Energy Balance for a Diesel Engine Operates on a Pure Biodiesel, Diesel Fuel and Biodiesel-Diesel Blends

Abstract

In general, small part of fuel chemical energy transforms to effective power in diesel engines and other parts are going as energy losses, there for many researchers, as well as engine designers, are searching to increase this part by using various methods. In this study, the effect of pure biodiesel and biodiesel-diesel fuel blends on engine energy balance, compared with diesel fuel, has been performed. For this purpose, diesel engine coupled with a dynamometer, as well as, the thermocouples (to measure the temperatures in different locations) and the flow meter (to measure the water flow rate) have been used. In addition, biodiesel mixed with diesel fuel to obtain various proportions of the fuel blends. The engine heat losses through: Cooling water system, exhaust gases and by radiation have been calculated, on the base of experimental results. The results show that an increase of the biodiesel in the fuel blends lead to increase of heat losses. Moreover, the energy distribution from the fuel used for the experiments show a decrease in useful work, increase of heat lost with cooling water, heat lost with exhaust gases and by radiation by about of (average values) 7, 3.8, 4.8 and 4.5% respectively when compared with diesel fuel. The energy distributions were as 26, 27, 22 and 0.46% for useful work, heat losses with cooling water, with exhaust gases and by radiation, respectively.