Optimization for Biodiesel Fuel Production and its Application on the Electronically Controlled Common Rail Diesel Engine

The biodiesel production technics was optimized based on the orthogonal test and neural network theory, parameters such as alcohol-oil ratio, catalyst concentration were used as the input parameters, and the biodiesel yield was used as the output parameters. Having completed the 1000-hours reliability test of a diesel engine fueled with BD5 biodiesel. Having measured the engine parameters, such as fuel consumption, lubricant oil consumption, power, torque, piston leakage volume, and exhaust temperature before and after the reliability test. Having analyzed the lubricants chromatographic and the durability of main engine parts. We can see that the best production parameters were, alcohol-oil ratio (6:1), catalyst concentration (1.0%), reaction temperature (40 degrees C), reaction time (60min). the neural network model can predict the yield very exactly. The diesel engine could burn biodiesel fuel for long-term without problems and the specific fuel consumption and oil consumption increases slightly after the reliability test. The power, torque and exhaust temperature decreases at different degrees, but the piston leakage volume increases. The engine lubricating oil contains unsaturated fatty acid methyl ester and arouses lubricants metamorphism. Some carbon depositions exist in the fuel injector, the valve and the piston. Small scratches could be found in the piston skirt and piston ring as a result of normal attrition. These changes were the same under the situation when diesel engine burning with diesel fuel.