Browsing by Author "Mekonen, Menelik Walle"

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    Evaluation of engine characteristics for a variable compression ignition engine fueled with preheated biodiesel blends
    (2018) Mekonen, Menelik Walle
    In the present study, a series of experimental investigations have been conducted to explore the performance, combustion and emission characteristics with optimization of engine operation using diesel, edible (palm oil methyl ester-POME) and non-edible oil (castor oil methyl ester-COME) and their specified blends with diesel fuel in variable compression ratio (VCR), direct injection (DI) single cylinder, water cooled, multi fuel compression ignition (CI) engine. The author has focused on utilization of two methyl ester biodiesels (POME and COME) in a VCR DI compression ignition engines. The present investigations are planned after a thorough review of literature in this area. In the present investigation, many efforts have been done and introduced the possible methods of reducing the viscosity and density of biodiesel, and improvement of engine characteristics running with biodiesel. In this study, the author attempted to improve the fuel properties of biodiesels by using blending, preheating, preheating biodiesel and blending with diesel techniques. Blending is the most convenient method for the formulation biodiesel property to reduce viscosity and density as a fuel in a diesel engine, at the cost of reduction in calorific value. In this regard, the POME/COME biodiesel is blended to diesel in different volume percentages to improve certain properties.This would help in having a good understanding of the dependence of the diesel properties on the biodiesel proportion. In this analysis, the fuel properties of the blends are determined and compared to blended biodiesel standards (ASTM D7467 and BIS) and diesel fuel. Moreover, some of mixtures of the blends were tested in a diesel engine to investigate the effect of blend ratios on engine performance and emissions parameters. Then, the preheating is applied to reduce the viscosity and density of inlet fuel and is implemented in a diesel engine. In this analysis, the author attempts to use a helical coiled heat exchanger for preheating of biodiesel.