Utilization of renewable and sustainable microalgae biodiesel for reducing the engine emissions in a diesel engine

Abstract

Experiments and numerical analyses were used to evaluate the engine exhaust gas emissions of diesel, microalgae biodiesel (MAB), binary, and ternary MAB fuel blends for a single cylinder, compression ignition engine at varying loads (25, 50, and 100%) and compression ratio (15.5, 16.5, 17.5, and 18.5) conditions. Fuels employed in the work are diesel fuel (D100), microalgae biodiesel (MAB100), binary blends (DMAB20, DMAB40), ternary blends of MAB with addition of methanol (DMAB80M20). Data attained through experiments is compared with numerically obtained data through diesel-RK software. From the investigations it is identified that the exhaust gas temperature (EGT), and smoke, particulate matter (PM), nitrogen oxides (NOX) emissions from the engine tail pipe decreases with the adoption of MAB blends compared to D100. It is observed that the blending of 20% alcohols with biodiesel-diesel decreases the NOx emissions 48.0% and increase the carbon dioxide emission by 2.77% at 17.5 compression ratio. Smoke emission are reduced significantly by 12.7% for DMAB20 with 17.5 compression ratio. at full engine load condition. Also, it is noticed that methanol addition to DMAB blend further lowers the EGT and NOX emissions but escalates the smoke, PM and CO2 emissions.