Study of performance parameters and emissions of four stroke CI engine using solketal-biodiesel blends

Abstract

Evaluation of performance parameters, emission and brake specific fuel consumption (BSFC) were made for different blends of solketal in soybean biodiesel with 9%, 10%, 12%, 15% of solketal (volume to volume). These experiments were performed on a single-cylinder water-cooled diesel engine at different speeds and 50% load conditions. In comparison to pure diesel, it was observed that soybean biodiesel and its blends with solketal were higher BSFC. On the addition of solketal to biodiesel higher oxides of nitrogen (NOx) and carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions were reported for all the blends. total hydro carbon (THC) and carbon mono-oxide (CO) emissions were found lower for soybean biodiesel and it’s all four blends as compared to pure diesel and further decreases with the increase in solketal percentage in a blend. A decrease in CO and THC emissions were also observed with the increase in percentage of Solketal fuels. Solketel was found suitable and as an effective additive for biodiesel blends.

Optimisation of Reaction Parameters for the Synthesis of Solketal Levulinate as Potential Biodiesel Additive

“…Glycerol ketals and acetals are among interesting compounds to be explored, as they have been demonstrated as potential additive in the formulation of gasoline, diesel and biodiesel fuels to improve fuel properties (Nanda et al, 2016). Solketal improves cold flow, ignition properties and cetane number of fuels (Kumar et al, 2021), while the use of glycerol acetals in diesel fuels (biodiesel) reduces the viscosity, pour point and particles emission (Torres et al, 2012). Solketal is derived from condensation of glycerol and acetone in the presence of acid catalysts (Deutsch et al, 2007;Li et al, 2012;Suriyaprapadilok and Kitiyanan, 2011).…”