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This work aims at studying the combined effect of oxygen enrichment and emulsification techniques on engine performance behavior of a compression ignition engine fuelled with WCO (waste cooking oil) as fuel. Used sunflower oil collected from a restaurant was chosen as fuel. A single cylinder, water cooled, agricultural oriented, diesel engine was used for the experiments. Initially tests were performed using neat diesel and neat WCO as fuels. Performance, emission, and combustion parameters were obtained. In the second phase of work, WCO was converted into its emulsion by emulsification process using water and ethanol and tested. In the third phase, the engine intake system was modified to admit excess oxygen along with air to test the engine with WCO and WCO emulsion as fuels under oxygen enriched environment. A comparative study was made at 100% and 40% of the maximum load (i.e. 3.7 kW power output) at the rated engine speed of 1500 rpm.

This paper presents a comprehensive study on using MO (Mahua oil) as fuel effectively in a diesel engine by adopting emulsification and TBC (Thermal Barrier Coating) techniques. A mono cylinder diesel engine was used for the study. Initially trials were made on the engine using neat diesel (ND), Neat Mahua oil (NMO) as fuels. In the second phase, NMO was converted into its stable emulsion (called as MOE) and tested in the engine. Finally thermal barrier coating of 0.2 mm was made on the piston, valves and cylinder head of the engine using the ceramic power of Al2O3 and the engine was tested using NMO and MOE as fuels in the TBC engine. Results indicated improvement in BTE (brake thermal efficiency) with MOE as compared to NMO mainly at high power outputs in the unmodified engine. The maximum BTE was found as 31.5% with ND, 27.2% with NMO and 30.4% with MOE at the peak power output.

Different methods to improve the performance of a WCO (waste cooking oil of sunflower) based mono cylinder compression ignition (CI) engine were investigated. Initially WCO was converted into its emulsion by emulsification process and tested as fuel. In the second phase, the engine intake system was modified to admit excess oxygen along with air to test the engine with WCO and WCO emulsion as fuels under oxygen enriched environment. In the third phase, the engine was modified to work in the dual fuel mode with hydrogen being used as the inducted fuel and either WCO or WCO emulsion used as the pilot fuel. All the tests were carried out at 100% and 40% of the maximum load (3.7 kW power output) at the rated speed of 1500 rpm. Engine data with neat diesel and neat WCO were used for comparison. WCO emulsion indicated considerable improvement in performance. The smoke and NOx values were noted to be less than neat WCO.