Evaluation of combustion, performance and emission characteristics of a diesel engine fuelled with diesel – jojoba biodiesel – n butanol with multi-walled carbon nanotube as fuel additive

Abstract

This experimental investigation is aimed at assessing the effects of blended jojoba-biodiesel, neat-diesel and n-butanol with variable proportions of MWCNT in a diesel engine. The jojoba bio-oil was extracted using mechanical expulsion-solvent extraction combinational methods and it was transformed into its biodiesel by using a base-catalysed transesterification process. The aqueous nano-solution of MWCNT was prepared using a Tween80 surfactant to ensure prolonged stability and the test fuel formulation was based on Taguchi’s DOE approach. A 5.2 kW diesel engine with CR 17.5, 1500 rpm and 23obTDC IT was deployed to evaluate the engine’s performance. The outcomes of nano-blended fuel, especially D70JJBD20O10CNT100 were compared with diesel and diesel–biodiesel-oxygenate-nano fuel blends. The results showed that the BTE, ROHR, ROPR and in-cylinder pressure were elevated by 8.87, 32.21, 26.72 and 11.27%, respectively and the BSFC, ID, UBHC, CO, CO₂ and smoke were significantly reduced by 14.68, 27.20, 10.23, 26.25, 14.17 and 17.52%, respectively.

KEYWORDS:

• Biodiesel
• multiwalled carbon-nanotube
• n-butanol
• performance
• combustion
• emission

Disclosure statement

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