IGNITION DELAY CHARACTERISTICS OF SOME TURKISH VEGETABLE OIL-DIESEL FUEL BLENDS

Vegetable oils have chances to be used in Diesel engines as alternativ e fuels contributing to the solution of some agricultural, environment al and economical problems. Direct use of them has some technical prob lem yet but as blended fuels with diesel fuel or esters they have plac es or the application area. In this paper the effect of the compressio n ratio on ignition delay is investigated in an ASTM-CFR engine workin g with four different types of vegetable oil of Turkish origin (sunflo wer, corn, soybean, and olive oil) blended with grade No.2-D diesel fu el at a ratio of 20/80 (v/v) and the results are compared with baselin e diesel fuel. Longer ignition delay periods have generally been obtai ned for blend fuels ranking from olive oil to sunflower oil as compare d to diesel fuel.