Effect of Rubber Seed Oil Biodiesel Additive on Compression Ignition Engines fuelled with Diesel-Ethanol Blends

In this study, the primary focus revolved around the utilization of rubber seed oil (RSO) biodiesel as a supplement in blends of diesel-ethanol (DE) for a diesel engine. The DE blends were formulated by combining ethanol with diesel and emulsifying them with RSO biodiesel in a 10% (v/v) proportion. The ethanol concentrations in the blends varied between 5% and 15% (v/v). Under conditions of maximum loading, it was observed that the blend labelled DE15B10, comprising 15% ethanol and 10% RSO biodiesel, demonstrated the highest brake thermal efficiency (BTE). Although all the examined fuels exhibited an elevated Brake Specific Fuel Consumption (BSFC) compared to conventional diesel, DE15B10 displayed a 4.30% increase in BSFC over fossil diesel. Nevertheless, the exhaust emission characteristics of DE15B10 were found to be superior to those of conventional diesel. These results indicate that DE-biodiesel blends, especially DE15B10, show potential as a viable alternative fuel option without requiring any modifications to the engine hardware.