Determining the Performance Parameters of Carbureted Butanol and Plastic Oil Blended with Diethyl Ether

Background of the Problem: In the context depletion of fossil fuels, ever increases of fuel prices in International market causing economic burden on government of India and ever increases of pollution levels with fossil fuels, the search for alternative fuels has become pertinent. Alcohols and vegetables oils are important substitutes for diesel fuel as they renewable in nature. However, the drawbacks of vegetables oils (high viscosity and low volatility) and alcohols (low energy content and cetane number) call for semi-adiabatic diesel engine (SADE).The high energy content of plastic oil and high volatility of butanol can be taken together in order to have minimum pollution levels.

Aim: Investigations were carried out to evaluate the performance parameters of the conventional engine (CE) and semi adiabatic diesel engine (SADE) with carbureted butanol and injected plastic oil blended with diethyl ether by 20% with varied injection timing..

Design Variables: Configuration of the engine, injection timing, test fuels of diesel and carbureted butanol along with plastic oil

Methodology: The experimental engine is single cylinder, four-stroke, water cooled, 3.68 k W at the rated speed of 1500 rpm engine with ceramic coated cylinder head (partially stabilized zirconium of thickness 500 µm coated over inside portion of cylinder head).Performance parameters of brake thermal efficiency, exhaust gas temperature, coolant load and volumetric efficiency were determined at different values of brake mean effective pressure (BMEP) of the engine. Brake specific energy consumption was determined at full load operation of the engine. Injection timing was varied with sensor. Butanol was carbureted into the engine through variable jet carburetor installed at the inlet manifold of the engine at different percentages of crude plastic oil at full load on mass basis. Crude plastic oil blended with 20% diethyl ether was injected through injector in conventional manner. The purpose of adding diethyl ether was to improve cetane number, which measures ignition quality of fuel in diesel engine.

Brief Results: SADE with carbureted butanol and injected plastic oil blended with diethyl ether improved the performance when compared with neat diesel on conventional engine.