Biodiesel: A Sustainable Option for Irrigation

An experimental study has been carried out to assess the suitability of selective catalytic reduction (SCR) technique in reducing NOx. To arrive at accurate results, property characterization has been carried out for various blends. Tests were conducted on a single cylinder diesel engine at 1500 rpm, and for loading, an eddy current dynamometer was employed. The injection nozzle opening pressure was set to 250 bar with constant static injection timing of 20° before top dead centre. This study presents the results for full load, employing SCR technique, and the results are compared with conventional engine results under same operating condition where no reduction technique is employed. It is found that there is a significant reduction in NOx (around 13.3%) when the engine is operated with 25% biodiesel saving 25% diesel. This study establishes that SCR technique with 25% biodiesel addition is a viable option without any modification in the engine and without any compromise on the engine performance. Therefore, this option can be considered as sustainable for agricultural operation.