Assessing the Impact of Using Fuels Made from Vegetable Oil on Selected Operational Vehicle Characteristics

Vegetable oil based fuels significantly enable reducing the costs of fuel purchased. CI engine vehicles with rotary and inline injection pump can be fuelled by vegetable oil based fuels instead of being fuelled by diesel. This is very common, since their price is lower in comparison with diesel. The article focuses on the impact of using fuels made from vegetable oil on selected vehicle characteristics in particular conditions. It includes the measurements of the impact of using fuels such as FAME, fresh oil and used oil on the engine smoke opacity, content of selected emissions in the exhaust gases as well as on the engine power and torque’s course. The measurement results are mutually compared with the results measured when using diesel. In order to secure the measurements to be repeatable, they were performed in laboratory at the cylinder test station MAHA MSR 1050. The vehicle tested during its last 100,000 kilometres driven by vegetable oil based fuel has been selected for these measurements. Therefore, by these measurements, it was also possible to assume partially the impact of long-term using aforesaid fuels on selected vehicle characteristics.