In the context of shortage of fossil fuel and environmental issue, this paper is aimed to determine the performance and emission characteristics of a variable compression ratio diesel engine fueled with the blends of diesel and ethanol (20% v/v-E20). It is observed that brake thermal efficiency (BTE) is about 18% when E20 is used as fuel and engine is operated at full load condition. Brake specific fuel consumption (BSFC) follows a reverse trend to BTE and, BSFC increases with increase in blend content of ethanol in diesel; BSFC for 20% v/v of ethanol-diesel blend is higher than diesel. However, beyond this ratio due to phase separation problem, ignition delay occurs, and hence incomplete combustion predominates and thus operation of the engine becomes difficult. Exhaust emissions (CO and NOx ) for blended fuel is found to be less (about 30%) than pure diesel and the reduction becomes more as ethanol concentration increases.

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