Effect of ethanol, propanol and butanol on karanja biodiesel with vegetable oil fuelled in a single cylinder diesel engine

There is a significant need for alternative fuels as a result of increased fuel usage and resource depletion. Esters made from vegetable oils, waste cooking oil and bio alcohols are majorly used in IC engines as a substitute. Coconut oil (Co) and sunflower oil (Su), which have sufficient productivity in India, biodiesel synthesized from karanja oil. In this study, fossil diesel (D) was mixed with karanja biodiesel (B), neat coconut oil and sunflower oil along with ethanol (Et), propanol (Pr) and n-butanol (Bu) alcohols was used. Quinary fuel blends of DB, DBCoSuEt, DBCoSuPr and DBCoSuBu were prepared. The physio-chemical properties of blends were tested and performance and emission tests were carried out on a single cylinder four stroke diesel engine. The results indicate that DBCoSuPr fuel combination increases brake thermal efficiency by 9.2% and DBCoSuEt fuel decreases HC and CO emissions by 37.2% and 53.93% respectively.