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Vol.4, No.3, 2025: pp.105-117

Investigation of the emission and performance characteristics of a direct injection diesel engine fuelled with dual biodiesel blends

Authors:

S. Thirumalvalavan1
, A. Thanikasalam2
, N. Senthilkumar3
, K. Sabari3

M. Yuvaperiyasamy3

1Department of Mechanical Engineering, Arunai Engineering College, Tiruvannamalai 606 603, Tamil Nadu,
India
2Department of Marine Engineering, Academy of Maritime Education and Training, Chennai 603112, India
3Department of Mechanical Engineering, Saveetha School of Engineering, Saveetha Institute of Medical and
Technical Sciences, SIMATS, Tamil Nadu 602105, India

Received: 24 June 2025
Revised: 4 August 2025
Accepted: 23 August 2025
Published: 30 September 2025

Abstract:

This research examines the performance and emission characteristics of a direct injection diesel engine fueled by dual biodiesel blends sourced from Pongamia pinnata oil (PPO) and Hevea brasiliensis oil (HBO). Biodiesel blends were formulated in proportions of 10%, 20%, 40%, 60%, 80%, and 100% (B10–B100) and evaluated against regular diesel (D100) in a single-cylinder, 4-stroke, water-cooled engine operating at 1500 rpm under varying loads. B10 exhibited the highest brake thermal efficiency (BTE) at 14.44%, in contrast to 13.34% for diesel and 12% for B100. The mechanical efficiency attained a maximum of 74.26% for B80/B100, comparable to the diesel efficiency of 74.8%. Brake-specific fuel consumption (BSFC) increased with higher biodiesel percentages and remained relatively constant at elevated engine loads. Emission studies demonstrated a significant decrease in nitrogen oxides (NOx) emissions at full load when utilizing biodiesel blends, with recorded values of 1245 ppm for diesel, 307 ppm for B10, and 601 ppm for B60. Unburned hydrocarbon (UHC) emissions peaked at 103 ppm for B100, whereas diesel exhibited 28 ppm. Higher blends of biodiesel, specifically B40 and B60, resulted in reductions of carbon monoxide (CO) emissions by 0.07% and 0.10%, respectively. Notably, CO2 emissions were lower in B10–B60 blends by 2.1–3.7% relative to diesel. B10 also demonstrated the lowest smoke opacity due to improved diffusive combustion. These findings indicate that dual biodiesel blends, particularly B10 and B20, are promising diesel alternatives offering enhanced combustion performance and reduced emissions without requiring engine modifications.

Keywords:

Alternate fuel, Brake thermal efficiency, Diesel engine, Engine Performance, Pongamia pinnata, Rubber seed oil, Transesterification

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© 2025 by the authors. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC 4.0)

Volume 4
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December 2025.

 

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How to Cite

S. Thirumalvalavan, A. Thanikasalam, N. Senthilkumar, K. Sabari, M. Yuvaperiyasamy, Investigation of the Emission and Performance Characteristics of a Direct Injection Diesel Engine Fuelled With Dual Biodiesel Blends. Advanced Engineering Letters, 4(3), 2025: 105-117.
https://doi.org/10.46793/adeletters.2025.4.3.1

More Citation Formats

Thirumalvalavan, S., Thanikasalam, A., Senthilkumar, N., Sabari, K., & Yuvaperiyasamy, M. (2025). Investigation of the Emission and Performance Characteristics of a Direct Injection Diesel Engine Fuelled With Dual Biodiesel Blends. Advanced Engineering Letters, 4(3), 105-117. https://doi.org/10.46793/adeletters.2025.4.3.1

Thirumalvalavan, S. et al. “Investigation of the Emission and Performance Characteristics of a Direct Injection Diesel Engine Fuelled With Dual Biodiesel Blends.“ Advanced Engineering Letters, vol. 4, no. 3, pp. 105-117. https://doi.org/10.46793/adeletters.2025.4.3.1

Thirumalvalavan, S., A. Thanikasalam, N. Senthilkumar, K. Sabari, and M. Yuvaperiyasamy. (2025). “Investigation of the Emission and Performance Characteristics of a Direct Injection Diesel Engine Fuelled With Dual Biodiesel Blends.“ Advanced Engineering Letters, 4 (3): 105-117. https://doi.org/10.46793/adeletters.2025.4.3.1

Thirumalvalavan, S., Thanikasalam, A., Senthilkumar, N., Sabari, K. and Yuvaperiyasamy, M. (2025). Investigation of the Emission and Performance Characteristics of a Direct Injection Diesel Engine Fuelled With Dual Biodiesel Blends. Advanced Engineering Letters, 4(3), pp. 105-117.
doi: 10.46793/adeletters.2025.4.3.1.