Title: Effect of soybean oil ethyl ester/diesel fuel blends on engine efficiency

Authors: Andre Valente Bueno, Jose Antonio Velasquez, Luiz Fernando Milanez

Addresses: Department of Mechanical Engineering, Federal University of Ceara, Fortaleza, CE 60455 760, Brazil. ' Department of Mechanical Engineering, Pontifical Catholic University of Parana, Curitiba, PR 80215 901, Brazil; Department of Mechanical Engineering, Federal Technological University of Parana, Curitiba, PR 80215 901, Brazil. ' Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Department of Energy, University of Campinas, UNICAMP, Campinas, 13081 970 SP, Brazil

Abstract: Variation of engine thermal efficiency in response to the addition of soybean oil ethyl ester to diesel fuel was analysed in terms of the in-cylinder phenomena and fuel properties. Blends with concentrations of up to 30% of soybean oil ethyl ester in volume were used turbocharged direct injection engine. Engine internal processes were studied by means of exergy balances based on engine indicating data, which provided information about the impact of biodiesel blending on the amount of fuel exergy exchanged through heat, work and mass transfer. The data obtained from this exergy analysis served to identify the causes of the alterations in brake thermal efficiency measured in dynamometric bench tests. Operating in full load conditions and fuelled with the B20 blend, the engine showed an average increase of 4.16% in brake thermal efficiency and a gross increase of 4.24% in indicated thermal efficiency in relation to its performance with mineral diesel fuel.

Keywords: biodiesel; diesel engines; engine performance; exergy analysis; soybean oil ethyl ester; diesel fuel blends; engine efficiency; turbocharged engines; direct injection engines; brake thermal efficiency; biofuels.

DOI: 10.1504/IJVD.2009.024976

International Journal of Vehicle Design, 2009 Vol.50 No.1/2/3/4, pp.229 - 247

Published online: 06 May 2009 *

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