Effect of alcohol additives on diesel engine performance: a review

ABSTRACT

Environmental hazards are peaking as carbon dioxide emissions have exceeded critical levels. Therefore, finding and applying renewable and clean energy sources to compensate for energy needs is extremely urgent. Alcohol compounds such as methanol, ethanol, butanol, etc. emerging as renewable fuel sources with the potential to replace diesel fuel used in internal combustion engines. With properties favourable to conventional fuels such as high oxygen content, high latent heat, low viscosity and density, alcohol-based chemicals are greatly interested in researchers on internal combustion engines. The use of alcohol-based biofuels with low blending ratios in pure diesel or/and biodiesel fuel is seen as the alcohol additive used in compression ignition engines. In this work, a wide assessment was made of the properties of alcohol additives as well as their effect on their ability to improve combustion characteristics and engine performance when alcohol additives are used in diesel engines. By in-depth discussion and analysis of recently surveyed results on the potential to improve and double impact on brake thermal efficiency, specific fuel consumption, and exhaust gas temperature, some prospects on the application of alcohol-based additives in CI engines were also given in the conclusion.

KEYWORDS:

• Alcohol additives
• diesel engine
• renewable energy
• specific fuel consumption
• brake thermal efficiency
• exhaust gas temperature

Disclosure statement

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

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