Evaluating Engine Performance, Emissions, Noise, and Vibration: A Comparative Study of Diesel and Biodiesel Fuel Mixture

Abstract

This study investigates the performance, emissions, noise, and vibration characteristics of a single-cylinder, air-cooled, four-stroke diesel engine running on pure diesel (D100) and biodiesel blends (B10: 90% diesel, 10% biodiesel; B20: 80% diesel, 20% biodiesel) at 1800 rpm, where the engine delivers maximum torque. Key metrics such as torque, power, brake specific fuel consumption (BSFC), exhaust gas temperature, noise, vibration, and emissions (CO, CO2, HC, O2, NOx, and smoke opacity) were analyzed. The findings indicate that B10 enhances torque, power output, and overall fuel efficiency, especially at low to medium loads, with a significant 17.54% reduction in BSFC compared to D100 at 40% engine load. Vibration levels generally increased with biodiesel addition, while B10 and B20 both reduced smoke opacity, with B20 having a more substantial effect. HC emissions decreased at idle with B10 but increased at higher loads, suggesting more complete combustion with potential thermal stress on engine components. Noise and vibration results were mixed; B20 reduced noise at higher loads but increased vibration. At 100% load, B20 decreased noise by 1.42% compared to D100. Despite benefits such as improved torque and reduced particulate emissions, biodiesel blends, particularly B20, led to increased NOx and CO2 emissions, emphasizing the need for further op-timization of blend formulations and emission control strategies. This study provides valuable insights into the tradeoffs and potential of biodiesel blends as sustainable diesel alternatives.