Experimental Investigation by Advanced Data Acquisition System in Internal Combustion Engine for Cashew Nut Shell Liquid as Green Fuel

Day by day Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) fuel prices keep on increasing and India largely depends on imported petroleum. This research work investigates new alternative fuel and its suitability for ICEs w.r.t. flow, ignition, combustion, power developed, efficiency, emission of pollutants and effects on engine parts. Such experimentation involves so many parameters to be measured simultaneously, co-related, computed and displayed in real time. This necessitates advanced Measurement and Data Acquisition Systems (DAS) to evaluate and optimize the performance of Engines. Real-time measurement and advanced DAS were adopted by the authors, to investigate Cashew Nut Shell Liquid (CSNL) which is the cheapest oil in India - a byproduct of cashew nut production, as an alternative fuel for Diesel Engine. Using DAS, graphical analysis, evaluating differential equation, computing mathematical expression, display, control and recording were done for various engine operating parameters like instantaneous pressure, crank angle, temperature, heat release rate, PV diagram, and analyzed using AVL software to arrive at the final conclusion that CNSL is a good renewable fuel to blend with diesel upto 30% .