Higher Alcohol Blends Research Articles

Experimental Investigation on the Effect of Graphene Oxide in Higher Alcohol Blends and Optimization of Injection Timing Using an ANN Method.

The use of alternative fuels in diesel engines has become more widespread due to a number of factors, including dwindling petroleum supplies, increasing prices for conventional fossil fuels, and environmental worries about pollutants and greenhouse gas emissions from internal combustion engines. Efficiency and emissions need to be appropriately balanced. Alcohols act as oxygenated fuels similar to octanol, offering a number of benefits over traditional fuels and can boost efficiency, enhance combustion, and reduce air pollution. Therefore, the research aimed to enhance the performance and combustion characteristics of a diesel and octanol blend using graphene oxide (GO) nanoparticles as a fuel additive in a single-cylinder diesel engine while reducing emissions. Research findings will contribute significantly to improving the physical and chemical properties of diesel and octanol blends, thereby mitigating the challenges of limited petroleum reserves and environmental concerns. A range of different blends of diesel and octanol were prepared on a volume/volume basis in proportions of D70OCT30, D60OCT40, and D50OCT50, and then GO was added as a fuel additive to the abovementioned blends in varied proportions (40, 60, and 80 ppm) resulting in nine blends. These blends were analyzed in terms of various performance, combustion, and emission characteristics, and the obtained results helped to shed light on the impact of GO as a fuel additive. The results indicated that the fuel blend D70OCT30GO0.006 yielded the highest values. Furthermore, it is highly imperative that we develop a model that can be used to predict engine behavior and its stability without having to run an engine. For this, a data-driven artificial neural network (ANN) model was developed to predict the optimized injection timing for better combustion and reduced emission. The efficiency and prediction capabilities of the model were compared to the experimental data, which indicated that the ANN model had a better prediction score. The injection timing of the engine was optimized from 21 °CA to 21.5 °CA, which increased the efficiency by 1%. The research findings showed significantly improved physical and chemical properties of the blends, thereby mitigating the challenges of limited petroleum reserves and environmental concerns.

Experimental study of combustion and cyclic variations in a CRDI engine fueled with heptanol/iso-propanol/butanol and diesel blends

The present study experimentally investigates main combustion, fuel injection, and cycle-by-cycle variations in a CRDI diesel engine fueled with blends of heptanol/iso-propanol/butanol and diesel. Two percentages of diesel and higher alcohol blends, denoted as D85HIB15 (85% diesel, 5% heptanol, 5% iso-propanol, 5% butanol) and D70HIB30 (70% diesel, 10% heptanol, 10% iso-propanol, 10% butanol), were utilized in the engine at different BMEPs (3.4, 5.2, and 6.9 bar). With increasing ratio of the alcohol blends in diesel, it was founded lower CPmax, PRRmax, and IMEP, prolonged ignition delay, earlier injection timing and combustion center, and also higher injection pressure compared to diesel fuel. Based on the standard deviation and coefficient of variation for 200 consecutive combustion data, diesel-HIB blends showed lower cyclic variations than conventional diesel under all test cases. Notable fluctuations in cycle-by-cycle injection pressure highlighted to cyclic combustion fluctuations. Finally, the relationship between main combustion parameters showed that the highest correlation was around 0.8 between CPmax and PRRmax for diesel-HIB blends at low load, and for pure diesel and D85HIB15 at medium load, indicating that there was a well linear relationship.

A comparative assessment of performance and emission characteristics of a DI diesel engine fuelled with ternary blends of two higher alcohols with lemongrass oil biodiesel and diesel fuel

Utilisation of high carbon alcohols in diesel engines as fuel is gaining importance among researchers because of its better fuel properties that are compatible with mineral diesel. The present study utilises two such alcohols namely octanol and decanol along with diesel and biodiesel derived from lemongrass. Two ternary blends, 50% by volume of diesel – 30% by volume of biodiesel – 20% by volume of octanol, and 50% by volume of diesel – 30% by volume of biodiesel – 20% by volume of decanol, were prepared, and different engine characteristics were analysed and compared with both neat diesel and biodiesel operation. Results indicated that peak cylinder pressure lowered with the ternary blend. Peak heat release rate was higher for octanol blend. When compared with octanol blend, 2.5% higher brake thermal efficiency was observed for decanol blend. However, still, the brake thermal efficiency was 3.5% lower than the diesel operation. The oxides of nitrogen emission for decanol blend were 4% lower than octanol blend. In general, smoke emission was lower for higher alcohol blends in comparison with the binary blend operation. Among the higher alcohol blends, octanol portrayed a 15% lower smoke opacity. Both the hydrocarbon emission and the carbon monoxide emission increased with higher alcohol blends. The study revealed that 1-decanol could be a potential fuel candidate for diesel engines operating with biomass-derived lemongrass oil biodiesel.

Experimental investigation on dispersing graphene-oxide in biodiesel/diesel/ higher alcohol blends on diesel engine using response surface methodology

ABSTRACT Lower alcohols have long been the figureheads of diesel/biodiesel additives in characterizing renewable fuels. Next-generation alcohol like n-octanol occupied the reified position due to their better fuel properties. In this paper, combustion, performance and, emission of different graphene-oxide nanoparticles (nanoGO) added jatropha biodiesel, n-octanol and petrodiesel blends are investigated in a 4-stroke DI diesel engine. This article also aims to optimize the engine inputs accountable for better performance and emission characteristics of a diesel engine running with nanoGO dispersed biodiesel/diesel/higher alcohol blends. Full Factorial Design-based Response Surface Methodology (RSM) is utilized to model the experiments using Design-Expert software to optimize engine responses. Validation of the developed model is carried out using sophisticated error and performance metrics, namely, TheilU2, Kling-Gupta Efficiency (K-G Eff), and Nash-Sutcliffe coefficient of efficiency (N-S Eff) along with the conventional statistical database. The model optimized engine inputs of 3.898% n-Octanol, and 49.772 ppm nanoGO at 99.2% load with a desirability index of 0.997 as the optimum engine parameters. The experimental validation revealed that the model optimized blend at full load witnessed a reduction of 15.6% CO, 21.78% HC.u, and 3.26% NOx emission compared to petrodiesel. However, a slight increase in brake specific energy consumption (2.95%) is also recorded because of the lower heating value of the blend.

Effect of design parameters on performance and emissions of a CI engine operated with diesel-biodiesel- higher alcohol blends

The present study attempts to study the influences of piston geometry, butanol fumigation, EGR, injection pressure and injection timing upon the performance and emissions of a light-duty DI diesel engine fuelled with diesel, Jatropha methyl ester (JME) and 20% by vol. of n-butanol/diesel blends. Experiments were designed based on Taguchi L18 orthogonal array that considered main fuel injection timing, EGR, premixing ratio of n-butanol with diesel, injection pressure, secondary injection timing, piston geometry, main injection fuel and secondary injection fuel as factors and NOx emission, smoke opacity and BSFC as responses. The best combination of the above factor levels were predicted by using desirability function. Results indicated that B20 injected at 20°CA bTDC with an injection pressure of 200 bar under 10% EGR alongside 40% by vol. of butanol/diesel fumigation with a premixing ratio of 20% at 9°CA aTDC in the engine fitted with a torroidal piston was predicted to deliver 359.13 ppm of NOx emissions, 74.83% of smoke opacity with 1.127kg/kWh of BSFC. The tests revealed that the predictions by using desirability function were within a reasonable accuracy of 10%.

Effect of higher and lower order alcohol blending with gasoline on performance, emission and combustion characteristics of SI engine

This investigation mainly focuses on the characteristic study on combustion, performance and emission of gasoline blended with lower order alcohol, i.e. ethanol and higher order alcohol, i.e. benzyl alcohol in the ratio of 10% and 20% by volume of the overall quantity. These two alcohols were blended with gasoline and investigated solely to find the comparison between higher and lower order alcohols and thus to identify the optimum blend based on the performance and emission characteristics. The blends were tested in a commercial two-cylinder 624 cc gasoline engine with multi-point fuel injection (MPFI) system and data acquisition capability. The fuel blends were tested at different loads ranging from 20% to 100% with a step size of 20% in ascending sequence. At full load, higher alcohol blend showed an improvement in brake thermal efficiency (BTE) of 32.8% and 33.2% for Bn10 and Bn20, when compared to neat gasoline 29.77% and BTE of lower alcohol registered a slight improvement in comparison to gasoline, i.e. 30.41% and 31.1% for E10 and E20 respectively. HC emissions were reduced to 70 ppm and 57 ppm for lower and higher alcohol blends respectively, which is lower compared to 88 ppm for gasoline. CO and CO2 emissions were reduced with both lower and higher alcohol blends in comparison with neat gasoline. NOx emissions show a reduction nature with alcohol blends when compared to neat gasoline at all the load conditions. It is perceived that based on the performance, emission and combustion characteristics, higher alcohol namely benzyl alcohol blend with gasoline is optimum.

Performance emission and combustion studies of diesel engine on Jatropha ethyl ester and its higher alcohol blends

Performance emission and combustion studies of diesel engine on Jatropha ethyl ester and its higher alcohol blends

Performance emission and combustion studies of diesel engine on Jatropha ethyl ester and its higher alcohol blends

Ethyl ester of Jatropha oil (JEE) was prepared using acid catalysed transesterification method. The physico-chemical properties of JEE were determined. Blends of JEE were prepared with 5%, 10%, 15% and 20% butanol on volumetric basis. Performance, emission and heat release analysis of different blends were carried in a single cylinder diesel engine. Brake thermal efficiency (BTE) with JEE and its blends was higher than diesel. The emissions of CO, NOx, and smoke for JEE and blends were lower while emission of HC was higher than diesel. The peak heat release rate for diesel and JEE100 were 135.41/°CA and 93.81 J/°CA.

Performance, Combustion, and Emission Analysis of Neat Palm Oil Biodiesel and Higher Alcohol Blends in a Diesel Engine

In this work, palm oil biodiesel (POBD100) with a cyclo-octanol additive was employed in a constant speed diesel engine, and its effects on engine combustion, emission, and performance were studied. The biodiesel produced from palm oil by the conventional transesterification process, sodium hydroxide, and methanol were involved in the conversion of oil into biodiesel. The five fuels evaluated were neat palm oil biodiesel (POBD100), octanol blended with palm oil biodiesel by 10% volume (POBD90O10), octanol blended with palm oil biodiesel by 20% volume (POBD80O20), octanol blended with palm oil biodiesel by 30% volume (POBD70O30), and petroleum diesel. The experimental results revealed that with the increased octanol fraction, the combustion was smooth. All the octanol and biodiesel blends provide earlier combustion when compared to neat palm oil biodiesel which leads to higher thermal efficiency, lower fuel consumption, lower peak pressure, and shorter ignition delay. All the emissions are reduced by the a...

Emissions analysis on mahua oil biodiesel and higher alcohol blends in diesel engine

High cetane number and energy content of octanol can be an excellent alternative fuels for existing diesel engines. It is necessary to have an extensive analysis on octanol asan additive in diesel engines. In this study neat mahua oil biodiesel is blended with different proportion of octanol in stationary diesel engine to observe its emission characteristics. Mahua oil biodiesel is prepared by conventional transesterification. The main aim of this study is to reduce various emissions of mahua oil biodiesel by appending octanol. This study discovered a significant reduction in all the emissions associated with mahua oil biodiesel by appending octanol at different proportions.

A comparative analysis on combustion and emissions of some next generation higher-alcohol/diesel blends in a direct-injection diesel engine

Higher alcohols are attractive next generation biofuels that can be extracted from sugary, starchy and ligno-cellulosic biomass feedstocks using sustainable pathways. Their viability for use in diesel engines has greatly improved ever since extended bio-synthetic pathways have achieved substantial yields of these alcohols using engineered micro-organisms. This study sets out to compare and analyze the effects of some higher alcohol/diesel blends on combustion and emission characteristics of a direct-injection diesel engine. Four test fuels containing 30% by vol. of iso-butanol, n-pentanol, n-hexanol and n-octanol (designated as ISB30, PEN30, HEX30 and OCT30 respectively) in ultra-low sulfur diesel (ULSD) were used. Results indicated that ISB30 experienced longest ignition delay and produced highest peaks of pressure and heat release rates (HRR) compared to other higher-alcohol blends. The ignition delay, peak pressure and peak HRR are found to be in the order of (from highest to lowest): ISB30>PEN30>HEX30>OCT30>ULSD. The combustion duration (CD) for all test fuels is in the sequence (from shortest to longest): ISB30<PEN30<HEX30<OCT30<ULSD. Experimental mass fraction burned profiles fitted using the Wiebe’s function revealed that the burning rate at the start of combustion is rapid for ISB30 followed by PEN30, HEX30, OCT30 and ULSD. From the emissions standpoint, NOx emissions decreased for all blends at low/medium loads but increased for PEN30 and HEX30 at high engine loads only. Smoke opacity is low for all blends due to their oxygenated nature and was of the order (from highest to lowest): ULSD>OCT30>HEX30>PEN30>ISB30. HC emissions are high for ISB30 and PEN30 while it decreased favorably for HEX30 and OCT30. It was of the order (from highest to lowest): ISB30>PEN30>ULSD>HEX30>OCT30. CO emissions of the blends followed the trend of smoke emissions and remained lower than ULSD with the following order (from highest to lowest): ULSD>OCT30>HEX30>PEN30>ISB30.