| Summary: | Engine performance and mapping were done using diesel and used cooking oil biodiesel fuels. This was done using the Tempest, 1500 cc compression ignition engine testbed. This engine is connected to a dynamometer testbed and its control panel to measure the needed performance parameters. The crankshaft speed varied between 35 and 60 rps, while the load tested from no load to full load. The engine speed according to the manufacturer should not exceed 60 rps. The coolant temperature remained almost constant at around 70 o C. The experimental results were then utilized to adjust the engine simulation model using the Diesel-RK software. Results showed that improvement in engine operation with diesel is slightly compared with that of biodiesel fuel. It was also found that the combustion process with biodiesel starts earlier during the mixing phase than diesel fuel. The primary results showed that using potassium hydroxide as a catalyst, the biodiesel yielded 45% more compared with sodium hydroxide, 5% higher calorific value, and 10% lower viscosity. From mapping point of view, the results showed that biofuel has a lower thermal efficiency than the regular diesel. A diesel-powered engine has the lowest fuel consumption of around 250–300 g/kWh at the relatively higher power and mean effective pressure values. While for the biodiesel fuels this is around 350 g/kWh at relatively lower engine speeds, power, and mean effective cylinder pressure. From heat release rate point of view, biodiesel burns earlier than diesel fuel due to higher cetane number and reduced delay periods, on cylinder pressure and temperatures, for the ignition timing and engine-operating parameters, diesel shows better performance than biodiesel for high and half loads.
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