Performance Improvement of Bio-diesel Engine

The rapid depletion of fossil fuel with increased environmental concern has increased efforts to produce an alternative to diesel. The twin problems of fuel crises and environmental pollution by the usage of fossil fuels can be resolved significantly by the usage of biodiesel. Extensive research has shown that biodiesel can be used in unmodified diesel engines. However, most of the published reports show that the use of biodiesel in diesel engine decreases in performance parameters such as brake thermal efficiency, brake power and increases in specific fuel consumption compared to diesel. The main reasons for this are due to higher viscosity and the lower volatility of biodiesel. In order to prepare a uniform biodiesel-air mixture to achieve higher combustion efficiency factors like injection timing, injection pressure, engine design such as the shape of the combustion chamber and number and size of injection nozzle hole, fuel spray pattern are important. This book explains the experimental approaches that have been adopted such as the optimization of the combustion chamber and injection parameters to achieve the full potential of biodiesel in the diesel engine.