Production of Biodiesel from Eruca Sativa (Taramira) and Its Utilization in DI Diesel Engine for Examining the Exhaust Emissions

Abstract

Increasing demand of the carbon fuels in daily life and the global environmental degradation has led to the biodiesel production from non-edible oils because they has high potential as ecological, clean, facile and renewable fuel. In present study, oil is extracted from dried Eruca sativa seeds using mechanical expellers, the oil yield obtained is calculated. By alkaline transesterification, the obtained oil is converted into biodiesel. The physicochemical properties of Eruca sativa biodiesel are tested following ASTM test methods, all the properties satisfies and meet the ASTM D-6751 biodiesel standard specifications. The gas chromatography technique is used for the analysis of fatty acid composition of the biodiesel, which shows that the erucic acid has higher percentage composition. Emission characteristics (i.e. carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, hydro carbon, nitrogen oxide and smoke) of diesel engine are analyzed for the biodiesel and its blends (i.e. B10, B20, B30, B40 and B100) and are compared with the petroleum diesel. From the emission results obtained it is observed that, the CO and CO2 emissions are lower for B10 and B20 blends whereas the HC emissions are lesser than diesel for all the blends. For B10, B20 and B30 blends the NOX emission and smoke opacity has been reduced when compared to diesel.