Modeling and Optimization of a Compression Ignition Engine Fueled with Biodiesel Blends for Performance Improvement

This study investigates the potential of green-synthesized nanoparticles (NPs) doped with a 20% biodiesel blend to enhance the performance and emissions characteristics of a compression ignition (CI) engine. The green synthesis of NPs offers an environmentally friendly alternative to conventional methods, while the addition of biodiesel provides a renewable fuel source. Experimental trials were conducted using various concentrations of NP-doped biodiesel blends in a CI engine. Performance parameters such as brake specific fuel consumption (BSFC), brake thermal efficiency (BTE), and exhaust gas temperature (EGT) were measured. Additionally, emissions profiles, including smoke intensity, carbon monoxide (CO), oxides of nitrogen (NOx), and unburned hydrocarbons (HC), were analyzed. The results demonstrated that the incorporation of NP-doped biodiesel blends led to significant improvements in engine performance. A reduction in BSFC and an increase in BTE were observed, indicating enhanced fuel efficiency. Furthermore, the NP-doped blends contributed to a substantial decrease in smoke, NOx and other harmful emissions, suggesting a positive environmental impact. This research highlights the promising potential of green-synthesized NPs and biodiesel blends as a sustainable and efficient fuel alternative for CI engines.

The study examined the efficiency and exhaust features of a compression ignition (CI) engine powered by a blends of biodiesel and diesel enriched with H2 at distinct engine speeds, blending rates and hydrogen flow rates. For the experimental tests, a mono-cylinder water-cooled Kirloskar CI engine with a nominal power of 8.5 kW was used to measure brake power, brake specific consumption and torque, and emissions, including NOx, CO2, and CO. The biodiesel blends (SDMB 10 and SDMB 20) have been optimised by a response surface methodology with central compositing to maximise braking power and minimise fuel consumption and emissions. The hydrogen supplementation has significantly improved the combustion characteristics, increased braking power and torque while reducing brake-specific fuel consumption (BSFC) and CO emissions, especially at higher hydrogen flow rates (6 L per minute). NOx emissions showed a slight increase with hydrogen enrichment, while CO2 control remained difficult. The multi-mode optimization has demonstrated optimum operating conditions, reaching high values of power (7.74 kW), torque (26.82 Nm), fuel efficiency (243.16 g BSCF) and emissions, emphasizing the balance between performance and environmental performance. This study confirms the potential of blending microalgae-enriched biodiesel with H2 to refine the performance of CI engines with acceptable emission profiles.

Experimental investigations on the performance of SI engine with Ethanol-Premium gasoline blends

A hybrid power generating system comprising a down draft gasifier and 5.5 kW diesel engine coupled to a 5 KVA AC generator was evaluated with biodiesel and high speed diesel (HSD) blend (B10) as well as producer gas and B10 in dual fuel mode (B10PG). The producer gas and biodiesel were produced from wood chips and jatropha oil, respectively. The performance and emission parameters of the system such as brake specific fuel consumption (BSFC), brake thermal efficiency (BTE), overall efficiency of the system (OES), CO and CO2 were measured at variable loads (0, 50, 75 and 100% of load corresponding to load at maximum power) maintaining the rated engine speed (1500 rpm). Minimum BSFC and maximum BTE were observed at 100% engine loading and were 269.95 g/kWh, 31.86%; 346.57 g/kWh, 24% and 279.29 g/kWh, 31% for B10, B10PG and HSD, respectively. Reduction in calorific value of B10PG could be the reason for higher BSFC and lower BTE. The maximum OES was found to be 25.49%, 19.18% and 24.43% for B10, B10PG and HSD, respectively. As compared to HSD, CO and CO2 emissions for B10PG were found to be 18% higher and 6% lower, respectively whereas for B10, both these emissions were reduced by 9 and 2%, respectively. The increased CO emission with B10PG was due to less oxygen availability, which led to incomplete combustion. The developed system was found operating satisfactorily with dual fuel mode and on an average 70% of HSD replacement was possible.

This experimental study investigates the impact of biodiesel derived from Jatropha oil and multiwalled carbon nanotubes (CNTs) on the performance and emissions of a diesel engine. The analysis involved five fuel conditions: pure diesel (D), diesel blended with 50% biodiesel (DB50), diesel blended with 80% biodiesel (DB80), diesel blended with 50% biodiesel and CNTs (DB50C), and diesel blended with 80% biodiesel and CNTs (DB80C). The results indicate that biodiesel blends, particularly those enhanced with CNTs, significantly improve fuel efficiency and engine performance. Blends with additives (DB50C and DB80C) exhibited higher brake power (BP) and lower brake‐specific fuel consumption (BSFC) across various engine speeds, indicating more effective energy conversion and better fuel economy. Moreover, emissions analysis revealed that biodiesel blends with CNTs significantly reduce harmful emissions. Emissions of carbon monoxide (CO), unburned hydrocarbons (UHCs), and nitrogen oxide (NO x ) were consistently lower for DB50C and DB80C compared to D. The most notable reduction of 23.9% in NO x emissions occurred at an engine speed of 2200, while CO and UHC emissions were reduced by 17.8% and 15.4%, respectively, at engine speeds of 1600 rpm. These findings suggest that the use of biodiesel with CNT additives not only increases combustion efficiency but also contributes to cleaner engine operation. This study emphasizes the potential of biodiesel, especially when combined with advanced nanoparticles, as a practical and environmentally friendly alternative to conventional diesel fuel.

This work investigated and compared the impact on performance and emission characteristics of diesel engine fueled with five different proportions of biodiesel blends. Firstly, the three-dimensional simulation software CONVERGE was used to create a 3D simulation model of in-cylinder combustion for a diesel engine. Secondly, the experimental data of cylinder pressure and NOx emissions at 50% and 100% loads were employed to verify the simulation model. Finally, the combustion processes of blends with proportions of 0%, 5%, 10%, 15%, and 20% biodiesel were simulated and compared by using the model. The study showed that the brake thermal efficiencies (BTEs) of biodiesel blends with 5%, 10%, 15%, and 20% of biodiesel were increased by 1.24%, 1.89%, 3.13%, and 3.82% at 50% load, respectively, compared with pure diesel. In addition, the soot emissions were decreased by 1.20%, 2.64%, 3.88%, and 4.65%, respectively. However, as the proportion of biodiesel in the biodiesel blends increased, the brake specific fuel consumption (BSFC) and NOx emissions increased. At 50% load, the BSFCs of biodiesel blends with 5%, 10%, 15%, and 20% of biodiesel increased by 0.61%, 1.34%, 1.42%, and 2.17%, respectively, compared with pure diesel. Additionally, the brake powers (BPs) were decreased by 0.64%, 1.31%, 1.88%, and 2.62% at 100% load, respectively.

Prediction of emissions and performance of a diesel engine fueled with n-octanol/diesel blends using response surface methodology

Day-by-day there is a huge demand for alternative fuel. The effort has been taken by the authors to improve the performance of engine. In addition to this the current experimental work is carried out to find out the performance and emission characteristics of single-cylinder four-stroke diesel engine. For experimental work mixture of biodiesel B100 (50% cottonseed + 25% orange peel oil + 25% neem oil) B10 (90% diesel + 10% B100), and B20 (80% diesel + 20% B100) were used. It is found that nanoparticles have some contribution in the improvement of performance of diesel engine. In present study, copper and zinc oxides nanoparticles used in the blend. These nanoparticles are mixed in biodiesel blends at various parts per million (ppm) levels by using ultrasonic vibrator. As a result of this, it is found that addition of copper oxide nanoparticle to B20CuO50 results in enhancement of brake power (BP) by 3.33%, brake thermal efficiency (BTE) by 9.6% with a reduction in brake specific fuel consumption (BSFC) by 5.88% compared to diesel at maximum load. The emission parameters such as CO2, CO, and NOx slightly increase but HC increases higher for B20CuO50 at maximum load.

This study investigates the effects of varying waste swine oil biodiesel blends on the emission characteristics and efficiency of a compression ignition (CI) engine. Through a series of controlled experiments, the engine was operated under a constant load of 25% across different speeds ranging from 1200 to 1800 rpm. This study meticulously recorded the emissions of carbon monoxide (CO), hydrocarbons (HC), carbon dioxide (CO2), nitrogen oxides (NOx), and particulate matter (PM), along with performance metrics, including Brake Specific Fuel Consumption (BSFC) and Brake Thermal Efficiency (BTE). The results revealed a clear inverse relationship between biodiesel blend percentage and emissions of CO, HC, and PM. CO emissions decreased from 0.76 at 1200 rpm to 0.22 at 1800 rpm for the B80 blend, compared to pure diesel. Similarly, HC emissions showed a decline from 36 to 20 for the B80 blend. Conversely, CO2 and NOx emissions increased in higher biodiesel blends, with CO2 peaking at 2.9 for the B80 blend and NOx emissions rising from 103 for pure diesel to 165 for the B80 blend. PM emissions also decreased with higher blends, from 15 in pure diesel to 10 in the B80 blend. This comprehensive analysis reveals that while biodiesel significantly reduces specific emissions, it also poses challenges in terms of increased fuel consumption and reduced thermal efficiency. The findings emphasize the need for advanced engine technologies and optimization strategies to harness the full potential of biodiesel as a sustainable and environmentally friendly alternative to diesel.

In this study, cottonseed oil biodiesel and waste lard biodiesel were produced through a transesterification process and blended with conventional diesel at different ratios (B10 and B20). The performance and emission characteristics of these fuels were systematically evaluated in a single-cylinder, four-stroke, water-cooled diesel engine operating at speeds of 1000–1800 rpm under a constant 50% load. The physicochemical properties of the fuels were analyzed, and engine parameters including brake-specific fuel consumption (BSFC), brake thermal efficiency (BTE), exhaust gas temperature (EGT), and emissions of carbon monoxide (CO), hydrocarbon (HC), carbon dioxide (CO2), and nitrogen oxides (NOx) were measured. The results demonstrated that, compared with diesel, biodiesel blends significantly reduced CO, HC, and CO2 emissions. At 1800 rpm, the LB20 blend showed reductions of 31.03% in CO, 47.06% in HCs, and 19.14% in CO2 relative to diesel. These reductions are mainly attributed to the higher oxygen content and lower hydrogen-to-carbon ratio of biodiesel, which promote more complete combustion. However, all biodiesel blends exhibited higher NOx emissions than diesel, with the increase being more pronounced at higher blend ratios. At 1800 rpm, the LB20 blend recorded the highest NOx emissions, which were 20.63% higher than those of diesel under the same condition. In terms of performance, biodiesel blends showed higher BSFC and lower BTE compared with diesel, mainly due to their lower calorific value and higher viscosity. The lowest BTE and the highest BSFC were both observed with the LB20 blend, at 22.64% and 358.11 g/kWh, respectively.

The study investigates the performance and emission characteristics of a four-stroke, single-cylinder, and direct injection diesel engine with variable compression ratio using nanoparticles blended biofuel. The cerium Oxide (CeO2) nanoparticles have been blended in corresponding ratios with waste cooking oil (WCO) biodiesel. Further, response surface methodology (RSM) based Box-Behnken design (BBD) approach was used to evaluate engine performance parameters such as brake specific fuel consumption (BSFC), brake thermal efficiency (BTE), and emission characteristics (such as NOx, CO, and CO2 emission). In addition, the quadratic models were obtained to investigate the influence of input parameters on each output response with analysis of variance (ANOVA). The desirability approach was used to obtain the optimal engine performance and emission characteristics. The analysis revealed that WCO blended with CeO2 nanoparticles fuel improves CI engines’ performance and reduces their hazardous emissions. The compression ratio of 14:1 at 10.29% blend composition and 50 ppm concentration level of nanoparticles with composite desirability of 0.858 was found to be the engine’s optimal operating conditions. At optimal conditions, BTE, BSFC, NOx, CO, and CO2 were 36.62%, 0.2204 kg/kW-h, 168 ppm, 0.0192%, and 1.132% respectively.

Cape Chestnut oil was processed to biodiesel through transesterification. Cape Chestnut kennels are reported to have oil content of 60% - 63% [1]. Properties of biodiesel were determined and compared with those of diesel and engine tests done at a constant speed of 1500 RPM on the biodiesel blends to evaluate their performance and emissions characteristics. Performance evaluation was in terms of Brake Specific Fuel Consumption (BSFC), Brake Horse Power (BHP) and Brake Thermal Efficiency (ETE). The engine was initially run on diesel to establish the reference characteristics before running on biodiesel blends. The biodiesel was blended with diesel volumetrically to 80% (B80), 50% (B50), 20% (B20) and 5% (B5) the percentage being the volume of biodiesel in the blended fuel. Diesel fuel had the lowest BSFC followed by B5 whose BSFC was 7.3% higher than that of diesel. BTE for B100 was lower than that of diesel by 20.3% while that of B5 was 7.6% lower. Concentration of SO2 in B100 was 92.7% lower than that of diesel fuel while that of B20 was 24.7% lower. NO and NO2 concentrations for B100 were around 15% higher than that of diesel. Particulate matter of less than 10 μm diameter (PM10) for diesel was found to be 72% of the total collected from all the test fuels as compared to that of biodiesel blends at 28%. The study concluded that Cape Chestnut biodiesel blends containing up to 20% biodiesel can be used in an unmodified diesel engine since their performance and emission characteristics were very similar to that of diesel but with reduced toxic gas emissions therefore friendly to the environment.

Performance and emission prediction of a compression ignition engine fueled with biodiesel-diesel blends: A combined application of ANN and RSM based optimization

Influence of intake manifold design on in-cylinder flow and engine performances in a bus diesel engine converted to LPG gas fuelled, using CFD analyses and experimental investigations

In this study, the response surface methodology (RSM) optimization technique was employed for investigating the impact of hydroxy gas (HHO) enriched diesel on performance, acoustics, smoke and exhaust gas emissions of the compression ignition (CI) engine. The engine was operated within the HHO flow rate range of 0–10 L/min and engine loads of 15%, 30%, 45%, 60% and 75%. The results disclosed that HHO concentration and engine load had a substantial influence on the response variables. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) results of developed quadratic models indicated the appropriate fit for all models. Moreover, the optimization of the user-defined historical design of an experiment identified an optimum HHO flow rate of 8 L/min and 41% engine load, with composite desirability of 0.733. The responses corresponding to optimal study factors were 25.44%, 0.315 kg/kWh, 117.73 ppm, 140.87 ppm, 99.37 dB, and 1.97% for brake thermal efficiency (BTE), brake specific fuel consumption (BSFC), CO, HC, noise, and smoke, respectively. The absolute percentage errors (APEs) of RSM were predicted and experimental results were below 5%, which vouched for the reliable use of RSM for the prediction and optimization of acoustics and smoke and exhaust emission characteristics along with the performance of a CI engine.