Optical Study on Soot Formation of Ethanol/ hydrogenated Catalytic Biodiesel/octanol Blends

Abstract

Article Optical Study on Soot Formation of Ethanol/hydrogenated Catalytic Biodiesel/octanol Blends Shufa Zhou 1, Wenjun Zhong 1,*, Tamilselvan Pachiannan 2, Qing Liu 1, Feibin Yan 1, Jiafeng Chen 1, Zhixia He 2, and Qian Wang 1 1 School of Energy and Power Engineering, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 212013, China 2 Institute for Energy Research, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 212013, China * Correspondence: wj_zhong@ujs.edu.cn     Received: 5 September 2023 Accepted: 2 November 2023 Published: 28 November 2023   Abstract: The incorporation of alcohol-based fuel is pivotal in attenuating soot emissions arising from highly reactive hydrocarbon-based fuels. To elucidate the mechanism through which ethanol curtails soot formation in hydrogenated biodiesel, an experimental inquiry was undertaken by employing the high-frequency background light extinction technique within a constant volume combustion chamber system. The primary objective of this study was to scrutinize the impact of blending ethanol with highly reactive fuel on soot generation. Empirical evidence shows that ethanol, owing to its substantial oxygen content, has the potential to facilitate soot oxidation. Incorporating ethanol effectively diminishes soot formation in aspects of quantity, rate, and area. The initial time and location of soot formation increase as the ethanol blending ratio increases. The influence of latent heat of evaporation and Cetane Number on the initial time and location of soot formation varies with distinct environmental temperatures. At 750 K, the latent heat of evaporation exhibits a more pronounced influence in contrast to the Cetane Number. As the temperature rises, the Cetane Number gradually becomes more influential. At a temperature of 825 K and an oxygen content of 21%, the E30H60O10 blend shows an increase of 21.2% and 21.4% in the initial time and location of soot formation, respectively, compared to the E15H75O10 mix. Furthermore, there is a reduction of 75.8% in the total soot mass.