LAUSR

ABSTRACT In the present investigation, the effect of thermal barrier coated piston on the performance and emission characteristics of mahua-biodiesel-fuelled diesel engine was studied and compared with those of neat diesel fuel. The piston, cylinder walls and the valves of the engine were coated with 0.25 mm thickness of Al2O3 material without affecting the compression ratio of the engine. Experiments were conducted using diesel and biodiesel blend (B20) in the engine with and without coating. The results revealed that specific fuel consumption was decreased by 8.5% and the brake thermal efficiency was increased by 6.2% for biodiesel blend with coated engine compared with the base engine with neat diesel fuel. The exhaust emissions CO, NOx and HC emissions were also decreased for biodiesel blend with coated engine compared with base engine.