The Comparative Study of Fatty Acid Methyl Esters on the Combustion Characteristics of Diesel Engine

Abstract

Influences of fatty acid methyl esters (FAME) on the combustion characteristics of diesel engine are examined by the engine performance test and the cold start test. Tests are conducted by using three kinds of FAMEs made from coconuts oil, tallow (beef suet) and soybean. Tests are made at full load and 3000 rpm. Ignitability and combustion characteristics of three kinds of neat FAMEs are compared from indicator diagrams. The coconut-oil methyl ester which mainly consists of saturated fatty acid has superior ignition characteristics on the cold start test, however the break mean effective pressure is lower than other FAMEs.