

Impact Factor (JCC): 5.1066

Index Copernicus Value (ICV): 3.0

Experimental Investigation on Use of Preheated Pongamia Oil Bio-Diesel in DI Diesel Engine

Figure 5: Brake Thermal Efficiency vs BP

Figure 6 shows the variation of exhaust gas temperature. Decrease in exhaust gas temperature is observed with
preheated obi-diesel which is due to faster and complete combustion. At full load, EGT of 434 0C is observed for unheated
bio-diesel as compared to 420.98 0C for preheated biodiesel and 364 0C for diesel.

Figure 6: Exhaust Gas Temperature Vs BP

Figure 7 shows the variation of indicated thermal efficiency. The indicated thermal efficiency is higher for
preheated bio-diesel than the unheated biodiesel. The indicated thermal efficiency depends on the indicated power
generated in the engine cylinder and also on chemical energy input in the form of fuel supply.

Figure 7: Indicated Thermal Efficiency vs BP

www.tjprc.org

editor@tjprc.org

Shivaji, Kailash B Anwar & S. Gowreesh

Figure 8 shows the variation of maximum cylinder pressure. Maximum cylinder pressure is found for preheated
bio-diesel in comparing with other fuel, which is due to better combustion. Maximum cylinder pressure of 57.37 bar is
observed for preheated bio-diesel in comparing with 54.1 and 50.89 bar for diesel and unheated bi-diesel respectively.

Figure 8: Maximum Cylinder Pressure vs BP

Figure 9 shows the variation of rate of pressure. Comparable rate of pressure rise obtained is indicative of stable
and noise free operation of CI engines is better for preheated pongamia bio-diesel.

Figure 9: Max Rate of Pressure Rise vs BP

CONCLUSIONS

Use of preheated biodiesel for compression ignition engine results less brake specific fuel consumption than
unheated biodiesel because viscosity decreases.

Brake thermal efficiency of CI engine increase with the use of preheated biodiesel than unheated biodiesel.

Exhaust gas temperature also decrease with preheated biodiesel

Preheated bio-diesel shows highest cylinder pressure than unheated biodiesel.

For preheated biodiesel increasing of injection opening pressure above 200 bar results in lower thermal efficiency.

For preheated biodiesel the highest efficiency is observed at 18 compression ratio.

Impact Factor (JCC): 5.1066

Index Copernicus Value (ICV): 3.0

Experimental Investigation on Use of Preheated Pongamia Oil Bio-Diesel in DI Diesel Engine

REFERENCES
1.

SagarPramodaraoKadu et al., Experimental investigations on the use of preheated neat Karanja oil as fuel in a
compression ignition engine. World Academy of Science Engineering and Technology Vol.4, (2010), Pp 459-463

2.

K. S. Srinivasarao, S.V. K Narendra and P.V. Rao, characteristics of DI-CI engine fuel with preheated corn
bio-diesel. International Journal of Mechanical Engineering, ISSN: 2051-3232, Vol. 40 Issue 10 (2012)
Pp350-357

3.

M. Martin D. Prithviraj, Performance of Pre-Heated Cottonseed Oil And Diesel Fuel Blends in a Compression
Ignition Engine. Jordan Journal of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering Volume 5, Number 3, Issn 1995-6665
June 29, (2011) Pp235-240

4.

S. M. A. Ibrahim, K. A Abed and M. S. Gad , Experimental Investigation of Diesel Engine Performance Burning
Preheated Oil Jotropha Oil World Applied Sciences Journal 31 (7); (2014) Pp 1231-1236

5.

Anbarasu Augustine, Loganath, Marimuthu, SaravananMuthusamy, Performance And Evaluation Of DI Diesel

Engine By Using Preheated Cottonseed Oil Methyl Ester. International Conference on Modeling Optimization
and Computing (ICMOC2012) Procedia Engineering 38 (2012) Pp779-790

6.

P. P. Sonune, H. S. Farkade, Performance and Emission of CI Engine Fuelled with Preheated Vegetable Oil and
Its Blends- A Review. International Journal of Engineering and Innovative Technology (IJETI) Volume 2 Issue 3
(September 2012) Pp123-128

7.

Rafidah Rahim, Rizalman Mamata, Mohd Yus of Taib and Abdul Adam Abdullah, influence of Fuel Temperature
on a Diesel Engine Performance Operating with Bio-Diesel Blended. International Journal of Advanced Science
and Technology Vol. 43, June, (2012) Pp115-126

8.

A. V. Mehta, Joshi, G. D. Patel, Saiyad M. J. I., Jatropha oil with exhaust heat recovery system in 4 stroke single
cylinder diesel engine. International Journal of Mechanical Engineering and Technology Volume 4, Issue 2,
March-April (2013), Pp 512-520

9.

M. M. Kulkarni V.S. Dhumal, Performance Characterization of Single Cylinder DI Diesel Engine Fueled with
Castor Biodiesel. International Journal of Engineering Research and Technology (IJERT) Vol. 1 Issue 10,
December (2012) Pp1-3

10. Avinash Kumar Agrwal, and AtulDhar, Experimental investigation of performance, emission and combustion
characteristics of Karanja oil blendeds fuelled DICI engine. Renewable Energy 52 (2013) Pp 283-29

www.tjprc.org

editor@tjprc.org