Performance and Exhaust Gas Emissions of Using Biodiesel Fuel from Physic Nut (Jatropha Curcas L.) Oil on a Direct Injection Diesel Engine (DI) 2007-01-2025

The Biodiesel is an alternative diesel fuel derived from vegetable oil or animal fat by chemical reaction termed transesterification. Comparing with diesel fuel, biodiesel has many advantage such as: It can supply new energy source; It is renewable fuel and can reduce net CO₂ cycle; It helps reduce exhaust gas emission to meet the future legislation due to oxygen content and high cetane number; It decrease impact to the environment due to high biodegradable.

Southeast Asia, located in tropical area, has potential source to produce biodiesel. In Indonesia, Physic Nut oil now is considered as one of the most advantage source to make biodiesel due to it is non-edible and in-commercially exploited. The using of biodiesel from Physic Nut oil on diesel engine can supply as a new energy source replaced for diesel fuel and substituted palm oil as biodiesel raw material during the periods of high food sector demand. Furthermore, the using of Physic Nut oil will develop domestic economic in rural area.

In this research, a single cylinder direct injection diesel engine was fueled with pure biodiesel from Physic Nut oil and its blend (B10, B20, B50) with diesel fuel to compare engine performance and engine exhaust gas emission when it was run with petrodiesel fuel. The results form this research show that biodiesel fuel from Physic Nut oil and its blend with petrodiesel can comparable engine performance parameters such as Torque (T), Fuel Volumetric Consumption (FVC), Brake Specific Energy Consumption (BSEC) and Thermal Efficiency (ηe) with pure diesel. Engine exhaust gas emissions of Total Hydrocarbon (THC), Carbon Monoxide (CO) and Smoke Emissions reduce significantly when engine was run with biodiesel fuel. Meanwhile the using of biodiesel cause slightly increase Nitrogen Oxide (NOx) emission.