International Journal of Advanced Engineering Research and Science (IJAERS) [Vol-7, Issue-10, Oct- 2020] https://dx.doi.org/10.22161/ijaers.710.29 ISSN: 2349-6495(P) | 2456-1908(O) www.ijaers.com Page | 269 Characterization of Mahua Methyl Ester in DI Diesel Engine S Arul Selvan 1 , K. Kumaravel 2 1 Assistant Professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Annamalai University, Tamil Nadu, India 2 Associate Professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Annamalai University, Tamil Nadu, India Abstract— In this work mahua seeds were used to produce vegetable oil because of ease availability and low cost. By using catalytic transesterification vegetable oil extracted from mahua was converted into methyl ester. After that, the chemical and thermal properties of methyl ester was analysed as per ASTM standards. The mahua methyl ester and blends with diesel were analysed to find the performance, emission and combustion characteristics at standard injection pressure of 220bar in stationary Kirloskar AV1 engine. The emission characters like HC, CO and NOx were analysed using AVL di gas analyser. The smoke was measured using AVL make Hatridge smoke meter. Combustion characteristics were analysed through AVL combustion analyser. From the results B25 methyl ester have the nearly similar performance, emission and combustion characteristics with diesel fuel. Keywords—— Biodiesel, DI diesel engine, Performance, Emission, Combustion. I. INTRODUCTION One of the main factors to concern the world economy and politics is the sustainability of petroleum resources, which is the significant source of global energy resource [1]. Though, the world energy demand is increasing faster caused by too much use of fossil fuels. Because of diminution of conventional petro fuel and ever- increasing environmental concern, alternative source like biodiesel has been developed [2, 3]. The history of biodiesel starting with the use of vegetable oils and it was investigated as early as the period when the diesel engine was developed [4]. Rudolf Diesel, the inventor of diesel engine, attempted peanut oil for fuel for his engine. As of early 1900s, vegetable oils were analysed, including castor oil, palm oil and cottonseed oil. Early studies confirmed sufficient performance of vegetable oil as suitable fuel for diesel engines. In the face of biodiesel in diesel engines, it produces some troubles in engine when utilized [5-7]. The neat and blended biodiesel have impact on the engine performance as well as emissions, as it has dissimilar thermal and chemical properties from diesel. Further research is necessitated to expose further regarding the properties of biodiesel produced from catalytic transesterification and their consequences on the combustion and the fuel injection system. Many researchers found that the biodiesel may have used in the diesel engines without any modification [8-10]. Even if numerous advantages can be attained with the use of biodiesel, a small number of its intrinsic properties like density and viscosity are designate to improve. Later studies have exposed that increasing the biodiesel blend ratios and as a result of density and viscosity, can lead to poor atomization of the injected fuel with air [11]. The results are ever-increasing in the average droplet size of the sprayed fuel and the fuel breakup time. In this work, biodiesel was produced using catalytic transesterification from mahua oil and tested its blend in DI diesel engine. II. MAHUA BIODIESEL PREPARATION AND PROPERTY ANALYSIS The process of catalytic transesterification to synthesis biodiesel requires an alcohol and catalyst wherein, the triglycerides with larger molecules are broken into mono glyceride and esters. In the work, the extracted mahua seed oil was transesterified using potassium hydroxide and methanol to produce mahua methyl ester [12]. For synthesizing one litre of methyl ester 180ml of methanol and 8g of KOH was used for the conversion process. The formed glycerol has been drained out and the left out methyl ester was washed with distilled water to take away the impurities and the remaining glycerol. Afterwards, the mahua methyl ester is heated up to 90°C to remove the traces of water present in the final product. Finally, the fuel properties were analysed as per ASTM standard methods and tabulated in the Table 1. After the