Experimental Investigation of Cottonseed Biodiesel and Biodiesel Blends in a 14 kW Diesel Generator: Effects on Performance, Emissions, and Engine Parameters

Abstract

This investigation presents an experimental study on the performance, specific fuel consumption, and exhaust emissions of a 14-kW diesel engine generator fueled with neat cottonseed biodiesel and biodiesel/diesel blends. Cotton biodiesel was chosen due to its importance as an agricultural crop and potential as a biodiesel feedstock. The fuels tested were (B100 - pure cotton biodiesel), (B7 - 7% biodiesel, 93% Petro diesel), (B20 - 20% biodiesel), (B30 -30% biodiesel), (B50 - 50% biodiesel), and (B70 - 70% biodiesel). The generator was tested at various loads from 0-14 kW. Properties like viscosity, density, and calorific value were measured for each fuel. The results showed that brake thermal efficiency increased with load for all fuels but was lower for higher biodiesel blends. Exhaust gas temperature followed a similar trend. Specific fuel consumption increased with biodiesel content, attributed to the lower energy density of Biodiesel. B100 had the highest NOx emissions but the lowest carbon monoxide and smoke emissions. The study concludes that cottonseed biodiesel and blends can replace Petro diesel in diesel generators. Increasing biodiesel content causes slight reductions in performance but improvements in emissions. The results provide insights into using cotton biodiesel in engines and generators.