Experimental Study of Biogas Fueled Diesel Engine

Biomass derived fuels have the potential to replace the existing fossil fuels because they are renewable and available in a large quantity. In this investigation, an attempt was made to study the effect of creating turbulence in biogas fueled direct injection (DI) diesel engine on the performance parameters of the engine. For this purpose, waste cooking oil methyl ester (WCOME) was used as a pilot fuel and biogas at a flow rate of 0.75 kg/hr was inducted into the engine cylinder through the intake manifold alongwith the air in a 4.4 kW single cylinder, four strokes, air cooled, direct injection diesel engine running at a constant speed of 1500 rpm. Turbulence was created by introducing micro holes in the piston. The performance of the engine was assessed and the results were compared with those of the dual fuel mode engine run with the conventional piston, and the stand-alone diesel operation and the results are presented in this paper.