International Research Journal of Engineering and Technology (IRJET) e-ISSN: 2395 -0056 Volume: 02 Issue: 09 | Dec.-2015 www.irjet.net p-ISSN: 2395-0072 © 2015, IRJET ISO 9001:2008 Certified Journal Page 2467 Study the Effects of Rice Bran Oil Methyl Ester on Performance and Emission Characteristics of Agriculture Diesel Engine Pinkesh R. Shah Lecturer, Mechanical Department, Government Polytechnic, Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India ---------------------------------------------------------------------***--------------------------------------------------------------------- Abstract - Rapid escalation of fuel prices, shortage of conventional petroleum fuel and depleting hydrocarbon fuel reserves of the world have forced us to look for alternative fuels which can meet the ever increasing demands of energy and also environmentally accepted. Among the various alternative fuels, vegetable oil is a better option for diesel engine due to several advantages as renewable, environ- friendly and produced easily in rural areas. However, direct use of vegetable oil creates some durability problems so it is better to use it after converting into biodiesel as biodiesel (B.D.) is receiving increased attention as an alternative, non-toxic, biodegradable and renewable diesel fuel. Among various vegetable oils, rice bran oil is an underutilized non-edible vegetable oil which is available in large quantities in rice cultivating countries like India and a very little research has been done to utilize this oil as a replacement for mineral diesel. This introductory paper highlights the effects of rice bran oil methyl ester (RBOME) on performance and emission characteristics of agricultural diesel engine. The test was carried out on single cylinder water cooled DI diesel engine at constant speed by varying brake power with different blends of RBOME-diesel in proportions of 10%, 20%, 50% and 100% by volume of RBOME into diesel and the results were compared with diesel fuel. The transesterification process was adopted to yield RBOME and physical properties were measured to correlates the test results. The test results showed that 20% (by volume) blend of RBOME-diesel shows lower smoke, CO, HC and NOx emissions in addition to higher thermal efficiency as compared to diesel fuel. Finally, it is concluded that while operating the engine on rice bran oil methyl ester, performance and emission parameters were found to be very close to mineral diesel for lower blend concentrations. However, for higher blend concentrations, performance and emissions were observed to be marginally inferior. Key Words: Rice bran oil, transesterification, diesel engine, performance characteristics, emission characteristics 1. INTRODUCTION Garg H. P. [1] has reported that India faces two major challenges namely energy crisis and environmental degradation. In order to meet more stringent emission norms, there is a significant pressure on automotive industries, parts manufacturers and researchers to update the current engine to meet the emission standards. Different strategies like lean burn engine, MPFI system, EGR, secondary air, LHC (Lower heat combustion), wire mesh filter, catalytic coating of piston and combustion chamber, three way catalytic converter, duel fuel mode, split injection and alternative fuels are available up to a certain extent but each technology has certain limitations of modifications in existing engine or use of advanced technology. India imports about 2/3 rd of its petroleum requirements every year, which involved a cost of approximately Rs. 80,000 crores in foreign exchange. Even 5% replacement of petroleum fuel by bio-fuel can help India to save Rs.4000 crores per year in foreign exchange [2]. Thus, among these techniques, vegetable oil is receiving more interest of researchers as it does not require engine modifications. Agarwal et al. [3] reported that vegetable oils have long been promoted as possible alternatives for mineral Diesel. Its higher cetane number improves the ignition quality even when blended in petroleum diesel and due to higher flash point, it is safe to handle. Mustafa et al. [4] reported that vegetable oils have their own advantages such as they are available everywhere, renewable and greener. However, its direct use in diesel engine creates some hardware problems and engine durability problem in a long run test as per literature report. Thus, most commonly used method to make vegetable oil suitable for use in CI engines is to convert it into biodiesel. India has the potential to be a leading world producer of biodiesel, as biodiesel can be harvested and sourced from non-edible oils like Jatropha Curcas, Pongamia Pinnata, Neem, Mahua, Castor, Linseed, Rice bran, Kusum, etc. which can effectively substitute the diesel fuel. Thus, bio-diesel (B.D.)