An emission control strategy in a low capacity single cylinder compression ignition engine powered with DEE blended fuels

Abstract

In this current research analysis, fuel modification technique is preferred on expending water, diesel, surfactants, and an ignition enhancer (Di-Ethyl Ether – DEE). The whole research analysis was conducted in six segments. In the first segment, neat diesel was used as a solitary fuel in a diesel engine to accomplish the reference readings. In the second segment, DEE was mixed with the neat diesel fuel in a fixed proportion (say, 98% neat diesel + 2% DEE & 96% neat diesel + 4% DEE), and in the third segment, water blended diesel emulsion fuels were synthesized (98% neat diesel + 2% water + surfactants & 96% diesel + 4% water + surfactants). In the fourth segment, DEE + water blended emulsion fuels were synthesized (98% neat diesel + 2% water + surfactant + DEE & 96% neat diesel + 4% water + surfactants + DEE) systematically. In the fifth segment, the fuel properties, stability were investigated, and eventually, in the sixth segment, the prepared stable fuels were subjected for the experimental investigations in a CI engine. It was examined that the fuel (which contained 96% Diesel, 4% water, surfactants and DEE) was the best candidate among the tested fuels due to effects of micro explosions and secondary atomization. At the maximum load, the performance attributes (such as brake specific fuel consumption and brake thermal efficiency) of 96D4H2OSDEE observed as 0.274 kg/kWh and 30.82%, whereas, it was 0.331 kg/kWh and 25.52% for the neat diesel respectively. With regards to emission attributes, the emissions of NOx and HC for the 96D4H2OSDEE were 1.2 g/kWh and 0.12 g/kWh, while compared to that of 1.5 g/kWh and 0.14 g/kWh ppm for the neat diesel fuel at the 4000 W. Similar trend was also reflected in terms of smoke opacity, at the full load, the level of smoke opacity observed was 55% for 96D4H2OSDEE, whereas, it was 79%, for the neat diesel fuel.