Study on Performance and Emission Studies on Cashewnut Shell Liquid Bio-Oil Fuelled Diesel Engine with Acetone as Additive

Vegetable oils are a potential alternative to partial or total substitution of diesel fuels. In this study, we used Acetone as an additive to investigate the possible use of increased percentages of bio-oil in diesel engine without any retrofitting. Bio-oil was made by pyrolysis process. Cashew nut shell liquid (CNSL) was feed stroke for bio oil. Number 2 diesel fuel containing 20% bio oil and 80% diesel fuel, is called here as B20. The effects of Acetone, blended with B20 in 4, 8, 12% by volume were used in a single cylinder, four strokes direct injection diesel engine. The effect of test fuels on engine torque, power, brake specific fuel consumption, brake thermal efficiency, exhaust gas temperature, were ascertained by performance tests. The influence of blends on CO, HC, NO and smoke opacity were evaluated by emission tests. HC emission was reduced by 34%, smoke density reduced by 16% and the NO emission is reduced remarkably by 49.4% while the engine was operated by 12% Acetone with B20 when comparing neat diesel operation. CNSL can be alternately used as fuel for diesel engine. Consequently 20% CNSL bio oil and 12% Acetone as additive was the better alternate fuel blend for diesel engines without any engine modification.