Diesel Fuel Additives: an Overview

Abstract

Diesel engines are widely used for transportation and power generation due to its better performance, reliability and durability. For the past three decades, there has been a consistent worldwide demand for the diesel fuel and quality, which resulted in degraded engine performance and increased pollutant concentration. At present demand for better diesel fuel is more. Diesel fuel quality can be improved either by better processing or with the use of additives. Additive treated fuel contributes to improve the performance, reduce emissions and gives longer life of the engine. Detergents and dispersant, cleanliness additive, cetane improver, combustion modifier and multifunctional additives are the major groups of additives. Detergent additives effectively prevent the buildup deposits, while dispersant include cleaning and disperse particulate matter in an extremely fine state. Cleanliness additives are organic detergents, to prevent deposits formation in the fuel injection system and maintain the injection system cleanliness over the useful life of the engine. Cetane improvers control the ignitability of diesel fuel, when it is sprayed into the combustion chamber and reduce the ignition delay period for the fuel. Combustion modifier is a group of metallic or ash containing additive, which is added in the fuel with a level of parts per million. The objective of the present paper is to give an overview about performance and emission of the combustion improving diesel fuel additives.