Growth and characterization of deposits in the combustion chamber of a diesel engine fueled with B50 and Indonesian biodiesel fuel (IBF)

Abstract

Although used since 1893, biodiesel still faces problems that must be overcome before it can fully replace petroleum diesel. Existing literature shows that continuous use of biodiesel could lead to higher growth of deposits on critical engine components, contributing to lots of problems that could ultimately decrease engine performance. In this context, endurance tests were performed to compare the impacts of B50 and Indonesian biodiesel fuel (IBF: diesel fuel containing 10% palm oil biodiesel) on engine durability. More specifically, deposits growth as well as deposits structure and composition in response to the application of the above-mentioned fuel blends were investigated over 200 h. The results revealed that B50 produced relatively larger amounts of deposits especially on the valves and injector tip while also increased the risk of ring sticking. In addition, the structure and the elemental composition of the deposits formed on engine important components, i.e., injector tips, piston crown, intake/exhaust valves, cylinder head, and piston grooves when B50 was used were quite different compared with the IBF. Overall, more deposits formation was observed by increasing biodiesel inclusion rate while deposits tended to be wet and brittle as well.