Comparsion of biodiesel and ethanol as an alternative diesel engine fuel

Abstract

Biodiesel and ethanol are alternative renewable diesel engine fuels and their mixtures with diesel fuel No. 2 at different proportions can be used in diesel engines. Although ethanol is unique chemical molecule and has certain specifications, specifications of biodiesel may vary depending on type of the oil used in the production and esterification technique. In this study, the specifications of ethanol and two different biodiesels were compared with those of diesel fuel No. 2. Effects of ethanol and the biodiesels on performance and emissions of a turbocharged indirect injection diesel engine were investigated. The alternative fuels used in the experiments caused increase in NOx emission, while they reduced CO, soot and SO2 emissions. Although ethanol addition caused some power reduction, the biodiesel addition resulted in slightly higher power with respect to the diesel fuel.