Author : N. Venkateswara Rao, M.V.S. Murali Krishna and P.V.K.Murthy

Investigations were carried out to evaluate the performance of a conventional diesel engine (CE) and high grade low heat rejection diesel engine (LHR) (with air gap insulated piston with superni ( an alloy of nickel) crown, air gap insulated liner with superni insert and ceramic coated cylinder head)with different operating conditions [normal temperature and pre-heated temperature] of tobacco seed oil based biodiesel with varied injection timing and injector opening pressure. Performance parameters [brake thermal efficiency, exhaust gas temperature, coolant load, sound levels and volumetric efficiency] were determined at peak load operation of the engine fuelled with tobacco seed oil based biodiesel with different versions of the engine. Comparative studies on performance were made between different versions of the engine with biodiesel operation with varied engine parameters. The performance of the both version of the engine improved with preheating, with advanced injection timing and at higher injector opening pressure with biodiesel. The optimum injection timing was 31obTDC biodiesel operation, while the optimum injection timing was found to be 28obTDC with LHR engine with biodiesel operation.

Keywords: Alternate Fuels, Vegetable Oils, Biodiesel, LHR engine, Performance parameters.

Article published in International Journal of Current  Engineering  and Technology, Vol.3,No.4(Oct- 2013)