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Cetane number or CN is a measurement of the combustion quality of diesel fuel during compression ignition. It is a significant expression of the quality of a diesel fuel. A number of other measurements determine overall diesel fuel quality - these other measures of diesel fuel quality include density, lubricity, cold-flow properties, and sulfur content.
In short, the higher the cetane number the more easily the fuel will combust in a compression setting (such as a diesel engine). The characteristic diesel "knock" occurs when the first portion of fuel that has been injected into the cylinder suddenly ignites after an initial delay. Minimizing this delay results in less unburned fuel in the cylinder at the beginning and less intense knock. Therefore higher-cetane fuel usually causes an engine to run more smoothly and quietly. This does not necessarily translate into greater efficiency, although it may in certain engines.
it gives the combustion quality of the diesel fuel and also reprsents the straight chain hydrocarbons
Cetane number of the Diesel fuel should be more than45. Higher the cetane number, more easy to start the Engine especially during winter season.
