Managing energy transition alongside environmental protection by making use of AI-led butanol powered SI engine optimization in compliance with SDGs

Enormous consumption of fossil fuel resources has risked energy accessibility in the upcoming years. The price fluctuation and depletion rate of fossil fuels instigate the urgent need for searching their reliable substitute. The current study tries to address these issues by presenting butanol as a replacement for gasoline in SI engines at various speeds and loading conditions. The emission and performance parameters were ascertained for eight distinct butanol-gasoline fuel blends. The oxygenated butanol substantially increases engine efficiency and boosts power with lower fuel consumption. The carbon emissions were also observed to be lower in comparison with gasoline. Furthermore, the Artificial Intelligence (AI) approach was used in predicting engine performance running on the butanol blends. The correlation coefficients for the data training, validation, and testing were found to be 0.99986, 0.99942, and 0.99872, respectively. It was confirmed that the ANN predicted results were in accordance with the established statistical criteria. ANN was paired with Response Surface Methodology (RSM) technique to comprehend the influence of the sole design parameters along with their statistical interactions controlling the responses. Similarly, the R2 value of responses in case of RSM were close to unity and mean relative errors (MRE) were confined under specified range. A comparative study between ANN and RSM models unveiled that the ANN model should be preferred. Therefore, a joint utilization of the RSM and ANN can be more effective for reliable statistical interactions and predictions.

Biodiesel synthesis from chicken feather meal using S/AlMCM-41 catalyst and engine performance analysis

In this study, Sulphated/AlMCM-41 (S/AlMCM-41) catalysts were synthesized and used to produce biodiesel from CFMO. Different percentages of S/AlMCM-41 catalysts were prepared and characterized by X-ray diffraction, BET studies, TPD, and SEM-EDS analysis. Sulphur incorporation to the MCM framework though reduced the surface area, and pore volume of the catalyst, sufficient acidity were produced in the catalyst surface. The existence of functional groups and the composition of the biodiesel obtained was analysed by FTIR and GC-MS. S/AlMCM-41 (80%) catalyst presented a high catalytic activity with maximum biodiesel conversion % when compared to other variants. The bio-ester produced from CFMO with S/AlMCM-41 (80%) catalyst possessed the higher calorific value of 50 MJ/kg and flashpoint of 153 °C and other properties analogous to the standard biodiesel. The engine performance was examined for biodiesel blends with neat diesel, where biodiesel blends performed better than neat diesel. The exhaust gas emission studies also highlighted that the obtained biodiesel showed emission characteristics similar to the standard biodiesel, whereas marginally higher emission for CO and CO2 of about 2.2 and 7.9% was reported.

Environmentally sustainable ethyl levulinate synthesis from delignified sugarcane bagasse using ternary eutectic solvent under MW-xenon irradiation: engine performance and emission assessment

For the first time, a synergistic energy-efficient combination of microwave-xenon (MW-XE) irradiations in presence of photoactive ternary acidic deep eutectic solvents (TADES) has been applied for intensification of ethyl levulinate synthesis from delignified sugarcane bagasse (DSB) under mild (90 min, 90 °C) and environmentally benign process conditions. The Taguchi orthogonal designed optimized conditions (20 W/cm3 of MW specific irradiation power input, 1 mol/mol of FeCl3 to citric acid ratio, 90 min of reaction time, 150 W of XE specific power input) rendered maximum 61.3 mol% of EL yield (selectivity: 87.70 [Formula: see text] 0.5%). Remarkably, synergistic effect of MW and XE irradiation significantly enhanced the EL yield (61.3 mol%) compared to the individual MW (34.52 mol%) and XE (22.67 mol%) irradiation at otherwise optimized reaction conditions. Moreover, the MWXE irradiated reactor (MWXER) exhibited a significant 79.10% increase in EL yield compared to the conventional thermal reactor (CTR), at the expense of 10% less energy consumption. The ethyl levulinate could be recovered efficiently through green protocol from reaction mix resulting in high purity (97 [Formula: see text] 0.5%) and TADES was sustainably reused in the process. The optimally generated product EL when blended (5 and 10 vol.%) with B10 and B20 (10% and 20% biodiesel-diesel blend) could provide 21-31% reduction in HC and 7.3-36% reduction in CO in comparison with petro-diesel. It was also explored that, at similar optimal parametric combinations, the TADES produced 29.5% greater EL yield in comparison with the standard ionic liquid BMIMCl. The life cycle environmental impact analysis (LCEIA) of the overall process revealed that the 5 vol.% EL blending with B10 contributed lowest environmental impacts mitigating marine ecotoxicity, human toxicity, fossil depletion, and climate change by 77.9%, 77.4%, 78.4% and 77.5%, respectively.

Investigation of combustion and emission characteristics of an SI engine operated with compressed biomethane gas, and alcohols

Alternative fuels in spark-ignition engines significantly reduce engine exhaust emissions and improve fuel efficiency. This research investigates the performance of a multicylinder SI engine using 10%, 20% (ethanol, methanol, methyl acetate), and 100% compressed biomethane gas (CBG) as alternative fuels. Engine performance parameters (BTE, ITE, ME, BP), BSFC, ISFC, FF, combustion phenomenon (cylinder pressure, crank angle, cylinder volume, mass fraction burned, net heat release, mean gas temperature, cumulative heat release, rate of pressure rise), and emission characteristics (HC, CO, CO2, NOx) are measured. CBG achieved a maximum BTE of 23.33% compared to all other fuels. Minimum fuel consumption rate of 1.72 kg/h at maximum rpm achieved BSFC value of 0.44 kg/kWh and ISFC value of 0.261 kg/kWh. The highest cylinder pressure of 6.79 bar was achieved in the G90M10 with a cylinder volume of 48.58 cc. NHR of 3.08 j/deg was found in the G80M20 at a crank angle of 376°, and the maximum MGT was 390.20 °C in the G80E20. The highest CHR values of 0.12 kJ at crank angles of 432°, 420°, 422°, and 427° were achieved in the G100, CBG, G80E20, and G90E10. G90M10 reached a maximum value of 0.14 bar/degree of rate of pressure rise at a crank angle of 374°. Average minimum emission gas was found in CBG at a minimum and maximum RPM, indicating that CBG gives the best emission result with engine performance compared to all alternative fuels.

Production of green hydrogen from sewage sludge / algae in agriculture diesel engine: Performance Evaluation

Alternative fuel opportunities can satisfy energy security and reduce carbon emissions. In this regard, the hydrogen fuel is derived from the source of environmental pollutants like sewage and algae wastewater through hydrothermal gasification technique using a KOH catalyst with varied gasification process parameters of duration and temperature of 6-30 min and 500-800 °C. The novelty of the work is to identify the optimum gasification process parameter for obtaining the maximum hydrogen yield using a KOH catalyst as an alternative fuel for agricultural engine applications. Influences of gasification processing time and temperature on H2 selectivity, Carbon gasification efficiency (CE), Lower heating value (LHV), Hydrogen yield potential (HYP), and gasification efficiency (GE) were studied. Its results showed that the gasifier operated at 800 °C for 30 min, offering maximum hydrogen yield (26 mol/kg) and gasification efficiency (58 %). The synthesized H2 was an alternative fuel blended with diesel fuel/TiO2 nanoparticles. It was experimentally studied using an internal combustion engine. Influences of H2 on engine performance, like brake-specific fuel consumption, brake thermal efficiency and emission performances, were measured and compared with diesel fuel. The results showed that DH20T has the least (420g/kWh) brake-specific fuel consumption (BSFC) and superior brake thermal efficiency of about 25.2 %. The emission results revealed that the DH20T blend showed the NOX value increased by almost 10.97 % compared to diesel fuel, whereas the CO, UHC, and smoke values reduced by roughly 31.25, 28.34, and 42.35 %. The optimum fuel blend (DH20T) result is recommended for agricultural engine applications.

Performance, combustion, and emission characteristics of bio-oil produced by in situ catalytic pyrolysis of polypropylene using spent FCC

Plastic waste is a rich source of hydrocarbons that can be converted into bio-oil through pyrolysis. In this study, bio-oil was produced by pyrolysis of waste-polypropylene using spent FCC catalyst. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis revealed that catalytically produced oil has the majority of compounds in the hydrocarbon range of C6-C18. The catalytic pyrolysis oil was blended with conventional fuel (diesel) to extensively investigate its suitability as a fuel substitute in a single-cylinder, four-stroke, 3.5 kW, diesel internal combustion (IC) engine. Furthermore, four fuels, i.e., CF100PO00 (pure diesel), CF90PO10 (10% v/v pyrolysis oil blended with diesel), CF85PO15 (15% v/v pyrolysis oil blended with diesel), and CF80PO20 (20% v/v pyrolysis oil blended with diesel), were tested in IC diesel engine for performance, combustion, and exhaust emission analysis at 1500 rpm. The tests were carried out at five loads, i.e., 1, 5, 10, 15, and 20 Nm. It was found that CF90PO10 produced 6.61% higher brake thermal efficiency (BTE), whereas CO2 exhaust emission decreased by 20% for CF80PO20 with respect to the pure diesel. Diesel blends with plastic pyrolysis oil can be a promising biofuel to improve engine performance and combustion characteristics without any significant engine modification.

Techno-economic assessment of sugarcane bagasse pith-based briquette production and performance analysis of briquette feed gasifier-engine system

Utilizing agriculture co-products and agricultural residues directly leads to Energy, Economic, and Environmental sustainability. Sugar production industries produce a considerable amount of sugarcane bagasse (SB) as a co-product, whereas SB is used in paper-mill sectors, which have a large amount of waste as sugarcane bagasse pith (SBP). In this view, the novelty of the present study aims to ensure the economic viability of the SBP briquette production plant, after that, briquette-based producer gas (PG) generation and application to compression ignition (CI) engine for diesel substitution. The economic analysis includes the Net Present Value (NPV) and Profitability Index (PI) for the feasibility check. And gasifier-engine analysis includes the effect of gasification equivalence ratio (GER), engine compression ratio (CR), and load on engine brake thermal efficiency (BTE), diesel saving, Sound, Exhaust gas temperature (EGT), and emissions (CO, HC, CO2, NOx). Further, operating variables were optimized with the desirability approach of Response surface methodology (RSM). In the result, NPV and PI values were found to be Rs 49,64,379.5 (≈0.06 million USD) and 1.98, respectively. However, the economic feasibility of the plant is sensitive to capital cost, briquette market price, and discount percentages. Regarding gasifier-engine performance, the maximum diesel substitution was found to be 66.15% at dual fuel (DF) mode engine run. RSM-based optimization result showed the optimum operating setting of 0.10 GER, 16 CR, and 9.93 kg load at 1500 rpm with a composite desirability of 0.798. Accordingly, at optimal input parameters, the magnitudes of engine performance as BTE, Sound, CO, HC, CO2, and NOx were found to be 27.18%, 91.21 db, 0.10%vol., 53.19 ppm, 2.33%vol., and 8.43 ppm respectively. Thus, the higher value of the economic index and substantial amount of diesel fuel saving through the gasifier-engine system ensures the economic feasibility of briquetting and power generation technology.

Performance and emission characteristics of a diesel engine fuelled by biodiesel from black soldier fly larvae: Effects of synthesizing catalysts with citric acid

Biodiesel has several environmental benefits, such as biodegradability, renewability and lower soot emissions. However, biodiesel has undesirable properties such as higher viscosity and density and low calorific value compared to petroleum diesel, resulting in high Brake Specific Fuel Consumption (BSFC), reduced Brake Power (BP) and increased NOX emissions creating an environmental concerns in biodiesel development. This study investigated the effects of synthesizing transesterification catalysts (CaO and NaOH) with Citric Acid (CA) on the quality of biodiesel and biodiesel blends produced from Black Soldier Fly Larvae (BSFL) (Hermetia Illucens). The quality of biodiesel and blends was determined based on fuel properties, engine performance and emission composition characteristics. The tests were performed on a single-cylinder, four-stroke, Compression Ignition (CI) diesel engine at five loads at a constant speed of 1500 rpm. The results showed that synthesizing the catalysts with CA significantly affected the fatty acid profile of the biodiesel compared to physical fuel properties. B100 (pure BSFL biodiesel) exhibited higher BSFC by 10.57-13.97 % and lower BP by 4.21-7.83 % than diesel fuel. However, the Brake Thermal Efficiency (BTE) of biodiesel was higher than that of diesel fuel by 0.82-4.34 % at maximum load. Synthesizing catalysts with CA improved the viscosity of biodiesel by 0.93-2.81 % and effectively reduced NOX, HC and Smoke opacity by 2.23-3.16 %, 4.95-5.83 % and 20.51-41.15 %, respectively.

A comprehensive study on the performance and emission analysis in diesel engine via optimization of novel ternary fuel blends: Diesel, manganese, and diethyl ether

Ecosystem degradation and fossil fuel depletion are the two foremost concerns to look for alternative fuels. Rapid population growth is primarily accountable for higher consumption of fossil fuel sources, although engine technology is achieving milestones in terms of fuel efficiency and lower exhaust emissions in order to contribute towards a sustainable environment. The main root cause of global warming is carbon dioxide emissions; therefore, it is imperative to assess the impact of alternative fuels in diesel engines with an aim to minimize carbon emissions. A current study deals with the reduction of carbon emissions and improvement of efficiency through addition of manganese nano-additive to di-ethyl ether and diesel fuel blend in particulate form. Fuel blends were formed by adding various proportions of manganese to high-speed diesel fuel and stirring the mixture while heating it for 10 min. The blends were then tested in diesel engines at two distinct loads and five engine speed ranges. Emission analyzer was used to ascertain the CO2 output of engine. At higher loads for 10 % diethyl ether in diesel, the increase in brake thermal efficiency was 24.19, 28.17 and 26.86 % when the manganese amount in blend was changed as 250 mg, 375 mg and 500 mg respectively. On the other side CO2 emissions increase by 11.57, 30.52 and 20.33 % for manganese concentrations of 250 mg, 375 mg and 500 mg respectively. Analysis performed with Design Expert 13 showed that the desirability was 0.796 for a blend of 375 mg manganese at 1300 rpm and 4500 W load with 33.0611 % BTE, 334.011kg/kWh BSFC, 67.8821Nm torque, and 6.072 % CO2. Therefore, it can be deduced that manganese nanoparticle blends improved engine performance but CO2 emissions also increase which can be responsible for global warming and it should be reduced through catalytic converters.

Investigation of bioethanol production from jatropha deoiled cake and its blending effects for environmental sustainability

This paper describes the process of extracting ethanol from Jatropha curcas and its various blending effects on spark-ignited engine performance for environmental sustainability. Alternatives to conventional fuel sources have to be found because of the depletion of fossil fuels and stringent regulations. Every day, the growing population and improved transportation increase the energy demand. Bioethanol is an effective substitute for gasoline and SI engine diesel. Worldwide, passenger cars typically blend 10% bioethanol with gasoline. Some nations, like India, have stated plans to blend 20% bioethanol with gasoline starting shortly. From leftover jatropha deoiled cake (JDC), bioethanol was produced utilizing the fermentation and vacuum distillation methods. Four different blends were prepared on a volumetric basis at different engine speeds at a constant compression ratio of 10:1 and the wide-open throttle was tested for various performances and emissions. Bioethanol enrichments reduce CO and CO2 emissions but increase nitrogen oxide emissions. JDCE 15 was found to have the best engine performance out of all the fuel blends tested. This study suggests that, if NOx emission reduction measures are carried out, JDC can be used as a source for the manufacturing of second-generation bioethanol.

Biodiesel production from Mastic oil via electrolytic transesterification: optimization using response surface methodology and engine test

This study aimed to synthesize the biodiesel from Mastic oil by electrolysis method. Mastic gum is a potential and inexpensive feedstock for the biodiesel production. The oil content of Mastic gum was ~ 20% of the total gum weight. The gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis was exploited to measure the oil's fatty acid profile. The response surface methodology (RSM) via Box-Behnken design (BBD) was utilized to specify the best processing condition of the electrolytic transesterification process. According to the RSM-BBD results, the highest predicted biodiesel yield was 95% at the reaction time of 1 h, methanol to oil ratio of 4:1, and catalyst weight of 1.2 wt%. Under these conditions, the produced Mastic oil biodiesel was blended with the neat diesel at different volume ratios of 5:95 (B5), 10:90 (B10), and 15:85 (B15). These fuel mixtures were tested in a single-cylinder engine to assess engine performance and exhaust emissions. The experiments exhibited that blending biodiesel with diesel can slightly improve the engine performance. Moreover, the application of blends with high volumes of biodiesel decreased the exhaust emissions, such as carbon monoxide (CO), carbon dioxide (CO2), and unburned hydrocarbons (UHC) by 54.54%, 41%, and 39.3%, respectively. However, the nitrogen oxide (NOx) emission increased because of the higher oxygen content of the biodiesel. It was also found that the physical and chemical characteristics of the Mastic oil biodiesel are the same as diesel, consistent with the ASTM standard. The Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) analysis also confirmed the biodiesel production.

Engine gas path component fault diagnosis based on a sparse deep stacking network

Accurate engine gas path component fault diagnosis methods are key to ensuring the reliability and safety of engine operations. At present, the effectiveness of the data-driven gas path component fault diagnosis methods has been widely verified in engineering applications. The deep stack neural network (DSN), as a common deep learning neural network, has been gaining more attention in gas path fault diagnosis studies. However, various gas path component faults with strong coupling effects could occur simultaneously, resulting the DSN method less effective for engine gas path fault diagnosis. In order to improve the prediction performance of the DSN handling multiple gas path component fault diagnosis, a sparse regularization and representation method was proposed. The sparse regularization term is used to expand the traditional deep stacking neural network in the sparse representation, and the predicted output tag is close to the target output tag through this term. The diagnosis performance of six different neural network methods were compared by various engine gas path component fault diagnosis types. The results show that the proposed sparse regularization method significantly improves the prediction performance of the DSN, with an accuracy rate 99.9% under various gas path component fault conditions, which is higher than other methods. The proposed engine gas path component fault diagnosis method can handle multiple coupling gas path faults, and help engine operators to develop maintenance plans for the purpose of engine health management.

Optimization of biodiesel production, engine exhaust emissions, and vibration diagnosis using a combined approach of definitive screening design (DSD) and artificial neural network (ANN)

In this study, definitive screening design (DSD) optimization and artificial neural network (ANN) modelling techniques are applied for the production of palm oil biodiesel (POBD). These techniques are implemented to examine the vital contributing factors in achieving maximum POBD yield. For this purpose, seventeen experiments are conducted randomly by varying the four contributing factors. The results of DSD optimization reveal that a biodiesel yield of 96.06% is achieved. Also, the experimental results are trained in ANN for predicting the biodiesel yield. The results proved that the prediction capability of ANN is superior, with a high correlation coefficient (R2) and low mean square error (MSE). Furthermore, the obtained POBD is characterized by significant fuel properties and fatty acid compositions and observed within the standards (ASTM-D675). Finally, the neat POBD is examined for exhaust emissions and engine cylinder vibration analysis. The emissions results confirm a significant drop in NOx (32.46%), HC (40.57%), CO (44.44%), and exhaust smoke (39.65%) compared to diesel fuel at 100% load. Likewise, the engine cylinder vibration measured on top of the cylinder head reveals a low spectral density with low amplitude vibrations observed for POBD at measured loads.

Fuel characterization, engine performance characteristics and emissions analysis of different mustard seed biodiesel: An overview

The current new technology in the automotive sector depends on the primary energy source because the power source is from the secondary energy source. Besides, the interest in biofuels is increasing due to the weaknesses of fossil fuels that have been voiced for years. The feedstock is important in biodiesel production and its use in the engine. Mustard oil is non-edible, high mono-unsaturated fatty acid value, conveniences in cultivation conditions, and worldwide use that offer significant advantages to biodiesel producers. The presence of erucic acid, which forms the basis of mustard biodiesel, makes itself felt in the prevention of the fuel-food debate, its effect on biodiesel fuel properties, and its relationship to engine performance and exhaust emissions. Along with the minuses of mustard biodiesel in kinematic viscosity and oxidation ability, the problems experienced in engine performance and exhaust emissions compared to diesel fuel offer new studies to policymakers, industrialists and researchers. Accordingly, this review focuses on the recent finding in fuel properties, engine performance and emission characteristic of mustard seed biodiesel as well as its types, geographical distribution, and biodiesel production. It can be stated that this study will be an important supplementary reference to the above-mentioned groups. AVAILABILITY OF DATA: The data used and/or analyzed throughout the present study are available from the authors on reasonable request.

Investigation in PO blending and compression ratio on engine performance and gas emissions including environmental health risk assessment and economic analysis

Waste management and mitigation is the primary necessity across the globe. The daily use of plastic materials in different forms emergence the plastic pollutions, and it has been significantly increased during the COVID-19 pandemic. Thus, mitigation of waste plastics generation is one of the major challenges in the present situation. The present study addressed the conversion of waste plastics into value-added products such as liquid hydrocarbon fuels and their application in reducing greenhouse gas emissions. A comprehensive investigation has been performed on engine performance and combustion characteristics at various compression ratios and PO blending. The effect of liquid fuel blending with commercial diesel was investigated at three different compression ratios (15.1, 16.2, and 16.7) under various BMEP conditions. The results revealed that blending of liquid fuel produced from waste plastic can improve the BTE significantly, and the highest 35.77% of BTE was observed for 10% blending at 15.1 CR. While the lowest BSFC of 5.77 × 10-5 kg/kW-s was estimated for 20% PO blending at 16.7 CR under optimum BMEP (4.0 bar) conditions. The investigation of combustion parameters such as cylinder pressure, net heat release rate, rate of pressure rise, and cumulative heat release showed that it increases with the compression ratio from 15.1 to 16.7. At the same time, the emissions of CO, CO2, and unburnt hydrocarbon was decreased significantly. The economic analysis for the present lab-scale study estimated that approximately ₹12.17 ($0.15) profit per liter is possible in the 1st year, while the significant profit starts from the 2nd year onward, which is in the range of ₹59.78-₹84.48 ($0.75-$1.07) when the PO is blended with CD within the permissible limits as per the norms.

The effect of biodiesel production method on its combustion behavior in an agricultural tractor engine

In this study, biodiesel fuel was produced from waste cooking oil (WCO) using a heterogeneous catalyst under microwave (MB) and conventional (CB) heating, and fueled in an agricultural tractor engine to evaluate the engine performance as well as emissions. The biodiesels presented different fatty acid methyl ester (FAME) profiles where MB had lower unsaturated FAME chains. Beyond the transesterification reaction time, the energy consumed for MB biodiesel production diminished by around eight times compared to that required for CB production. The engine results confirmed the positive influence of blending net diesel fuel with biodiesel for enhancing the engine performance and reducing the emissions. More than 20% increment in the engine power and torque was detected at all engine loads (the engine speed was adjusted at 1500 rpm). The hydrocarbon (HC), carbon monoxide (CO), and smoke opacity (SO) indicated significant reductions compared to when net diesel fuel was used. According to statistical analysis, CB25 and MB25 fuels presented a suitable combination as fuel where MB25 provided better engine performance, lower HC and SO emissions, with CO emissions reaching the minimum amount by CB fuels.

Four stroke diesel engine performance and emission studies of ethanol recovered from Kappaphycus alvarezii reject -solid food waste mixed substrates and its blends

Bioethanol is an eco-friendly green fuel, owing to its production from sustainable bio-based sources. In this study, bioethanol (BE) is produced from Kappaphycus alverezii reject (KR) blended with Solid Food Waste (SFW). This bioethanol is blended with petroleum-based diesel (PBD) in the following proportions: 15%, 20% and 25% for further studies. Performance characteristics, specifically Brake Specific Fuel Consumption (BSFC), Brake Thermal Efficiency (BTE), Brake Power (BP) and exhaust emissions, mainly Carbon monoxide (CO), Carbon dioxide (CO₂), Smoke Opacity (SO), hydrocarbons (HC) and oxides of Nitrogen (NO_X) have been investigated. The blended test fuels show better results, which is confirmed by the performance characteristics of BTE being lower than PBD. The emission report shows lesser CO (0.12%) and SO (59.6%) compared to PBD (0.14% and 67.2%), signifying the clean-burning tendency of BE blends. From the findings, PBD75: BE25 is an excellent fuel blend for improving flow properties, engine performance, and emission characteristics.

Towards sustainable biodiesel production by solar intensification of waste cooking oil and engine parameter assessment studies

Renewable energy sources for harnessing biofuels are the viable solution to substitute fossil fuels and reduce production cost. In this study, waste cooking oil was converted into biodiesel via a customized solar reactor. The solar reactor was customized using copper tubes and black surface to trap solar energy for conversion of waste cooking oil into biodiesel. The main experimental parameters studied are temperature (30 to 50 °C), stirring speed (100 to 500 rpm), catalyst loading (0.25 to 1.25 wt%), flow rate (3 to 15 LPH), and methanol to oil ratio (3:1 to 15:1), respectively. The uppermost conversion of 82% was achieved at catalyst load of 0.75 wt%, stirring speed of 300 rpm, flow rate of 3 LPH and methanol/oil ratio of 12:1. Performance of biodiesel blend (D80 + BD20) in CI engine showed a decrease in ignition delay (10.5 deg. CA) and brake thermal efficiency (32.7%) at maximum load (100%). Smoke emission was also decreased with an increase in biodiesel blend at lower brake power, but an increase in brake power increased the smoke emission.

Comparative spectroscopic analysis, performance and emissions evaluation of Madhuca longifolia and Jatropha curcas produced biodiesel

In order to fulfil the growing need to replace fossil fuels, investigations exploring the production of biodiesel from agricultural biomass have gained attention. In this study, biodiesels were produced from Madhuca longifolia and Jatropha curcas by means of pre-treatment followed by a two-step acid-base homogeneous catalyst method. These biodiesels were blended with diesel at different percentages. The efficacy of the process was examined using various characterization methods while the efficiency of the produced biodiesels was examined by their engine performance and emission tests. Both Madhuca and Jatropha-based biodiesels exhibited physiochemical properties like that of diesel. Biodiesels were produced by pre-treating with orthophosphoric acid and toluene. The second step involves acid esterification, followed by base transesterification. Raman spectra exhibited C=O stretching at 1725 cm^-1 indicating conversion of Madhuca and Jatropha oil into biodiesel. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy showed a strong presence of fatty acid profile and triglyceride ester linkage at 1744 cm^-1_. Ultraviolet-visible (UV) spectra confirmed the presence of conjugated dienes in the extracted biodiesels. UV absorbance at 320 nm decreased linearly with blend percentage. ¹H and ¹³C nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) confirmed the presence of methyl ester moiety at 3.6 δ (ppm) and methoxy carbon at 51.2 δ in biodiesel, distinguishing it from diesel. In the engine performance tests, the variations of brake specific fuel consumption, exhaust gas temperature and brake thermal efficiency versus brake power were studied. The emission tests of different blends were done in terms of carbon monoxide, nitrous oxide and unburnt hydrocarbon. The Jatropha biodiesel exhibited lower mean brake specific fuel consumption, exhaust gas temperature, emitted less carbon monoxide and unburnt hydrocarbon than Madhuca biodiesel. The average decrease in brake thermal efficiency was more in Jatropha biodiesel than Madhuca biodiesel. The present work uses for the first time treatment of ortho phosphoric acid and toluene to produce biodiesel followed by a two-step homogeneous acid-base catalyst method, drastically reducing free fatty acid value.

Engine performance and emission characteristics of palm biodiesel blends with graphene oxide nanoplatelets and dimethyl carbonate additives

This study investigated the engine performance and emission characteristics of biodiesel blends with combined Graphene oxide nanoplatelets (GNPs) and 10% v/v dimethyl carbonate (DMC) as fuel additives as well as analysed the tribological characteristics of those blends. 10% by volume DMC was mixed with 30% palm oil biodiesel blends with diesel. Three different concentrations (40, 80 and 120 ppm) of GNPs were added to these blends via the ultrasonication process to prepare the nanofuels. Sodium dodecyl sulphate (SDS) surfactant was added to improve the stability of these blends. GNPs were characterised using Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) and Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR), while the viscosity of nanofuels was investigated by rheometer. UV-spectrometry was used to determine the stability of these nanoplatelets. A ratio of 1:4 GNP: SDS was found to produce maximum stability in biodiesel. Performance and emissions characteristics of these nanofuels have been investigated in a four-stroke compression ignition engine. The maximum reduction in BSFC of 5.05% and the maximum BTE of 22.80% was for B30GNP40DMC10 compared to all other tested blends. A reduction in HC (25%) and CO (4.41%) were observed for B30DMC10, while a reduction in NO_x of 3.65% was observed for B30GNP40DMC10. The diesel-biodiesel fuel blends with the addition of GNP exhibited a promising reduction in the average coefficient of friction 15.05%, 8.68% and 3.61% for 120, 80 and 40 ppm concentrations compared to B30. Thus, combined GNP and DMC showed excellent potential for utilisation in diesel engine operation.

Use of 2-methoxyethyl ether and nitromethane as oxygenated additives for performance improvement and emission reduction of CI engine: experimental investigation and numerical simulation

Diesel engines are playing a vital responsibility in the field of automobile, agriculture, construction, and power generation. In the present world, much research is going on in the field of renewable energy to replace conventional sources of energy. But it is not very easy to replace diesel engines with other sources due to the better power output and reliability. The emissions from CI engines are very harmful for human health and for the environment. The major emissions are smoke and NOx which need to be controlled in an effective manner. In this work, direct injection variable compression ratio CI engine was used in experimental investigations for determining the combustion characteristics for D-MXEE-NM blends at different compression ratios. By performance analysis and exhaust emission of engine at peak load, D-MXEE5-NM2.5 (diesel 92.5%, 2-methoxyethyl ether 5%, and nitromethane 2.5%) blend was identified as best blend among all tested fuel blends and pure diesel at normal compression ratio (17.5). Further, all considered fuels with different CR values at peak load were ranked by Entropy-VIKOR method. From the analysis, D-MXEE5-NM2.5 at CR 19.5 was found as best fuel blend (ranked first) among all fuel blends and different compression ratios considered with same experimental conditions. By comparison of best fuel blend D-MXEE5-NM2.5 (at advanced compression ratio 19.5) with diesel (at standard CR 17.5), emission decline (HC 66.66%, CO 70.00%, and smoke 16.09%) and performance improvement (decrement in BSFC 7.07% and increment in BTE 4.41%) were obtained significantly at peak load. However, negligible increment in NOx (3.58%) was observed.

Experimental investigation of performance characteristics of compression-ignition engine with biodiesel blends of Jatropha oil & coconut oil at fixed compression ratio

The present research investigates raw oil (Jatropha and coconut oil Fuel), which lies in the edible and non-edible vegetable oils category. We have a set opinion to be taken as potential alternative fuels for C.I. engines and are choosing to search out their quality being employed as a future fuel. The most effective distinction between these two varieties of oils and diesel fuel is viscosity. The blends of the above oils prepared along with pure diesel. Each oil was separately blended in variable proportion (20%–50%) with pure diesel. We have experimented to monitor and analyze the performance of pure diesel fuel against various blends (B20 to B50) of Jatropha-biodiesel & Coconut-biodiesel at a fixed compression ratio i.e. eighteen. The performance limits that were under study and compared are the variation of brake specific fuel consumption & brake thermal efficiency with various loads for many fuel blends.

An experimental assessment on the influence of fuel-borne additives on ternary fuel (diesel-biodiesel-ethanol) blends operated in a single cylinder diesel engine

The present work is dedicated to the experimental analysis on the influence of fuel-borne additives on ternary fuel blend operated in a single cylinder DI diesel engine. Alumina (Al₂O₃) nanoparticles were chosen as fuel additives at dosing levels of 10, 20, and 30 ppm, respectively, and the ternary fuel (TF) is prepared by blending 70% diesel, 20% Jatropha biodiesel, and 10% ethanol. Performance characteristics like brake thermal efficiency (BTE) and brake-specific energy consumption (BSEC) and emission characteristics like HC, CO, NOx, and smoke along with combustion characteristics like cylinder pressure, HRR (heat release rate), and CHRR (cumulative heat release rate) were considered for analysis. Based on experimentation, it is observed that TF blended with 20 ppm alumina nanoadditive (TF20) resulted in higher BTE and lowered BSEC by 7.8 and 4.93% and lowered HC, CO, NOx, and smoke emissions by 5.69, 11.24, 9.39, and 6.48% in comparison with TF. Moreover, TF20 resulted in higher cylinder pressure, HRR, and CHRR of about 72.67 bar, 76.22 J/°CA, and 1171.1 J, respectively, which are higher than those of diesel and TF. Hence, it is concluded that the addition of 20 ppm alumina nanoadditive in TF can enhance the engine performance and combustion as well as lower the exhaust pollutants simultaneously.

Effect of induction hydroxy and hydrogen along with algal biodiesel blend in a CI engine: a comparison of performance and emission characteristics

Gaseous fuel as a combustion enhancer with a pilot fuel offers significant benefits in improving engine efficiency. Hydrogen and hydroxy are the two most common gaseous fuels that have been widely investigated in the CI engine but which one performs best is still inconvenient. In this study, hydrogen and hydroxy were injected with BD40 (v/v) separately in a common diesel engine to compare the performance and emission characteristics of these fuels. Engine performance parameters include brake thermal efficiency (BTE) and brake-specific energy consumption (BSEC), and exhaust emissions include hydrocarbon (HC), CO, CO₂, NOx, and smoke opacity. The induction of both hydroxy and hydrogen with BD40 has a positive effect on engine performance and emissions except NOx when compared to neat diesel fuel and BD40. The BTE of hydroxy-rich BD40 increased by 7.2% while BSEC reduced by 7.6% as compared to BD40 with hydrogen. The CO, HC, and smoke opacity of hydroxy-operated engine was found to be better than hydrogen-inducted engine. The NOx emission increased with the induction of both gaseous fuels and hydroxy-enriched BD40 produced 12.5% more emission than hydrogen-operated BD40 engine. Thus, more concisely, hydroxy-operated biodiesel engine performed better than hydrogen engine in terms of BTE, BSEC, CO, HC, and smoke opacity.

Evaluation of engine performance and exhaust emission characteristics in a diesel engine using isobutanol- Calophyllum inophyllum biodiesel-diesel ternary blends

The availability of natural energy resources and the environmental issues are the most significant issues that are often highlighted by the world communities. With regard to these problems, isobutanol is a higher chain alcohol with four carbons which can be derived from biomass resources and it is potential to become an alternative fuel source besides the biodiesel for a diesel engine. The aim of this study is to evaluate the effect of isobutanol with Calophyllum inophyllum methyl ester and diesel as the ternary blend on physicochemical properties, engine performance, and emission characteristics. Five different fuel blends containing Calophyllum inophyllum biodiesel and isobutanol were tested on a single-cylinder direct injection diesel engine at different engine load of brake mean effective pressure. The physicochemical properties of the fuel blends were measured and then compared with neat diesel. The results indicate that the blend containing isobutanol and CIME gives a slight increase in BSEC and EGT and a minimal drop in BTE as compared to that of neat diesel. Besides that, the tested blends show a reduction of carbon monoxide and unburned hydrocarbon emissions. Meanwhile, all the fuel blends show a minimal increase in carbon dioxide and nitrogen oxides emissions, compared to that of neat diesel. Isobutanol can be proved as a preferred substitute for biodiesel and diesel fuels to achieve desired engine performance and emissions level.

A complete assessment on the impact of in-cylinder and external blending of eucalyptus oil on engine's behavior of a biofuel-based dual fuel engine

This work aims at combusting a high viscous high cetane biofuel completely and efficiently under dual combustion mode using another low viscous low cetane biofuel. Maduca longifolia oil (MO) was selected as the base fuel. Combustion was achieved by using EFI (electronic fuel injection) and carburetion of eucalyptus oil at the intake manifold. Eucalyptus oil was also blended externally with MO at different mass ratios and tested. A comparison of engine results was made at 100% and 40% loads (power outputs) for all the attempts. Test results indicated significant improvement in BTE (brake thermal efficiency) with all modes with moderate energy shares of eucalyptus oil. The BTE increased from 25.2% with neat MO operation to a maximum of 29%, 32.3%, and 33.4% respectively with eucalyptus oil addition, carburetion, and EFI modes whereas it was observed as 30.8% with ND (neat diesel). Smoke was reduced with eucalyptus oil addition, carburetion, and EFI at the maximum efficiency points at 100% load. Peak pressure and energy-release rate indicated as superior to neat MO at all modes mainly at 100% load. Thirty percent, 40.2%, and 30.4% respectively with eucalyptus oil addition, carburetion, and EFI were recommended to be the optimal mass shares for 100% load. EFI of eucalyptus oil could be preferred for the highest BTE, lowest smoke, and NO emissions and maximum replacement of MO for the optimal operation of the engine among the methods tested.

Effect of diesel-methanol-nitromethane blends combustion on VCR stationary CI engine performance and exhaust emissions

The continuous rise in cost of fossil fuels and environmental pollution has attracted research in the area of clean alternative fuels for improving the performance and emission of internal combustion engines. In the present work, methanol and nitromethane were treated as a biofuel and investigations have been made to evaluate the feasibility of replacing diesel with a suitable diesel-methanol-nitromethane blend. For this, experimental investigations were carried out on a VCR diesel engine using diesel-methanol-nitromethane blends to determine the most favorable blending ratio and engine operating parameters for enhancing performance and reduce emissions. The best results of performance and emissions were observed with D-M5-NM2.5 blend (diesel 92.5%, methanol 5%, nitromethane 2.5%) at standard engine parameters. The improvement in engine performance (13% increment in BTE and 19.5% decrement in BSFC) and reduction in emission (smoke 26.47%, NOx 21.66%, and CO 14.28%) was found using D-M5-NM2.5 blend as compared to pure diesel at full load condition; however, HC emission was slightly increased by 10.71%. To find out the best suitable value of CR for D-M5-NM2.5 blend, experiments were further performed on different compression ratios by which higher compression ratio of 19.5 was found better under similar operating conditions. By increasing CR from 18.5 (standard) to 19.5, improvement in engine performance (BTE increased 3.8% and BSFC decreased 3.4%) and reduction in emission (smoke 10%, CO 16.67%, and HC 61.29%) were observed using D-M5-NM2.5 blend; however, NOx was found to be on slightly higher side with tolerable increment of 6.38%.

Improvement of ternary fuel combustion with various injection pressure strategies in a toroidal re-entrant combustion chamber

The present experimental work focuses on the influence injection pressure and toroidal re-entrant combustion chamber in a single cylinder diesel engine fuelled with ternary fuel (diesel-biodiesel-ethanol) blend. Ternary fuel (TF) is prepared by blending 70% diesel, 20% biodiesel, and 10% ethanol blends and its fuel properties were investigated and compared with diesel fuel. Since the physic-chemical properties of TF are well behind the diesel fuel, it is proposed to be blended with 20 ppm alumina nano additives which act as an ignition enhancer and catalytic oxidizer. The resulting fuel mixture (TF + 20 ppm alumina additive) is named as high performance fuel (HPF). Experimentations were conducted on HPF subjected to various injection pressures of 18 MPa, 20 MPa, 22 MPa, and 24 MPa respectively and are operated in toroidal re-entrant chamber geometry (TG) at an injection timing of 22 ^obTDC. From experimentation, it was identified that, for TG-HPF, higher injection pressure of 22 MPa ensued highest BTE (Brake Thermal Efficiency) of 35.5% and lowest BSEC (Brake Specific Fuel Consumption) of 10.13 MJ/kWh owing to the pooled effect of higher swirl formation, improved atomization enhanced evaporation rate, and better air-fuel mixing. Emission wise TG-HPF operated at 22 MPa lowered the HC (hydrocarbon), CO (carbon monoxide), and smoke emissions by 18.88%, 7.19%, and 5.02%, but with marginally improved NOx (oxides of nitrogen) and CO₂ (carbon dioxide) emissions by 3.92% and 3.89% respectively. In combustion point of view, it is observed that injection pressure increased the cylinder pressure, heat release rate (HRR), and cumulative heat release rate (CHRR) by 5.35%, 5.08%, and 3.38% respectively indicating improved combustion rate as a result of enhanced atomization, evaporation, and high turbulence inducement. Overall, it is concluded that operating the ternary fuel at 22 MPa injection pressure at toroidal re-entrant combustion chamber results in improved performance and minimized emissions.

Design and experimental investigations on six-stroke SI engine using acetylene with water injection

In the present study, a four-stroke cycle gasoline engine is redesigned and converted into a six-stroke cycle engine and experimental study has been conducted using gasoline and acetylene as fuel with water injection at the end of the recompression stroke. Acetylene has been used as an alternative fuel along with gasoline and performance of the six-stroke spark ignition (SI) engine with these two fuels has been studied separately and compared. Brake power and thermal efficiency are found to be 5.18 and 1.55% higher with acetylene as compared to gasoline in the six-stroke engine. However, thermal efficiency is found to be 45% higher with acetylene in the six-stroke engine as compared to four-stroke SI engine. The CO and HC emissions were found to be reduced by 13.33 and 0.67% respectively with acetylene as compared to gasoline due to better combustion of acetylene. The NO_x emission was reduced by 5.65% with acetylene due to lower peak temperature by water injection. The experimental results showed better engine performance and emissions with acetylene as fuel in the six-stroke engine.

Combustion performance and exhaust emissions fuelled with non-surfactant water-in-diesel emulsion fuel made from different water sources

Non-surfactant water-in-diesel emulsion fuel (NWD) is an alternative fuel that has the potential to reduce major exhaust emissions while simultaneously improving the combustion performance of a diesel engine. NWD comprises of diesel fuel and water (about 5% in volume) without any additional surfactants. This emulsion fuel is produced through an in-line mixing system that is installed very close to the diesel engine. This study focuses mainly on the performance and emission of diesel engine fuelled with NWD made from different water sources. The engine used in this study is a direct injection diesel engine with loads varying from 1 to 4 kW. The result shows that NWD made from tap water helps the engine to reduce nitrogen oxide (NO_x) by 32%. Rainwater reduced it by 29% and seawater by 19%. In addition, all NWDs show significant improvements in engine performance as compared to diesel fuel, especially in the specific fuel consumption that indicates an average reduction of 6%. It is observed that all NWDs show compelling positive effects on engine performance, which is caused by the optimum water droplet size inside NWD.

A review on the engine performance and exhaust emission characteristics of diesel engines fueled with biodiesel blends

Biodiesels have gained much popularity because they are cleaner alternative fuels and they can be used directly in diesel engines without modifications. In this paper, a brief review of the key studies pertaining to the engine performance and exhaust emission characteristics of diesel engines fueled with biodiesel blends, exhaust aftertreatment systems, and low-temperature combustion technology is presented. In general, most biodiesel blends result in a significant decrease in carbon monoxide and total unburned hydrocarbon emissions. There is also a decrease in carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxide, and total unburned hydrocarbon emissions while the engine performance increases for diesel engines fueled with biodiesels blended with nano-additives. The development of automotive technologies, such as exhaust gas recirculation systems and low-temperature combustion technology, also improves the thermal efficiency of diesel engines and reduces nitrogen oxide and particulate matter emissions.

Analysis of the performance, emission and combustion characteristics of a turbocharged diesel engine fuelled with Jatropha curcas biodiesel-diesel blends using kernel-based extreme learning machine

The purpose of this study is to investigate the performance, emission and combustion characteristics of a four-cylinder common-rail turbocharged diesel engine fuelled with Jatropha curcas biodiesel-diesel blends. A kernel-based extreme learning machine (KELM) model is developed in this study using MATLAB software in order to predict the performance, combustion and emission characteristics of the engine. To acquire the data for training and testing the KELM model, the engine speed was selected as the input parameter, whereas the performance, exhaust emissions and combustion characteristics were chosen as the output parameters of the KELM model. The performance, emissions and combustion characteristics predicted by the KELM model were validated by comparing the predicted data with the experimental data. The results show that the coefficient of determination of the parameters is within a range of 0.9805-0.9991 for both the KELM model and the experimental data. The mean absolute percentage error is within a range of 0.1259-2.3838. This study shows that KELM modelling is a useful technique in biodiesel production since it facilitates scientists and researchers to predict the performance, exhaust emissions and combustion characteristics of internal combustion engines with high accuracy.

Performance and exhaust emission characteristics of variable compression ratio diesel engine fuelled with esters of crude rice bran oil

As a substitute to petroleum-derived diesel, biodiesel has high potential as a renewable and environment friendly energy source. For petroleum importing countries the choice of feedstock for biodiesel production within the geographical region is a major influential factor. Crude rice bran oil is found to be good and viable feedstock for biodiesel production. A two step esterification is carried out for higher free fatty acid crude rice bran oil. Blends of 10, 20 and 40 % by vol. crude rice bran biodiesel are tested in a variable compression ratio diesel engine at compression ratio 15, 16, 17 and 18. Engine performance and exhaust emission parameters are examined. Cylinder pressure-crank angle variation is also plotted. The increase in compression ratio from 15 to 18 resulted in 18.6 % decrease in brake specific fuel consumption and 14.66 % increase in brake thermal efficiency on an average. Cylinder pressure increases by 15 % when compression ratio is increased. Carbon monoxide emission decreased by 22.27 %, hydrocarbon decreased by 38.4 %, carbon dioxide increased by 17.43 % and oxides of nitrogen as NO_x emission increased by 22.76 % on an average when compression ratio is increased from 15 to 18. The blends of crude rice bran biodiesel show better results than diesel with increase in compression ratio.