Spray characterization, combustion, noise and vibrations investigations of Jatropha biodiesel fuelled genset engine

There is an urgent need for detailed comparative engine performance assessment of alternative fuels such as biofuels vis-à-vis conventional gasoline and diesel. Single cylinder genset engines are widely used in developing countries in very large numbers in agriculture and decentralized power generation sectors, therefore such a detailed understanding becomes even more important. In this study, the effects of change in fuel on noise, vibrations, and engine combustion characteristics of a single cylinder genset engine are investigated. Three different test fuels; mineral diesel, Jatropha biodiesel (JB100), and Jatropha biodiesel-diesel blend (JB20) were used. Spray characterization studies were also conducted and it was found that the spray penetration length, and spray cone angle are strongly influenced by ambient pressure for all the three test fuels. These parameters are not significantly different, especially at higher ambient pressures (1 MPa, and 2 MPa) for different test fuels. The study shows that the variation of HRRmax and combustion duration for test fuels correlates well with our measurements of combustion noise and vibrations. A higher value of HRRmax corresponds to higher levels of combustion noise.