An Experimental Investigation on the Characteristics of a Compression Ignition Engine Fuelled by Diesel-Palm Biodiesel–Ethanol/Propanol Based Ternary Blends

Navaneetha Krishnan Balakrishnan, Yew Heng Teoh (), Heoy Geok How, Thanh Danh Le () and Huu Tho Nguyen
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Navaneetha Krishnan Balakrishnan: School of Mechanical Engineering, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Engineering Campus, Nibong Tebal 14300, Penang, Malaysia
Yew Heng Teoh: School of Mechanical Engineering, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Engineering Campus, Nibong Tebal 14300, Penang, Malaysia
Heoy Geok How: Department of Engineering, School of Engineering, Computing and Built Environment, UOW Malaysia KDU Penang University College, 32 Jalan Anson, Georgetown 10400, Penang, Malaysia
Thanh Danh Le: Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Industrial University of Ho Chi Minh City, 12 Nguyen Van Bao Street, Ward 4, Go Vap District, Ho Chi Minh City 700000, Vietnam
Huu Tho Nguyen: Faculty of Engineering and Technology, An Phu Dong Campus 2, Nguyen Tat Thanh University, 1165 National Route 1A, An Phu Dong Ward, District 12, Ho Chi Minh City 729800, Vietnam

Energies, 2023, vol. 16, issue 2, 1-18

Abstract: Issues such as rising fuel prices, fuel costs, and lowering reserves highlight the importance of research into sustainable fuels derived from biological sources. This study is focused on experiments on a CI engine using ethanol and propanol-based ternary blends. Palm biodiesel is kept constant at 40% volumetric concentration, while diesel and ethanol/propanol are varied in different batches. The results obtained with ternary blends were compared with reference fuel diesel, pure palm biodiesel, and a palm biodiesel–diesel binary blend. The ternary blends exhibit lower brake thermal efficiency and higher brake specific energy consumption than diesel and binary blends due to their lower calorific value. Despite in-fuel oxygen presence, lower brake specific oxides of nitrogen and smoke opacity were observed for engine operation with a ternary blend due to the predominant role of higher latent heat of vaporization and volatility of alcohols, but unburned hydrocarbon and carbon monoxide emissions increased due to the interactive effect of a lower cetane number, higher latent heat of vaporization, and lower kinematic viscosity of alcohols when compared to reference fuels. Among the tested fuels, in-cylinder pressure was observed to decrease with ternary blends due to their lower calorific value, but a raised heat release rate was attributed to lower viscosity and faster burning of alcohols.

Keywords: biodiesel; alcohol; ternary blends; sustainable fuel; CI engine (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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