Compatibility Effects of Waste Cooking Oil Biodiesel Blend on Fuel System Elastomers in Compression Ignition Engines.

Alternative energy sources, such as biodiesel, play a vital role in environmental protection. Waste cooking oil (WCO) biodiesel has promising applications in compression ignition engines. A major problem regarding biodiesel implementation is the deterioration and materials incompatibility of existing fuel system components with biodiesel. Variations in the composition of fuel prompted by the inclusion of biodiesel cause a variety of issues in diesel engine fuel systems where the elastomer is generally utilized as the fuel hose material and sealings. In this experimental work, the effects of the diesel and WCO biodiesel blends (B8, B16, B24, and B100) on Buna-N, ethylene propylene rubber (EPR), and polystyrene (PS) were examined by the immersion test, which was conducted for 160 h at various immersion temperatures of 30, 60, and 80 °C, respectively. The study also showed that the use of elastomer materials like Buna-N, EPR, and PS in diesel engines fueled up to 20% WCO biodiesel blends is advantageous; the overall compatibility improves by 100% compared to that obtained using neat diesel. The outcome revealed remarkable behavior changes, including a minor increase in volume and a slight loss in tensile strength and hardness compared to that observed using neat diesel fuel. The expansion of rubber materials increases over 60 °C, although the rate of this process decreases above 80 °C. It has been found that the expansion of rubber materials is unaffected by the acid concentration of the WCO biodiesel blends but significantly affected by the moisture content.

Experimental Study on Sustainability Involving the Pugh Matrix on Emission Values of High-Temperature Air in the Premixed Charged Compression Ignition Engine.

The main aim of the study was to reduce carbon emissions in the atmosphere using a novel Andropogon narudus (AN) biofuel using higher air temperatures and reducing the consumption of conventional fossil fuel (diesel). The use of a heat exchange chamber within the air intake manifold is a popular method to reduce hydrocarbon (HC) and carbon monoxide (CO) emissions during cold starts. A premixed charged compression ignition engine in the dual-fuel mode was used in this study with raw diesel, raw AN oil, AN70+D30, AN80+D20, AN80+D20 (35 °C), AN80+D20 (40 °C), and AN80+D20 (45 °C). A chamber was designed and analyzed to measure the exit temperature and density change and to determine the reduction in volumetric efficiency of the engine, using Ansys Fluent software. A sustainability assessment study was performed to understand the feasibility of the fuel and the design using the Pugh Matrix. The fuel AN80+D20 with an air temperature of 45 °C was found to be superior to all other fuels in terms of brake thermal efficiency, reaching at 32.1%. D100 used the least amount of energy, whereas AN80+D20 used the most. Engine HC emission was at the lowest (45.01 ppm) for AN80+D20 fuel at 45 °C air input and reached the highest (50 ppm) for AN100 fuel. With an air temperature of 45 °C, CO emission was at its lowest for AN80+D20 gasoline (0.018%) and was at its highest for AN100 (0.072%). Nitrogen oxide emissions were the highest for AN80+D20 fuel with an air temperature of 45 °C, with an air concentration of 1254 ppm, whereas they were the lowest for AN100 (900 ppm). CO2 values were reduced, with D100 showing the lowest levels and AN100 showing the highest. The smoke emission was minimum for AN80+D20 fuel at 45 °C, with a smoke number of 15 compared to 33 for D100 fuel. As per the Pugh Matrix assessment, AN80+D20 with 35 °C air temperature had higher scores compared to all of the other fuel mixtures.

Investigation into the Ideal Concoction for Performance and Emissions Enhancement of Jatropha Biodiesel-Diesel with CuO Nanoparticles Using Response Surface Methodology.

The present work covers the preparation of biodiesel from jatropha oil through the transesterification process followed by its characterization, and furthermore, performance and emission analyses were done in terms of blending biodiesel with fossil diesel and CuO nanoparticles. Jatropha biodiesel blends (B10, B20, and B30) were chosen for this preliminary investigation based on the observation that B20 outperformed other blends. Next stage B20 with copper oxide (CuO) nanoparticle concentrations of 25, 50, 75, and 50 ppm are used to examine the performance and emission characteristics of a constant speed single cylinder, 4-stroke, 3.5 kW compression ignition (CI) engine. Finally, The response surface methodology (RSM) was utilized to determine the optimal nanoparticle concentration for B20. The results revealed that the blend of B20 with 80 ppm nanoparticles had the highest desirability (0.9732), and the developed RSM model was able to predict engine responses with a mean absolute percentage error (MAPE) of 3.113%. A confirmation test with an error in prediction of less than 5% verified the model's adequacy. When comparing optimized B20CuO80 to diesel, brake specific energy consumption (BSEC) increased by 8.49% and brake thermal efficiency (BTE) was lowered by 3.34%. Hydrocarbon (HC), carbon monoxide (CO), carbon dioxide (CO2), nitrogen oxide (NOx), and smoke emissions were reduced by 3.66% and 2.88%, 4.78%, 22.9%, and 20.54%, respectively, at 80% load. As a result, the B20 blend with nanoparticle concentrations of 80 ppm may be used in current diesel engines without engine modification.

Enhancing Performance and Emission Characteristics of Biodiesel-Operated Compression Ignition Engines through Low Heat Rejection Mode and Antioxidant Additives: A Review.

Depending on the heat content and compression ignition (CI) engine combustion, biodiesel is a viable substitute fuel. Biodiesel is an oxygenated, safe, sulfur-free, biodegradable, and renewable fuel. It may be utilized in CI engines in any combination with diesel fuel without requiring the engine to be significantly modified. Many research studies have been made with several biodiesels as diesel substitutes, including Pongamia pinnata, Jatropha curcas, Mangifera indica, and Madhuca longifolia. The topic of the current review is the potential of renewable fuels to outperform diesel fuel in terms of performance, combustion, and emission characteristics. In the present study, CI engines are fueled with biodiesels made from Man. indica, Mad. longifolia, and pongamia seed oil. Adopting low heat rejection (LHR) mode CI engines and adding an antioxidant agent in addition to the biodiesel blends may resolve the issue of these biodiesels' poorer performance and increased NO emission. Both these additions may provide positive approaches in both performance and emission.

Performance and Emission Analysis of Biodiesel Blends in a Low Heat Rejection Engine with an Antioxidant Additive: An Experimental Study.

The rapid depletion of crude oil and environmental degradation necessitate the search for alternative fuel sources for internal combustion engines. Biodiesel is a promising alternative fuel for compression ignition (CI) engines due to its heat content and combustion properties. Biodiesel blends are used in various vehicles and equipment, such as cars, trucks, buses, off-road vehicles, and oil furnaces. Biodiesel can reduce emissions from CI engines by up to 75% and improve engine durability due to its high lubricity. However, biodiesel has some drawbacks, including a performance reduction and increased nitrogen oxide emissions. Therefore, this study aims to investigate using environmentally available biodiesel in a low-heat rejection engine and an antioxidant additive to enhance the performance and reduce nitrogen oxide emissions. India currently has several biodiesel sources, including mango seed oil, mahua oil, and pongamia oil, which can be effectively utilized in CI engines by adding l-ascorbic acid. The experimental work involves a single-cylinder 4-stroke water-cooled direct injection CI engine with a power output of 5.2 kW. The engine's cylinder head, piston head, and valves are coated with lanthanum oxide using the plasma spray coating technique, with a thickness of 0.5 mm. The coated and uncoated engines are tested with different proportions of mahua oil, mango seed oil, and pongamia oil. The results show that the engine's performance is significantly improved compared to the baseline engine at all loads. Additionally, these biodiesels exhibit a notable reduction in nitrogen oxide emissions when combined with l-ascorbic acid.

Challenges and Opportunities of Low Viscous Biofuel-A Prospective Review.

Under the roof of solid industrialization and accelerated intensification of multiple ranges of mobilization, a huge rise in precious fuel consumption and pollution was observed. Based on the recent hardships of fossil fuels, experts are undoubtedly eager in carrying out their research in renewable environment-friendly fuels. There have been many reviews of works considering the parameters and standards of biodiesel, which is only from various vegetable and seed oils. But very little review work was carried out on only plant-based biofuel. Plant-based fuel has a lower viscosity and higher volatility properties. The target of this review was to make a bridge to overcome these research gaps. This review extensively studies the biological background, production outcome, properties, and reliability of plant-based biofuel and also deeply investigates the feasibility of usage in a diesel engine. From deep investigation it was identified that most of the low viscous fuel had higher brake thermal efficiency (BTE) (2% to 4%) and NOx emission (5% to 10%) than high viscous biodiesel. The formation of hydrocarbon (HC), CO, and smoke emission was similar to high viscous biodiesel. Overall, the low viscous fuel effectively improves the engine behaviors.

Experimental Investigation for Determining an Ideal Algal Biodiesel-Diesel Blend to Improve the Performance and Mitigate Emissions Using a Response Surface Methodology.

The ongoing depletion of the world's fossil fuel sources and environmental damage has compelled the quest for alternative energy. Excellent characteristics of biodiesel include its renewable nature, safety, absence of sulfur, environmental advantages, and biodegradability, which can eradicate the above problems. In this study, algal oil was characterized to obtain the fatty acid profile, and the free fatty acid value of algal oil suggested a two-step process of esterification and transesterification for efficient biodiesel production. The performance and emission results of biodiesel and its blends (B10, B20, and B30) were investigated in a constant speed, single-cylinder, 4-stroke, 3.5 kW compression ignition engine at different loads for arriving at an appropriate fuel blend ratio. The response surface methodology technique is used to predict the ideal composition of microalgae-diesel using the experimental data with due weightage for the optimization criterion. The predicted blend ratio of B25 was tested on the engine and authenticated. The findings recorded an improvement in brake thermal efficiency to 31.42% and reduction in brake specific energy consumption to 9.82 MJ/kW h, unburned hydrocarbon to 85 ppm, carbon monoxide to 0.164% v/v, carbon dioxide to 4.115% v/v, nitrogen oxides to 691 ppm, and smoke opacity to 16.93%.

Effect of Kariba Weed Biodiesel Blended with n-Pentane on the Chosen Parameters of a Ceramic-Coated Thermal Barrier Direct Injection Diesel Engine.

In this experimental investigation, Kariba weed biodiesel (KSB) blended with n-pentane has been tested in conventional and ceramic-coated thermal barrier engines, and the results have been compiled and presented. A single-cylinder, four-stroke, direct injection diesel engine has been used as the test engine with eddy current dynamometer loading as used in the experimental setup. The tests were repeated in various ambient conditions to get an optimal value. Ceramic coating has been done with partially stabilized zirconia by the plasma arc spraying process. Among the quantum of tests conducted, 90% KSB blended with 10% n-pentane showed appreciable results when it was compared with the test fuel (neat diesel). The brake thermal efficiency and brake-specific fuel consumption were found to be better when compared with neat diesel. At increasing load, unburnt hydrocarbon, carbon monoxide, and smoke opacity emissions were appreciably reduced.

Experimental Studies on Thermal-Barrier-Coated Engine Fuelled by a Blend of Eucalyptus Oil And DEE.

The present experiment deals with the study of the effect of addition of diethyl ether (DEE) on the performance and emission characteristics of a thermal-barrier-coated (TBC) engine run on papaw (Carica papaya) and eucalyptus oil blends. The fuels studied were test blends, CPME30Eu70 (papaw methyl ester 30% and eucalyptus oil 70%) and CPME30Eu70 + 10% DEE, and diesel. Optimum results were obtained for CPME30Eu70 with DEE in a TBC engine. The addition of DEE creates a lean mixture, and its low viscosity, high cetane number, and volatility improve the performance of biofuel-powered engines. The investigation shows that the addition of 10% DEE gives the best results in brake-specific energy consumption (BSEC), brake-specific fuel consumption (BSFC), and brake thermal efficiency (BTE). The BTE of the DEE-adapted CPME30Eu70 blend was 32.2%, whereas for diesel it was 31.8%, which was 1.2% higher than that of CPME30Eu70 at normal mode of operation. The addition of DEE to CPME30Eu70 reduced BSEC and BSFC by 8.9 and 7.2%, respectively, compared to a non-coated engine powered by CPME30Eu70. The combination of DEE and CPME30Eu70 nominally decreased nitrogen oxide emissions. The carbon monoxide and hydrocarbon emissions of CPME30Eu70 after DEE addition were 0.195% vol. and 38 ppm, respectively, which were 13.3 and 5.1% lower than those for CPME30Eu70 powered by a compression ignition engine. The experiment found that adding DEE to CPME30Eu70 could improve its atomization and spray characteristics. Moreover, the performance and emission characteristics of the CPME30Eu70-powered engine were enhanced.

Quantitative Analysis of Solar Photovoltaic Panel Performance with Size-Varied Dust Pollutants Deposition Using Different Machine Learning Approaches.

In this paper, the impact of dust deposition on solar photovoltaic (PV) panels was examined, using experimental and machine learning (ML) approaches for different sizes of dust pollutants. The experimental investigation was performed using five different sizes of dust pollutants with a deposition density of 33.48 g/m2 on the panel surface. It has been noted that the zero-resistance current of the PV panel is reduced by up to 49.01% due to the presence of small-size particles and 15.68% for large-size (ranging from 600 µ to 850 µ). In addition, a significant reduction of nearly 40% in sunlight penetration into the PV panel surface was observed due to the deposition of a smaller size of dust pollutants compared to the larger size. Subsequently, different ML regression models, namely support vector machine (SVMR), multiple linear (MLR) and Gaussian (GR), were considered and compared to predict the output power of solar PV panels under the varied size of dust deposition. The outcomes of the ML approach showed that the SVMR algorithms provide optimal performance with MAE, MSE and R2 values of 0.1589, 0.0328 and 0.9919, respectively; while GR had the worst performance. The predicted output power values are in good agreement with the experimental values, showing that the proposed ML approaches are suitable for predicting the output power in any harsh and dusty environment.