Influence of introducing clove antioxidant into blends of diesel and biodiesel fuels on engine performance

Abstract

The utilization of biodiesel as fuel in diesel engines leads to increased NO emissions, which is a significant pollutant that needs to be promptly mitigated. This can be achieved by incorporating natural antioxidants as an additive to suppress the NO emissions. The main focus of the current experimental investigation is to analyze the engine characteristics of Mahua biodiesel by incorporating clove as a natural antioxidant in diesel fuel. The tests encompassed a wide set of engine functioning conditions including varying loads, to ensure comprehensive analysis. The results showed a significant improvement in brake thermal efficiency, with a value of 25.7% for the blend of Mahua biodiesel at 20% concentration with diesel, compared to 24.6% for the blend of Mahua biodiesel at 20% concentration with diesel fuel containing 1000 ppm of clove extract, and 23.9% for the blend of Mahua biodiesel at 20% concentration with diesel fuel containing 2000 ppm of clove extract. The intriguing observation witnessed is that when Mahua biodiesel was blended at a 20% concentration with diesel fuel containing 2000 ppm of clove extract, it resulted in a significant percentage reduction in NO emissions by 7.7%, HC emissions by 8.8%, CO emissions by 28%, and smoke opacity by 9.9% compared to the blend of Mahua biodiesel at 20% concentration with diesel.