INVESTIGATIONS ON STRUCTURAL AND THERMAL BEHAVIOR OF CERAMIC COATED ALUMINUM PISTON USED IN BIO-DIESEL ENGINE

Abstract

The CI engines are powered by diesel fuel. Diesel is rapidly depleting due to its extensive use leads to environment pollution and also creating the scarcity. Similarly, cooking oil is also widely using for cooking purposes, the reuse of it leads to cancers-like diseases. Its dispose off is a major challenge as it harms the environment. It is available in all seasons and exhibits similar properties as of diesel made it suitable fuel for CI engine. The present investigations are carried out on CI engine using blends of diesel and WCOBD as an alternate fuel. In first phase conventional engine is tested with D100 and various blends of WCOBD and diesel. It is observed that the DOC has increased and peak in-cylinder pressure decreased with increase of WCOBD percentage. At full load, the BTE in comparison with diesel for the use of BD10, BD20, BD30, and BD40 decreased by 2.49%, 4.12%, 7.89%, and 10.76% respectively. Similarly, the emission characteristics such as CO decreased and NOx increased with increase of WCOBD. The vibration acceleration has decreased on increase of WCOBD. In the second phase, to improve the performance for the use of WCOBD, the conventional engine is converted to LHR engine by applying YSZ as top coat with thickness of 250 microns and the NiCrAl bond coat with thickness of 75 microns on piston head. Since, WCOBD has lower calorific value, generates less heat during the combustion. Moreover, YSZ material possesses better physical and thermal properties comparatively other coating materials such as mullite, PSZ, MSZ and so on. In this analysis the DOC increases and peak in-cylinder pressure decreases with increase of the WCOBD. At full load, the BTE in comparison with CD100 for the use of CBD10, CBD20, CBD30, and CBD40 decreased by 2.52%, 3.51%, 5.12%, and 6.59% respectively. Similarly, CO and HC emissions are decreases with the increase of WCOBD. At full load, the vibration acceleration comparing with diesel, for the use of WCOBD blends is decreased like in conventional engine. The results of the uncoated and coated piston engine using WCOBD blends are compared. In the comparison, it is found that the BTE of the coated piston is 6.09% and 4.95% more than the uncoated piston engine using D100 and BD20 respectively. At full load for coated piston engine, CO and HC emissions decreased by 8.33% and 2.94% respectively for BD20 as compare to uncoated piston engine. But the vibration acceleration of the coated piston engine has 4.22% more than the conventional engine. In both instances, BD20 is recommended for coated piston engines since it minimizes diesel consumption, health risks, and environmental pollution.