28-04-2014, 03:24 PM
Experimental Study on Thermal Barrier Coated Diesel Engine Performance with Blends of Diesel and Palm Biodiesel
ABSTRACT
Energy conservation and efficiency have been the quest of engineers concerned with internal combustion engine. Theoretically, if the heat rejected could be reduced, then the thermal efficiency would be improved, at least up to the limit set by the second law of thermodynamics. Low Heat Rejection engines aim to do this by reducing the heat lost to the coolant. For current work a ceramic coated twin cylinder water-cooled diesel engine using blends of diesel and palm biodiesel as the fuel was evaluated for its performance and exhaust emissions. In recent years, Considerable efforts were made to develop and introduce alternative renewable fuel, to replace conventional petroleum-base fuels. Here, the diesel engine was insulated by Partially Stabilized Zirconia (PSZ) as ceramic material attaining an adiabatic condition. The cycle average gas temperature and metal surface temperature are higher in adiabatic engine. For the present study the biodiesel was prepared in laboratory from non-edible vegetable oil (Palm oil) by transesterification process with methanol, where potassium hydroxide (KOH) was used as a catalyst. An experimental investigation of the performance of a ceramic coated engine was carried out with palm bio-diesels and its blends, the results were compared to the experiment done with the conventional petroleum diesel. Multi cylinder vertical water cooled self-governed diesel engine, piston, top surface of cylinder head and liners were fully coated with Partially Stabilized Zirconia (PSZ). Experimental test set-up was developed in laboratory. The stationary diesel engine was run in laboratory at a medium speed, variable load condition experienced in most urban driving conditions and various measurements like fuel flow, exhaust temperature, exhaust emission measurement and exhaust smoke test were carried out.