International Research Journal of Engineering and Technology (IRJET) e-ISSN: 2395 -0056 Volume: 03 Issue: 12 | Dec -2016 www.irjet.net p-ISSN: 2395-0072 © 2016, IRJET | Impact Factor value: 4.45 | ISO 9001:2008 Certified Journal | Page 511 Biodiesel from Thumba Oil Characterization and Performance Testing In Internal Combustion Engine Akash Sase 1 , Dr. P. M. Ardhapurkar 2 , Supriya N Bobade 3 1 M.E. Student, Dept. of Mechanical Engineering, SSGMCE, Shegaon, Maharashtra, India E-mail: akashsase2009@gmail.com 2 Professor & Head, Dept. of Mechanical Engineering, SSGMCE, Shegaon, Maharashtra, India E-mail: pm.ardhapurkar@gmail.com 3 Indian Biodiesel Corporation, Baramati, Pune, Maharashtra, India E-mail: ibdc.gauri@gmail.com ---------------------------------------------------------------------***--------------------------------------------------------------------- Abstract - The world pollution causing global warming and energy demands has increased tremendously since last two decades. These energy demands are not fulfilled by the depleting fossil fuel sources. So as to meet the current needs of energy demand and minimize pollution researchers are working on finding alternative fuels for internal combustion engine.These concerns have increased the interest in developing second generation biofuels produced from non- food feedstocks such as nonedible oils which potentially offer greatest opportunities in the longer term. A large variety of plants that produce non-edible oils can be considered for biodiesel production such as Madhuca Indica (Mahua) ,Jatropha curcas(Ratan Jyot), Pongamia pinnata (Karanja), Soapnut (Sapindus mukorossi) and Melia azadirachta (Neem) etc., are easily available in developing countries and are very economical comparable to edible oils.In the present research an experimental work is conducted to obtain the performance and emission characteristics of Thumba Oil Biodiesel on Variable Compression Ratio (VCR) engine run on various blends of biodiesel, compression ratios and load conditions. From the comparison of results, it is inferred that the engine performance is improved with significant reduction in emissions for the chosen oils without any engine modification. Key Words: Biodiesel, Citrullus Colosynthis Oil, Transesterification, Fuel Blends, Compression Ratio, Engine Load, Performance and Emissions, VCR CI Engine. 1. INTRODUCTION The world energy demand has increased for the last two decades. The price of conventional fossil fuel is too high that has added burden on the economy of the importing nations and combustion of fossil fuels is the main cause in increasing the global carbon dioxide (CO2) level, a consequence of global warming. The scarcity and depletion of conventional sources are also cases of concern and have prompted research world-wide into alternative energy sources for internal combustion engines. Biofuels are one of the best potential alternative energy substitutes for fossil fuels. It is renewable and available throughout the world. The idea of using vegetable oils as fuel for diesel engines is not new. Rudolph diesel used peanut oil to fuel one of his engines at the Paris Exposition of 1900. The problem of using neat vegetable oils in diesel engines relates to their high viscosity. The high viscosity will lead to blockage of fuel lines, filters, high nozzle valve opening pressures and poor atomization. One hundred percent vegetable oils cannot be used safely in DI diesel engines. The problems of high fuel viscosity can be overcome by using esters, blending and heating. Vegetable oils exhibit longer combustion duration with moderate rates of pressure rise, unlike petroleum derived fuels. The use of vegetable oils, such as palm, soya bean, sunflower, peanut, and olive oil, as alternative fuels for diesel is being promoted in many countries. Diesel engines provide important fuel economy and durability advantages for large heavy-duty trucks, buses, and non-road equipment and passenger cars. They are often the power plant of choice for heavy-duty applications. While they have many advantages, they also have the disadvantage of emitting significant amounts of particulate matter (PM) and oxides of nitrogen (NOx) and, to a lesser amount, hydrocarbon (HC), carbon monoxide (CO), and toxic air pollutants. Although several oil bearing trees like Karanja, Mahua, Polang, Kusum, Neem, Simarauba, Sal, Linseed, Castor, Baigaba, Jatropha Curcas etc. are native to India, systematic propagation and processing of these seeds is very important in view of large scale commercial production of bio-fuels. 1.1 Thumba Citrullus colocynthis, commonly known as the colocynth, desert gourd, wild guardh Citrullus colocynthis closely related to watermelon, is a member of the Cucurbitaceous family. Cucurbitaceous is a large family which consists of nearly 100 genera and 750 species. This plant family is known for its great genetic diversity and widespread adaptation which includes tropical and subtropical regions, arid deserts and temperate locations. Cucurbits are known for their high protein and oil content. The seeds of cucurbits are sources of oils and protein with about 50% oil and up to 35% protein. This plant is a drought-tolerant species with a deep root system, widely distributed in the Sahara-Arabian deserts in Africa and the Mediterranean region. It is native to the Mediterranean Basin and Asia and is distributed among the west coast of northern Africa, eastward through the Sahara, Egypt until