Characterisation and effect of using waste plastic oil and diesel fuel blends in compression ignition engine

Plastics have now become indispensable materials in the modern world and application in the industrial field is continually increasing. The properties of the oil derived from waste plastics were analyzed and found that it has properties similar to that of diesel. Waste plastic oil (WPO) was tested as a fuel in a D.I. diesel engine and its performance characteristics were analysed and compared with diesel fuel (DF) operation. It is observed that the engine could operate with 100% waste plastic oil and can be used as fuel in diesel engines. Oxides of nitrogen (NO_x) was higher by about 25% and carbon monoxide (CO) increased by 5% for waste plastic oil operation compared to diesel fuel (DF) operation. Hydrocarbon was higher by about 15%. Smoke increased by 40% at full load with waste plastic oil compared to DF. Engine fueled with waste plastic oil exhibits higher thermal efficiency upto 80% of the full load and the exhaust gas temperature was higher at all loads compared to DF operation.     

Durability studies of mono-cylinder compression ignition engines operating with diesel, soy and castor oil methyl esters

There are many studies showing that the performance results for engines operating with biofuels are acceptable, although very few long-term analysis of wear and maintenance problems are shown. Three mono-cylinder compression ignition engines were tested for approximately 1000 h each, with pure diesel oil (D100), pure soy methyl ester (SME100) and pure castor oil methyl ester (CME100). The lubricating oil analysis didn’t reveal any excessive amount of metals compared to the engine with pure diesel. Viscosity decreased very soon to values below the minimum recommended due to dilution with the methyl esters, especially with SME100. The injection system analysis showed that opening pressures, hydraulic flux and corrosion levels were acceptable. The SME piston showed a very small crack. A higher amount of carbon deposits and gum formation was found over biofuel pistons, indicating poor combustion. Piston ring seating and gap were inside specification. Cylinder liners presented no damage on running surface. The valves presented abrasive and adhesive wear, contact fatigue for SME100 and marks at valve seating for CME100, considered acceptable after 1000 h of test. The results obtained show that the use of pure methyl esters fuels was acceptable for these engines regarding wear and maintenance problems.     

Combustion,performance and emissions of ULSD,PME and B50 fueled multi-cylinder diesel engine with naturally aspirated hydrogen

An experimental study was conducted on a diesel engine fueled with ultra-low sulfur diesel (ULSD), palm methyl ester (PME), a blended fuel containing 50% by volume each of the ULSD and PME, and naturally aspirated hydrogen, at an engine speed of 1800 rev min⁻¹ under five loads. Hydrogen was added to provide 10% and 20% of the total fuel energy. The following results are obtained with hydrogen addition. There is little change in peak in-cylinder pressure and peak heat release rate. The influence on fuel consumption and brake thermal efficiency is engine load and fuel dependent; being negative for the three liquid fuels at low engine loads but positive for ULSD and B50 and negligible for PME at medium-to-high loads. CO and CO₂ emissions decrease. HC decreases at medium-to-high loads, but increases at low loads. NO_x emission increases for PME only but NO₂ increases for the three liquid fuels. Smoke opacity, particle mass and number concentrations are all reduced for the three liquid fuels.     

Performance and combustion characteristic of CI engine fueled with hydrogen enriched diesel

The combustion of hydrogen–diesel blend fuel was investigated under simulated direct injection (DI) diesel engine conditions. The investigation presented in this paper concerns numerical analysis of neat diesel combustion mode and hydrogen enriched diesel combustion in a compression ignition (CI) engine. The parameters varied in this simulation included: H₂/diesel blend fuel ratio, engine speed, and air/fuel ratio. The study on the simultaneous combustion of hydrogen and diesel fuel was conducted with various hydrogen doses in the range from 0.05% to 50% (by volume) for different engine speed from 1000 – 4000 rpm and air/fuel ratios (A/F) varies from 10 – 80. The results show that, applying hydrogen as an extra fuel, which can be added to diesel fuel in the (CI) engine results in improved engine performance and reduce emissions compared to the case of neat diesel operation because this measure approaches the combustion process to constant volume. Moreover, small amounts of hydrogen when added to a diesel engine shorten the diesel ignition lag and, in this way, decrease the rate of pressure rise which provides better conditions for soft run of the engine. Comparative results are given for various hydrogen/diesel ratio, engine speeds and loads for conventional Diesel and dual fuel operation, revealing the effect of dual fuel combustion on engine performance and exhaust emissions.     

A comprehensive study on performance,emission and combustion behavior of a compression ignition engine fuelled with WCO (waste cooking oil) emulsion as fuel

This work aims at evaluating the performance, emission and combustion of a diesel engine fuelled with WCO (waste cooking oil obtained from palm oil) and its emulsion as fuel. A single cylinder water-cooled diesel engine was used. Base data was generated with diesel and neat WCO as fuels. Subsequently, WCO oil was converted into its emulsion and tested. Neat WCO resulted in higher smoke, hydrocarbon and carbon monoxide emissions as compared to neat diesel. Significant reduction in all emission was achieved with the WCO emulsion. Cylinder peak pressure and maximum rate of pressure rise were found to be higher with WCO emulsion as compared to neat WCO mainly at high power outputs. Ignition delay was found as higher with neat WCO and its emulsion. It is concluded that WCO emulsion can be used in diesel engines without any modifications in the engine with superior performance and reduced emissions at high power outputs.     

Investigations on the performance and exhaust emissions of a diesel engine using preheated waste frying oil as fuel

In the present experimental investigation, waste frying oil a non-edible vegetable oil was used as an alternative fuel for diesel engine. The high viscosity of the waste frying oil was reduced by preheating. The properties of waste frying oil such as viscosity, density, calorific value and flash point were determined. The effect of temperature on the viscosity of waste frying oil was evaluated. It was determined that the waste frying oil requires a heating temperature of 135 °C to bring down its viscosity to that of diesel at 30 °C. The performance and exhaust emissions of a single cylinder diesel engine was evaluated using diesel, waste frying oil (without preheating) and waste frying oil preheated to two different inlet temperatures (75 and 135 °C). The engine performance was improved and the CO and smoke emissions were reduced using preheated waste frying oil. It was concluded from the results of the experimental investigation that the waste frying oil preheated to 135 °C could be used as a diesel fuel substitute for short-term engine operation.     

Using HHO (Hydroxy) and hydrogen enriched castor oil biodiesel in compression ignition engine

Hydrogen and HHO enriched biodiesel fuels have not been investigated extensively for compression ignition engine. This study investigated the performance and emissions characteristics of a diesel engine fueled with hydrogen or HHO enriched Castor oil methyl ester (CME)-diesel blends. The production and blending of CME was carried out with a 20% volumetric ratio (CME20) using diesel fuel. In addition, the enrichment of intake air was carried out using pure HHO or hydrogen through the intake manifold with no structural changes – with the exception of the reduction of the amount of diesel fuel – for a naturally aspirated, four cylinder diesel engine with a volume of 3.6 L. Hydrogen amount was kept constant with a ratio of 10 L/min throughout the experiments. Engine performance parameters, including Brake Power, Brake Torque, Brake Specific Fuel Consumption and exhaust emissions – including NOx and CO, – were tested at engine speeds between 1200 and 2600 rpm. It is seen that HHO enriched CME has better results compared to pure hydrogen enrichment to CME. An average improvement of 4.3% with HHO enriched CME20 was found compared to diesel fuel results while pure hydrogen enriched CME20 fuel resulted with an average increase of 2.6%. Also, it was found that the addition of pure hydrogen to CME had a positive effect on exhaust gas emissions compared to that adding HHO. The effects of both enriched fuels on the engine performance were minimal compared to that of diesel fuel. However, the improvements on exhaust gas emissions were significant.     

Experimental studies on homogeneous charge CI engine fueled with LPG using DEE as an ignition enhancer

Producing and using renewable fuels for transportation is one approach for sustainable energy future for the world. A renewable fuel contributes lesser global climate change. The present work reports on the utilization of liquified petroleum gas (LPG) as a primary fuel with diethyl ether (DEE) as an ignition enhancer in a direct injection diesel engine. LPG has a simpler hydrocarbon structure than conventional fuels. DEE is recently reported as a renewable fuel and to be a low-emission high-quality diesel fuel replacement. A single cylinder, four-stroke, water-cooled naturally aspirated DI diesel engine having rated output of 3.7 kW at 1500 rpm was used for the experiments. Measurements were made to study the performance, combustion and emissions characteristics. From the results, it is observed that, the brake thermal efficiency lower by about 23% at full load with a reduction of about 65% NO emission than the diesel operation. The maximum reduction in smoke and particulate emissions is observed to be about 85% and 89%, respectively, when compared to that of diesel operation, however an increase in CO and HC emissions was observed.     

Investigation on the mixture formation,combustion characteristics and performance of a Diesel engine fueled with Diesel,Biodiesel B20 and hydrogen addition

An experimental and numerical study was performed to investigate the impact of Biodiesel B20 (blends 20% Rapeseed methyl ester with 80 % Diesel volumetric fraction) and different energetic fractions of hydrogen content (between 0 and 5%) on the mixture formation, combustion characteristics, engine performance and pollutant emissions formation. Experiments were carried out on a tractor Diesel engine, four-cylinders, four-stroke, 50 kW/2400 rpm, and direct injection. Simulations were conducted using the AVL codes (HYDSIM and BOOST 2013). Simulation results were validated against experimental data, by comparing the inline pressure, needle lift, in-cylinder pressure curves for Biodiesel B20 and pure Diesel fuels at 1400 rpm and 2400 rpm, respectively, under full load operating conditions. Good agreement with a maximum of 2.5% relative deviation on the peak results revealed that overall operation conditions Biodiesel B20 provides lower engine performance, efficiency, and emissions except the NOx which are slightly increased. The Biodiesel B20 has shorter ignition delay. By hydrogen addition to B20 with aspiration of the intake air flow the CO emissions, smoke, and total unburned hydrocarbon emissions THC decreased, while the NOx kept the same increasing trend for 1400 rpm and has not quite apparent trend for 2400 rpm. The enrichment by hydrogen of Diesel and B20 fuels has not a significant effect on ignition delay.     

Performance analysis of a mono-cylinder diesel engine using soy straight vegetable oil as fuel with varying temperature and injection angle

Experimental results are presented for a compression ignition engine with one cylinder refrigerated by air, fueled with soy straight vegetable oil (SVO), filtered at 500 nm and blended with diesel at volume percentages of 10, 30, 50, 70 and 100%. Performance tests varying the injection angle and the fuel temperature were conducted. The results show an increase in torque and power compared to pure diesel, especially with the SVO50 and SVO70 mixtures. However, there was an increase in the specific consumption, although engine efficiency was only slightly lower due to the lower heating value of oil. The use of SVO as fuel is feasible, but durability tests must be performed, mainly to discover potential maintenance problems.     

Combustion and performance evaluation of a diesel engine fueled with biodiesel produced from soybean crude oil

In this study, the biodiesel produced from soybean crude oil was prepared by a method of alkaline-catalyzed transesterification. The important properties of biodiesel were compared with those of diesel. Diesel and biodiesel were used as fuels in the compression ignition engine, and its performance, emissions and combustion characteristics of the engine were analyzed. The results showed that biodiesel exhibited the similar combustion stages to that of diesel, however, biodiesel showed an earlier start of combustion. At lower engine loads, the peak cylinder pressure, the peak rate of pressure rise and the peak of heat release rate during premixed combustion phase were higher for biodiesel than for diesel. At higher engine loads, the peak cylinder pressure of biodiesel was almost similar to that of diesel, but the peak rate of pressure rise and the peak of heat release rate were lower for biodiesel. The power output of biodiesel was almost identical with that of diesel. The brake specific fuel consumption was higher for biodiesel due to its lower heating value. Biodiesel provided significant reduction in CO, HC, NO_x and smoke under speed characteristic at full engine load. Based on this study, biodiesel can be used as a substitute for diesel in diesel engine.     

Properties and use of jatropha curcas oil and diesel fuel blends in compression ignition engine

In the present investigation the high viscosity of the jatropha curcas oil which has been considered as a potential alternative fuel for the compression ignition (C.I.) engine was decreased by blending with diesel. The blends of varying proportions of jatropha curcas oil and diesel were prepared, analyzed and compared with diesel fuel. The effect of temperature on the viscosity of biodiesel and jatropha oil was also studied. The performance of the engine using blends and jatropha oil was evaluated in a single cylinder C.I. engine and compared with the performance obtained with diesel. Significant improvement in engine performance was observed compared to vegetable oil alone. The specific fuel consumption and the exhaust gas temperature were reduced due to decrease in viscosity of the vegetable oil. Acceptable thermal efficiencies of the engine were obtained with blends containing up to 50% volume of jatropha oil. From the properties and engine test results it has been established that 40–50% of jatropha oil can be substituted for diesel without any engine modification and preheating of the blends.     

Analysis of combustion characteristics,engine performance and exhaust emissions of diesel engine fueled with upgraded waste source fuel

Utilization of the waste products as an alternative fuel could reduce the dependence on fossil fuel. The three types of upgraded waste source fuels discussed in this paper were tire derived fuel (TDF), waste plastic disposal fuel (WPD) and upgraded waste cooking oil (UWCO). The detailed combustion pressure showed that kinematic viscosity and cetane number played an important role in determining the combustion quality. TDF's high kinematic viscosity and low cetane number affected its fuel vaporization process; thus, lengthening its ignition delay. UWCO showed the 14% higher power and 13.8% higher torque compared to diesel fuel (DF). WPD produced the lowest NOx due to its low pressure curve during combustion. TDF had produced the highest exhaust emissions (CO, CO₂, NO and NOx). Particulate matter (PM) emissions by UWCO blends were lower than DF. UWCO's soot concentration was 40% lower than DF and increased to 62.5% from low to high engine speed operation.     

Experimental investigation of the performance and emissions of a heavy-duty diesel engine fueled with waste cooking oil biodiesel/ultra-low sulfur diesel blends

The major obstacle to biodiesel commercialization is the high cost of raw materials. Biodiesel from waste cooking oil is an economical source and thus an effective strategy for reducing the raw material cost. Using waste cooking oil also solves the problem of waste oil disposal. This study investigated the emissions of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), carcinogenic potencies and regulated matters, and brake specific fuel consumption from a heavy-duty diesel engine under the US-HDD transient cycle for five test fuels: ultra-low sulfur diesel (ULSD), WCOB5 (5 vol% biodiesel made from waste cooking oil + 95 vol% ULSD), WCOB10, WCOB20, and WCOB30. Experimental results indicate using ULSD/WCOB blends decreased PAHs by 7.53%-37.5%, particulate matter by 5.29%-8.32%, total hydrocarbons by 10.5%-36.0%, and carbon monoxide by 3.33%-13.1% as compared to using ULSD. The wide usage of WCOB blends as alternative fuels could protect the environment.     

Emulsification of waste cooking oil biodiesel blend with hydrogen peroxide to assess tailpipe emissions and performance of a compression ignition engine

Hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) is an excellent oxidant carrier that finds its use in combustion and fuel applications. In the present study, H₂O₂ (30% assay) is used as an emulsifier in waste cooking oil biodiesel blend (B20) and the emissions and performance in a compression ignition engine are assessed. Along with the neat B20, three blends of B20 with 0.5%, 1%, and 1.5% H₂O₂ concentrations are used. Increasing the concentration of H₂O₂ beyond 1.5% resulted in vapor lock in the fuel pump leading to a loss in injection pressure. An increase in the exhaust gas temperature was recorded with the increase in H₂O₂ concentration due to improved fuel properties, like, cetane number, thermal conductivity, and microexplosions of fuel droplets. However, NO_x emissions decreased mainly due to the presence of the hydroperoxyl group from H₂O₂. Analysis of variance was also carried out to assess the statistical significance of H₂O₂ on the responses and is seen that the maximum impact of H₂O₂ was positively influencing brake thermal efficiency (BTE), brake-specific fuel consumption (BSFC), hydrocarbon (HC), and NO_x. Compared with the B20 blend, H₂O₂ emulsified fuel with a concentration of 1.5% showed a substantial reduction of 53.7%, 28.6%, 14.2%, and 16.2% in the average emissions of CO, HC, smoke, and NO_x, respectively. Similarly, 7.9% and 7.1% improvement in the BTE and BSFC is obtained. However, more studies are required to ascertain the NO_x reduction mechanism and address issues of fuel vaporization at higher concentrations of H₂O₂.     

Effect of changing injection pressure on Mahua oil and biodiesel combustion with CeO2 nanoparticle blend on CI engine performance and emission characteristics

Alternative fuels have sparked a lot of interest as oil deposits have decreased and environmental concerns have grown. Biodiesel is an alternative fuel that is being researched as a possible replacement for fossil fuels. In the current investigation, the combustion performance, and emission characteristics of CI(Compression Ignition) engine were examined by changing the fuel injection pressure (180, 200, 220 and 240 bar). The biodiesel (B20) used in this analysis was obtained from Mahua oil at 20% v/v blended with neat diesel (20% Mahua Biodiesel + 80% Diesel). CeO₂(Cerium Oxide) nanoparticles were introduced to the B20 fuel at four distinct concentrations are 25, 50, 75, and 100 ppm. Performance characteristics such as BTE(Brake Thermal Efficiency) and BSFC(Brake Specific Fuel Consumption) were inferior to diesel, at 240 bar B20 with 25 ppm CeO₂ indicated 1.9% increased BTE and 3.8% reduced BSFC compared B20 and 6% lower EGT (Exhaust Gas Temperature) compared diesel. At 200 bar, fuel samples indicated slightly higher In-Cylinder pressure and lower HRR (Heat release rate) compared to diesel. At 200 bar FIP(Fuel Injection Pressure), HC(Hydro Carbon) and CO(Carbon Monoxide) emissions were reduced significantly compared to diesel. The largest reduction in smoke opacity and NOx(Nitrous Oxide) emissions were observed at 240 bar with 75 ppm dosage, but CO₂(Carbon Dioxide) emissions were higher at 220 bar.     

The viscosity of diesel oil and mixtures with straight vegetable oils: Palm, cabbage palm, cotton, groundnut, copra and sunflower

The feed back experience of using straight vegetable oil (SVO) as a fuel in the existing diesel engines evidences the need for fitting several physical properties, among them the fuel viscosity. An empirical modelling is proposed in order to interpolate viscosity to any kind of diesel oil/SVO blend. This model is fitted on an experimental viscosity database on blends, varying the SVO mass proportion in the blend, the blend temperature between cloud point and 353 K, and including six vegetable oils varying the fatty acids composition. Extrusion rheology was also checked by varying the pressure drop. Measurements show that blends behave Newtonian.