Performance Analysis of Diesel Engine Fueled with Lemon Grass Oil/Diesel Fuel Blends

Due to the concern on the availability of recoverable fossil fuel reserves and the environmental problems caused by the use of those fossil fuels, considerable attention has been given to biodiesel production as an alternative to petrodiesel. The two most common types of biofuels are ethanol and biodiesel. However, as the biodiesel is produced from vegetable oils and animal fats, there are concerns that biodiesel feedstock may compete with food supply in the long-term. Hence, the recent focus is to find oil bearing plants that produce non-edible oils as the feedstock for biodiesel production. In this project, plant species, Lemon grass (Cymbopogan flexuosus) is discussed as newer sources of oil for biodiesel production. Lemongrass is native to India and tropical Asia. In India, it is cultivated along Western Ghats (Maharashtra, Kerala), Karnataka and Tamil Nadu states besides foot-hills of Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim i.e., it can be cultivated on wide range throughout India and may favor easy availability. This study investigates the performance of Lemongrass oil and its blends as fuel for a CI engine. The data thus generated were compared with the data obtained using diesel. The engine exhibited a very good performance without any problem of combustion. It is suggested that, Lemongrass oil and its blends can be used as an alternate fuel for diesel engine. However, as the biodiesel is produced from vegetable oils and animal fats, there are concerns that biodiesel feedstock may compete with food supply in the long-term. Hence, the recent focus is to find oil bearing plants that produce non-edible oils as the feedstock for biodiesel production. Hence, the contribution of non-edible oils will be significant as a non-edible plant oil source for biodiesel production.