Investigation on the performance of a variable compression ratio engine operated with raw cardanol kerosene blends

Abstract

In this study raw cardanol, which is a renewable biofuel, was blended with kerosene and used as a test fuel in a four-stroke variable compression ratio 3.5-kW diesel engine. Volume basis test blends of cardanol and kerosene, such as BK20 (20% kerosene and 80% cardanol), BK30 (30% kerosene and 70% cardanol) and BK40 (40% kerosene and 60% cardanol), were prepared and tested for three different compression ratios (16:1, 17:1 and 18:1) at various load conditions and compared with diesel fuel. It was observed that when the compression ratio increased from 16:1 to 18:1, the brake thermal efficiency increased from 23.87 to 27.30% for BK20, 26.83 to 29.87% for BK30, and 24.28 to 28.62% for BK40, with reduction in carbon monoxide, unburned hydrocarbon and smoke emission. But NO<inf>x</inf> emission was increased by 18.7, 1.8 and 7.3%, respectively, for BK20, BK30 and BK40 blends at the highest compression ratio relative to diesel. This study demonstrates that cardanol–kerosene blends can be used as diesel engine fuel at higher compression ratios. © 2017 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.