Abstract
An experimental study was conducted to evaluate the use of Palm oil methyl ester (POME) and Ricinus Communis methyl ester (RCME) mixture as an alternative blend for compression ignition engines. In general, pure palm oil biodiesel usage in compression ignition engines is not recommended especially in cold weather conditions due to the its high CFPP, cloud point and pour point values. For this reason, it seems that it is necessary to blend the palm oil with diesel or any other additives to enhance the cold flow properties. Ricinus Communis methyl ester (RCME) was used as a bio based additive to improve the cold properties of POME. RCME was blended with POME at the volumetric ratios of 5%, 10%, 20% and 25%. Fuel properties of POME and its blends with RCME were stated. The results indicated that engine performance slightly weakened by POME-RCME blends compared to diesel fuel. While biodiesel blends reduced carbon monoxide (CO) and carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, they increased the nitrogen oxides (NOx) emissions. The results showed that 20% RCME additive to POME was determined as the most suitable blend for performance and emission characteristics of a diesel engine.
Keywords: Palm oil, Ricinus Communis, Biodiesel, Performance, Emission