Effect of Variable Compression Ratio on Combustion Characteristics of Diesel Engine using Octanol as an Alternative Fuel

Alternative fuels also called as advanced fuels or non-conventional fuels, are any constituents or materials which could be used as fuels, apart from conventional fuels. The need of the hour is to ploy on to unconventional energy resources since conventional sources of energy are fast depleting. Also, we need to look out for the fuels which are environment friendly as well. Alternative fuels are immediately needed to deal with the dual issues of fast depletion of fossil fuel reserves as well as environmental pollution. Some of these fuels can be used directly while others need to be transformed to bring the relative properties close to conventional fuels. The economics of the fuels like vegetable oils, ethanol and methanol etc. compared to the traditional petroleum resources are marginal. In this paper, we are discussing the preparation of blends of octanol with diesel in the proportion of 5,10,15,20 and 25% to identify its potential to be used as an alternative fuel. Then after comparing the properties of blends with diesel and estimate its combustion characteristics at different compression ratio and compare with the diesel. To end with, the effect of variable compression ratio on combustion characteristics of blend would be analysed. As an outcome of the exhaustive engine trials, it may be recommended that 20% (v/v) of diesel can be replaced with IPA for direct application in unmodified diesel engines with a marginal increase in emissions of CO and HC and substantial improvements in the emissions of CO2 and NOx.