Experimental investigation of the effects of octanol on diesel or biodiesel usage in a heavy duty diesel engine used in generator drive

In this study, the effects of biodiesel produced from safflower oil, which has high production possibilities in our country, as an alternative fuel with using octanol as the additive on combustion, performance and exhaust emission parameters in a diesel engine were investigated. For this purpose, biodiesel was produced from safflower oil by transesterification method. Safflower was blended with octanol by 50% (OB50) and was compared with octanol-diesel blend(OD50), and also with B100, ULSD. For testing fuels comparative tests were carried out at 3.6 kw, corresponding to 20% load, 7.2 kw corresponding to 40% load, 10.8 kw corresponding to 60% load, keeping engine speed constant at 1500 rpm. The results show longer ignition delay times for pure safflower and pure octanol (OC100), pure biodiesel (B100) for the same experimental conditions. Ignition delay times for octanol-biodiesel (OB50) and octanol-diesel (OD50) mixtures were similar to diesel fuel. When octanol is used, combustion is improved compared to pure biodiesel, and specific fuel consumption can also be improved. The lowest HC values were obtained in the OB50 fuel, which is the octanol-containing fuel, and in the mixture of OC100 and OD50 fuel due to the contraction of the extinction zone due to the high flame ve locities.