Comparative Performance Evaluation of a Diesel Engine Run on Diesel and Biodiesel Produced from Coconut Oil

Using renewable alternative fuel such as biodiesel in the diesel engines has long been advocated for. The aim of the study was to experimentally investigate and compare the performance in terms of fuel consumption rate, brake power, mechanical efficiency of a diesel engine individually fuelled by sole coconut oil biodiesel and diesel. All the tests were conducted using a test rig at different engine loads of 0, 25, 50, 75 and 100%. Results of the test revealed that fuel consumption rate of the engine when it was fuelled by coconut oil biodiesel were 3.651, 4.058, 4.465, 3.113 and 1.76litres/h and were 2, 1.55, 1.10, 1.06 and 1.02litres/h when the engine was fuelled by sole diesel at the respective aforementioned engine loads. The brake powers of the engine when biodiesel was used were found to be lower than when diesel was used at each load The mechanical efficiencies of the engine when biodiesel was used were found to be slightly lower at each load than when diesel was used. The fuel consumption rates of the diesel engine when fuelled individually with sole biodiesel and sole diesel were found to vary with load, brake power and mechanical efficiency of the engine. Brake power was also found to vary with load when the engine was fuelled individually with sole biodiesel and sole diesel.