Performance optimization of diesel engine fueled with diesel-jatropha curcas biodiesel blend using response surface methodology

The present work is aimed at unfolding the effect of fuel supply parameters such as Fuel injection pressure (FIP), Start of injection timing (SOI), Pilot-main injection intervals (PMII) on performance and emission characteristics of 20 % blend of Jatropha curcas biodiesel (J20) under light load operation of a diesel engine. The experiments were designed using design of experiments based on the fractional factorial design of Response surface methodology (RSM). Multiple regression models developed using RSM for measured responses like nitrogen oxides (NOX), SOOT, hydrocarbon (HC), Brake specific fuel consumption (BSFC) and Brake thermal efficiency (BTE), were found to be statistically significant by Analysis of variance (ANOVA). Interactive effects among FIP, SOI and PMII were analyzed using response surface graphs that were fitted using developed RSM models. Optimization was performed using the desirability approach of the RSM for lesser emissions and BSFC simultaneously with superior BTE. A FIP of 134.11 MPa, SOI of 6.4 BTDC, and PMII of 5.8 CA were found to be optimal values for J20 in the test engine of 21 kW at 1800 rpm. The results of this study show that at optimal input parameters, the values of the NOX, SOOT, HC, BSFC and BTE with a high desirability of 96.7 % are 603.44 ppm, 0.037 FSN, 12.73 ppm, 233.26 g/kW h and 37.31 %, respectively.