Mathematical modelling for predicting performance and emissions of a diesel engine fuelled with palm kernel biodiesel–diesel-diethyl carbonate fuel blends

Abstract

The search for environmentally friendly and sustainable alternatives to conventional diesel fuels has prompted investigations into blends of biodiesel and oxygenated additives like diethyl carbonate. This study focuses on developing mathematical models to predict the performance and emissions of a single-cylinder diesel engine running on palm kernel biodiesel blended with varying proportions of diethyl carbonate. Response Surface Methodology with a general factorial design was employed to create mathematical models for brake thermal efficiency, brake-specific fuel consumption, hydrocarbon, carbon monoxide, and oxides of nitrogen emissions. The two input variables were engine load (five levels) and diethyl carbonate percentage in the fuel blend (five levels). Second-order models were developed, and model fit was evaluated using analysis of variance (ANOVA) at 95% confidence. The developed RSM models showed excellent fit with high R-squared values close to unity, satisfying the model adequacy criteria. ANOVA revealed the models to be statistically significant predictors of the response variables based on load and diethyl carbonate percentage. The optimum operating condition for best performance and emissions balance was found to be 71% load and 10% diethyl carbonate inclusion. The study emphasises the importance of alternative fuels in mitigating environmental pollution and reducing dependence on fossil fuels.

KEYWORDS:

• ANOVA
• biodiesel
• diethyl carbonate
• mathematical modeling
• response surface methodology
• alternative fuels

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank the faculties and staff of the National Institute of Technology and Tripura Institute of Technology Narsingarh for their support.

Data availability

All data generated or analyzed during this study are included in this article.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).