IMPACT OF BINARY BLENDS OF BIODIESELS ON

FUEL QUALITY

A Dissertation

Submitted in partial fulfilment of

requirement for the award of the degree

of

MASTER OF TECHNOLOGY

in

ALTERNATE HYDRO ENERGY SYSTEMS

By

SANDEEP GUPTA

ALTERNATE HYDRO ENERGY CENTRE

INDIAN INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY ROORKEE

ROORKEE-247667 (INDIA)

MAY 2017

iii

ABSTRACT

Due to rapid industrialisation and use of advanced technologies there has been increase in the

consumption of fossil fuels, especially petroleum. Increasing needs are reciprocally

proportionate to diminishing reserves of coal and petroleum. So, the exaggerated to be

fulfilled and to curb the problem of increasing fuel prices; researchers are putting their efforts

to produce an alternative fuel from replenish able resources on large scale. To cater the huge

demand of energy, need of hour is to look for alternative sources. Biodiesel is one of the

promising alternative to petroleum diesel as it is renewable in nature. Biodiesel itself is

proving to be a reliable and competent competitor to non-renewable petroleum which is being

produced from commonly accustomed plants for instance rapeseed, soybean, sunflower and

palm etc. But, complication is that it becomes a problem for in-availability of these oils for

foods. Now non-edible raw materials oils such as Pongamia, Jatropha, Waste cooking oil,

Mahua, Moringa seed oil etc. have been used to raise the standard of these oils and being

produced to complete the level of petroleum and be proven as the best resources for biodiesel

production in all approaches both technically and economically.

As the single biodiesel lacks in some properties for using in diesel engine, therefore to

get the desirable properties, there are various methods, such as addition of additives, blending

with higher alcohol and blending with other biodiesels. This thesis focuses primarily on

different properties of binary blends of biodiesels, which can be used as fuel in diesel engine.

In this thesis, only biodiesels (without blended with diesel) are used to check the performance

of the diesel engine. The different ratios of different biodiesel blends of WCB (Waste

Cooking Biodiesel) and JCB (Jatropha Curcas Biodiesel) have been mixed to get the

desirable fuel properties to suit engine. The study showed that WCB:JCB (80:20) blend is the

best blend in terms of fuel properties and engine application. The BSFC of this blend is found

14% higher while BTE is lower than diesel at full load conditions. The CO and HC emission

is 17% and 42% lower while NOx emission is 20% higher compared to diesel. The results

showed that the binary blends can be recommended as an alternative fuel to diesel and it can

be used in engine with or without NOx reducing additives.