The emission characteristics of a compression ignition engine operating on castor oil methyl ester

Abstract

Diesel vehicles are a major form of transportation, especially in developing countries. Recent concerns over the environment, increasing fuel prices and the scarcity of its supply have promoted interest in the development of alternative sources of petroleum fuels. In this investigation, castor oil methyl ester was prepared by transesterification using potassium hydroxide (KOH) as a catalyst and tested in a four-stroke, single-cylinder compression ignition engine. The test was carried out at a constant speed of 1500 rpm at different loads. The results show that with an increasing biodiesel percentage, the carbon monoxide (CO) emission level decreases. The reduction of the CO in B05, B10 and B20 averaged 13.75%, 25.02% and 28.79%, respectively, compared to diesel (B0). The emission results of the comparative test indicated that CO, oxygen (O2) and smoke density emissions are found to be lower when the engine is fuelled with B05, B10 and B20 as compared to B0, while carbon dioxide (CO2) and nitrogen oxide (NOx) with B05, B10 and B20 are found to increase marginally.