Investigation of Optimum Fuel Injection Timing of Direct Injection CI Engine Operated on Preheated Karanj-Diesel Blend

The conventional petroleum fuels are depleting rapidly and the prices are going up day by day. Moreover, these petroleum fuels are responsible for green house emissions and other forms of pollution in the environment. Among various options available, the fuels derived from vegetable oils have emerged as promising alternate fuels for IC engines. The use of unmodified or straight vegetable oils in diesel engine creates operational problems due to their high viscosity and poor volatility. In the present work, an experimental setup has been designed to reduce the viscosity of the fuel by blending Karanj oil with Petro-Diesel and preheating the Karanj-Diesel blend. Experiments are also conducted to determine the optimal injection pump timing for the selected blend, with respect to the engine performance parameters. Experiments are performed using Petro-Diesel and preheated Karanj-Diesel blend (in ratio 40:60 by volume) on constant speed direct injection C.I. engine. The effect of injection timing on the preheated Karanj-Diesel blend is investigated and the results are analyzed. On the basis of results obtained, the optimal injection timing is determined for Karanj-Diesel blend, which is found to be 19º BTDC.