Compression Ignition Engine Performance as a Function of the Fuel Properties

Abstract

Compression ignition engines have wide application in the transportation, agricultural, construction and industrial sectors which are critical for the economic sustainability of any nation. These engines are powered with petroleum diesel which is however, been threatened by the reality of crude oil going into extinction in some couple of years if new reserves are not discovered, and also the need to reduce global warming; a consequence of the effect of its combustion products. Biodiesel is a renewable fuel with similar properties to petroleum diesel, and can be used purely or in blends without the need for modifying the existing engines. The thermal efficiency of an engine is a very important performance indicator, and researchers would stop at nothing to ensure its improvement. The kinematic viscosity is one of the fuel’s properties which contribute to an engine thermal efficiency. This work is thus designed to review some past studies on the use of biodiesels and its blends in engines and find a correlation between the kinematic viscosity and the thermal efficiency. A correlation was established to exist between the fuel kinematic viscosity and the engine thermal efficiency.

Keywords

• biodiesels
• kinematic viscosity
• calorific value
• pure biodiesel properties
• thermal efficiency