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Global warming due to increasing pollution and rapid depletion in petroleum reserves has given us opportunity to find bio fuels. Biodiesel is an alternative diesel fuel that can be produced from renewable feedstock such as edible and non-edible vegetable oils, waste frying oils, and animal fats. Biodiesel is an oxygenated, sulphur free, non-toxic, biogradable, and renewable fuel. The diesel performance and emission characteristics depend upon the fuel properties such as cetane number, density, low caloric value, and kinematic viscosity. In this experiment, 12 cylinders, 780hp CIDI military diesel engine performance and emission characteristics from non-edible karanja oil methyl ester (KOME) biodiesel and diesel fuel were compared by applying EGR with supercharging. The test results showed that the engine performance of karanja oil methyl ester biodiesel fuel was similar to that of diesel fuel.

Karanja biodiesel is prepared using Karanja oil and methanol by the process of transesterification. Use of Karanja oil methyl ester (KOME) in a 780 hp CIDI military engine was found to be a highly compatible alternative fuel with low emission characteristics. Engine was operated for 100 hours each using pure karanja biodiesel and mineral diesel fuel, respectively. These were subjected to long-term endurance tests. Lubricating oil samples, drawn from both fuelled engine after a fixed interval of 20 hours, were subjected to elemental analysis. Atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS) was done for quantification of various metal debris concentrations. Wear metals were found lower for a biodiesel operated engine system. Lubricating oil samples were also subjected to ferrography indicating lower wear debris concentrations for a biodiesel-operated engine. Scanning electron microscopy was also conducted on the cylinder liner surfaces exposed to wear.