Performance and emission analysis of diesel engine operating with hybrid nanoparticles dispersed Madhuca longifolia biodiesel

Abstract

This study investigates the performance and emissions of a single-cylinder diesel engine fueled with a ternary fuel mixture of hybrid nanoparticles such as ferric chloride (FeCl3) and graphene. The fuel mixture consists of 70% diesel, 20% Madhuca longifolia biodiesel and 10% ethanol. Hybrid nanoparticles at concentrations of 50 and 75 mg/L were added to the ternary fuel mixture, with Cetyltrimethylammonium Bromide (CTAB) and QPAN added in a 1:1 ratio to increase the stability of the nanoparticles. The stability was measured according to the principle of photo spectroscopy and the fuel properties were evaluated according to American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) standards. The experimental methodology included varying the injection pressures to 200, 225, and 250 bars, along with different loads of 3, 6, 9, and 12 kgf, in a diesel engine to evaluate its performance and emission characteristics. The results showed that the addition of nanoparticles led to an improvement in brake thermal efficiency (BTE) and a reduction in brake specific fuel consumption (BSFC) as well as a reduction in carbon monoxide (CO), unburnt hydrocarbons (UHC), oxides of nitrogen (NOx), and smoke opacity compared to diesel and ternary fuel blend. Of all the fuel samples, D70B20E10NPs75 mg/L QPAN75 mg/L performed best, achieving a BTE of 33.26% and a BSFC of 0.206 kg/kWh, while CO, UHC, NOx, and smoke opacity at an injection pressure of 250 bar were 0.019%, 21 ppm, 833 ppm, and 36.25% respectively.