Studies on the characteristics of orange oil-diethyl ether in a direct injection diesel engine

This paper describes an experimental study concerning the feasibility of using orange oil obtained from orange peel. The combustion, performance, and emission characteristics of a direct-injection (DI) diesel engine were studied using orange oil and diethyl ether (DEE). DEE was inducted as an ignition improver through the induction manifold, and orange oil was injected into the engine through a conventional fuelling device as a primary fuel. The test results indicate that the performance of the orange oil-DEE fuel was better than that of diesel fuel. The peak cylinder pressure and heat release rate were found to be higher for the orange oil-DEE fuel than those of diesel fuel. The hydrocarbon and carbon monoxide emission levels in the engine exhaust increased with orange oil-DEE compared with those of diesel fuel. The smoke and NO(x) emissions were lower with orange oil-DEE compared with diesel fuel. It is concluded that a diesel engine operated using orange oil-DEE gives simultaneous reduction in NO(x) and smoke emissions with better performance.