SAFFLOWER SEED OIL OF TURKISH ORIGIN AS A DIESEL FUEL ALTERNATIVE

Among the biomass resources, vegetable oils seem to have the potential to be used as fuel alternatives for diesel engines. The major restricting factor in the direct use of vegetable oils in diesel engines is their high viscosity, which causes serious problems in fuel-injection systems of modern CI engines that are sensitive to viscosity changes. In this study, the dilution technique for viscosity reduction was applied, and blend fuels were prepared by adding 10-90% by volume safflower seed oil of Turkish origin to commercial Grade No. 2-D diesel fuel. Variations in viscosity with temperature of the blend fuels were determined, ASTM fuel property tests were performed, and the 20% blend having fuel properties close to the limits specified for Grade No. 2-D diesel fuel was selected for further investigation. Engine performance tests and exhaust emission values gave promising results with the 20% blend fuel (20% by volume Dincer Safflower seed oil, 80% by volume Grade No. 2-D diesel fuel).