Effect of oxygen-containing chemical fuel additives on energy, emission and engine combustion parameters for reducing carbon footprint

Abstract

Abstract There have been many research and development studies on the use of biodiesel fuels in compression ignition engines. In recent years, studies with ternary fuel blends formed with different additives to improve the performance characteristics of diesel/biodiesel fuel blends have gained importance. In this study, D80B20, D50B50, D30B50S20, and D30B50G20 fuel blends were formed by mixing biodiesel obtained from canola oil with pure diesel, solketal and butyl diglycol at different ratios. These fuel blends were tested in a compression ignition direct injection diesel engine at a constant engine speed of 3000 rpm and different engine load conditions and their engine performance, exhaust emission and combustion characteristics were investigated. In addition, the thermal and exergy efficiencies of these fuels were calculated as a result of thermodynamic analyses using the results obtained in experimental studies. Improvements in combustion performance (in-cylinder pressure, heat release rate, rate of pressure rise and cumulative heat release) and exhaust emissions (CO, HC and smoke) were observed with the addition of solketal and butyl diglycol to diesel-biodiesel binary fuel blends. Exhaust gas temperatures increased with the addition of solketal and butyl diglycol to the binary fuel blends. In the thermodynamic analysis, the lowest exergy destruction and total exergy losses were calculated for D30B50S20 fuel. Therefore, the highest thermal efficiency and exergy efficiency were realised in D30B50S20 fuel.