Assessment of basic properties and thermal analysis of hybrid biofuel blend

ABSTRACTAmong the alternative fuels, vegetable oil is seen as a potential source of energy due to its readily available variety of sources and its certain physical properties that are comparable to those of diesel fuels. However, higher contents of triglyceride in vegetable oil contribute to higher viscosity and density that is affecting the inferior engine performance and emissions. The key properties, such as viscosity, density, and calorific value (CV), have a significant effect on fuel atomization, fuel combustion, and exhaust emissions. In this study, refined palm oil (RPO) was blended with a newly introduced novel biofuel, Melaleuca cajuputi oil (MCO), in order to reduce the viscosity and density and enhance blend properties. This blend is analyzed and compared with RPO–diesel and RPO–ethanol blends in terms of viscosity, CV, and density. These hybrid binary biofuel (HBB) blends were prepared on the volumetric basis of 10%, 20%, 30%, and 50% of MCO, ethanol, and diesel with RPO. The basic fuel prope...