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Eichhornia crassipes biodiesel as a renewable green fuel for diesel engine applications: performance, combustion, and emission characteristics

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Abstract

This work examines the feasibility of fuelling biodiesel derived from Eichhornia crassipes in a compression ignition engine. This work also proposes water hyacinth biodiesel (WHB) as a potential alternative energy source since the above species is available extensively in freshwater, marine, and aquatic ecosystems throughout the world. WHB was blended with petroleum diesel fuel at various volume proportions of 10%, 20%, 30%, 40%, and 100% and their properties were analyzed as per ASTM standards for its application as biofuel. The prepared test fuels were analyzed experimentally in a single-cylinder diesel engine at constant speed (1500 rev/min) for its performance, combustion, and emission characteristics. Test results projected that the characteristics of 20% WHB + 80% diesel fuel blend were in par with neat diesel fuel in terms of thermal efficiency, HC, CO, and smoke emissions. However, WHB blends resulted in slightly higher levels of CO2 and NOx emissions. At full load, the attained cylinder pressure and heat release rate of WHB were comparatively lower than diesel fuel. Ignition delay is lowest for B100 blend and therefore the diffusion burning phase of biodiesel phase is found to be dominant in comparison with diesel fuel. For biodiesel blends, the combustion starts earlier due to higher cetane number, lessened delay period, and lowered calorific value followed by lowered HRR.

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Abbreviations

ASTM:

American Society for Testing and Materials

BSEC:

Brake-specific fuel consumption

BTE:

Brake thermal efficiency

WHB:

Water hyacinth biodiesel

CHRR:

Cumulative heat release rate

CO:

Carbon monoxide

CO2 :

Carbon dioxide

EGT:

Exhaust gas temperature

H2O:

Water

HRR:

Heat release rate

ID:

Ignition delay

MR:

Methanol to oil ratio

NOx:

Oxides of nitrogen

O2 :

Oxygen

HC:

Hydrocarbon

P :

Instantaneous heat release rate, N/m2

V :

Instantaneous cylinder volume, m3

ΔX :

Uncertainty of measured variables

X i :

Number of readings

\( \overline{X_i} \) :

Experimental readings

θ :

Crank angle, degree

γ :

Ratio of specific heats (Cp/Cv), kJ/kgK

\( \overset{\bullet }{Q_{lw}} \) :

Blow by losses, J/°CA

\( \frac{d Qlw}{d\theta} \) :

Heat transfer to combustion chamber walls, J/°CA

\( \frac{d{Q}_n}{d\theta} \) :

Net heat release rate, J/°CA

\( \frac{d{Q}_g}{d\theta} \) :

Gross heat release rate, J/°CA

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Acknowledgements

The authors thank Centre for biotechnology, Anna University for its assistance in aquatic growth, culture, and oil extraction. The author also thanks the Chemical engineering department, Anna University for fuel property characterization.

Funding

The author also discloses that there are no external grants received for this research work.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Mechanical Engineering, Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences, (SIMATS), Chennai, 602105, India

    Harish Venu

  2. Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Manipal College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Manipal, Karnataka, 576104, India

    Dhinakaran Venkataraman

  3. Department of Biomedical and Mechanical Sciences, Saraswathi Narayanan College, Perungudi, Madurai, 600069, India

    Prince Purushothaman

  4. Department of Mechanical Engineering, Lakireddy Bali Reddy College of Engineering, Mylavaram, 521230, India

    Dhana Raju Vallapudi

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  1. Harish Venu
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  2. Dhinakaran Venkataraman
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  4. Dhana Raju Vallapudi
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Correspondence to Harish Venu.

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Highlights

• Eichhornia crassipes (water hyacinth) were grown in aquatic ecosystems, harvested, and oil is extracted

• Water hyacinth biodiesel (WHB) were synthesized from raw oil using transesterification

• WHB and its blends with diesel fuel were investigated for performance, combustion, and emissions

• B20 blend has lowest smoke, CO, and HC emission, but with highest NOx and CO2 formation

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Venu, H., Venkataraman, D., Purushothaman, P. et al. Eichhornia crassipes biodiesel as a renewable green fuel for diesel engine applications: performance, combustion, and emission characteristics. Environ Sci Pollut Res 26, 18084–18097 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-019-04939-z

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