International Journal of Scientific Research and Review ISSN NO: 2279-543X

Influence of an additives and nano additives in biodiesel on engine

performance, combustion and emission characteristics
P.Somasekar Babu1 and V.Pandurangadu2
1,2
Department of Mechanical Engineering, JNTUA, Ananthapur, A.P., INDIA.
1
Corresponding author e-mail: somasekarbabu@gmail.com

Abstract: In this present work, investigating the affect of additives(diethyl ether) and nano additives(cerium
oxide) in the mango seed oil methyl ester (MSME) biodiesel on engine performance, combustion and emission
characteristics of four stroke direct injection diesel engine. The B20 blend of MSME is mixed with 10, 15% of
diethyl ether and 25, 50 ppm of cerium oxide (CeO2) nano particles added, this nano particles is mixed well with
ultrasonicater to form a homogenous mixture. The tests are conducted for above proportions of B20 of MSME with
the engine operating at five different loads (0, 25, 50, 75, and 100 %). The brake thermal efficiency (BTHE) is
improved with addition of diethyl ether and cerium oxide. The brake specific fuel consumption (BSFC) and exhaust
gas temperatures (EGT) are reduced. There are some reductions of hydro carbon (HC), carbon monoxide (CO),
carbon dioxide (CO2), nitrogen oxide (NOX) emissions. The cylinder peak pressures and net heat release rate are
lower than that of diesel.

Keywords: nanoparticles, mango seed oil methyl ester, performance, combustion, emissions

I. INTRODUCTION

In recent years there is huge change in the prices of conventional petroleum products. So we need to think
of alternative for fuel crisis. The biodiesel prepared from the vegetable oils, animal fats, and waste oils are
promptly assured alternative for petroleum products. Now a day’s diesel engines are using very efficiently
with the biodiesel directly or blending with diesel. There is some disadvantage with diesel emissions that
is creating some problems to the environment as well as human kind [1]. These diesel emissions enter the
environment in the form of unpleasant smell, gaseous pollutants and particulate matter and these are also
cause the formation of acid rain, destruction of the ozone layer and visibility reduction Aluminum oxide
nanoparticles adding in rocket’s solid fuel can improve combustion efficiency and speed, these are very
active and can be react with water at temperatures from 400-6000C to improve fuel combustion by
generating the hydrogen. Hence fuel additives may play an important role to make up the problems and
meet up various specified standards. Many researchers have used a lot of additives to improve the quality
of biodiesel such as metal based additives (oxides of cerium, aluminum, titanium, zinc, rhodium etc.)[2-4]
oxygenated additives(methyl-t-butyl ether, t-amyl-methyl ether, ethyl-t-butyl ether)[6-8] and their
metabolites (t-amyl alcohol, t-butyl alcohol and ethanol), cetane improver(nitrates, nitroalkanes (2-
ethylhexyl nitrate), nitro carbonates and peroxides), ignition promoter, cold flow improvers(olefin-ester
copolymers, ethylene vinyl acetate copolymer and polymethyl acrylate), antioxidants and lubricity
improvers etc.[9-13] .Some of them used diesel engines for testing biodiesels without any
modifications[14-15] karthikeyan et al.[5,16] did experiments on effect of cobalt oxide (Co3O4) and zinc
oxide in the grape seed oil biodiesel with a percentage of 50, 100ppm and found that which improves
combustion, brake thermal efficiency and reduces specific fuel consumption. In emissions, maximum
reduction in hydrocarbon (HC), carbon monoxide (CO), smoke opacity and oxides of Nitrogen (NOx) at
full load operation. Jeryrajkumar et al.[17] also investigated the effect of nano additives like cobalt oxide
and titanium oxide on the performance and emission characteristics of Calophyllum innophyllum

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International Journal of Scientific Research and Review ISSN NO: 2279-543X

biodiesel (B100) and it is disclose that considerable improvement in combustion, performance and
characteristics. The HC emissions 80% reduce by cobalt oxide and 70% reduce by titanium oxide in bio
fuel. Racopoulos et al. [18] inspect the effect of combustion heat analysis by addition of n-butanol on
diesel in proportion of 8%, 16% by volume basis and The key results are showed that with the use of bio-
fuels blends and additives, fuel injection pressure diagrams are very slightly displaced (delayed), ignition
delay is increased, maximum cylinder pressures are slightly reduced.
In this research, study the impacts of using additives (alcoholic and metal based nano oxides) in the
biodiesel and its blends on performance, combustion, emissions of engine.

II. MATERIALS AND METHODS

A) Biodiesel
For this investigation, business diesel was brought from neighborhood oil station, mango seed oil was
brought from oil plant and biodiesel was formed by transesterification process, the different processes of
mango seed to biodiesel are shown in Fig.1 At first, mango seed oil was responded with a monohydric
alcohol (methanol (CH3OH)) within the presence of catalyst (potassium hydroxide (KOH)). The
procedure of transesterification was influenced by the method of response condition, molar proportion of
alcohol to oil, sort of alcohol, sort and measure of catalysts, response time, temperature and virtue of
reactants. After transesterification, water wash was done by refined water took after by warming for
virtue. The diverse advances associated with transesterification process are given underneath

The physical and thermal properties of the Diesel fuel and biodiesel blend B20% are summarized in Table
1. The representative values like fire point, density, flash point, viscosity, cetane index and gross calorific
value are measured for biodiesel and its blends

a b c d e f

g h i
Fig.1 Different stages of mango seed oil methyl ester

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International Journal of Scientific Research and Review ISSN NO: 2279-543X

a) Mango fruit wastage from juice factory, b)dry mango seed, c)oil extracting machine, d)mango seed oil,
e)transesterification, f)settling after transesterification, g)water wash after separating the biodiesel, h)
glycerol, i) pure mango seed oil methyl ester.

B) Diethyl ether ((C2H5)2O)

Diethyl ether (DEE) is also called as Ether, Ethyl ether, Ethyl oxide, and sulfuric ether, it is a byproduct
of the vapor-phase hydration of ethylene to make ethanol. However it has different properties like colour
less, clear, very mobile liquid, with a characteristic odour, very volatile and flammable. Because of its
high Cetane index, it is used as ignition improver in CI engines. The different properties of DEE are
tabulate in table.1

C) Cerium Oxide (CeO2)

Cerium oxide with various valence states and different crystalline structures has been investigated for
different applications for example, electrical, electronic, synergist, adsorption, optical, electrochemical,
batteries, functional materials, vitality capacity, attractive information stockpiling and detecting
properties. Be that as it may, to upgrade different properties of nanomaterials to meet the expanding
requirements for various applications, it is expected to decrease the molecule size and increment the
dynamic surface zone of nanomaterials. Ceria (CeO2) is a cubic fluorite-type organized earthenware
material that does not appear any known crystallographic change from room temperature upto its meting
point (27000C). The size of nanoparticles is less than 100 nm.

TABLE 1
Fuel properties of diesel and biodiesel blends
Properties Diesel B20 Biodiesel Diethyl ether
(D100) (B100) (C2H5)2O

Flash point in 0 C 60 78 160 - 40

0C
Fire point in 63 82 170 34
Density kg/m3 830 849 929 713
Kinematic viscosity in cst 3.26 3.51 4.66 0.23
at 400C
Calorific value in kJ/kg 42500 41888 39442 36830
Cetane number 51 ---- 48 125

III. EXPERIMENTAL SETUP

A 5HP (3.5 kW) 4-Stroke direct injection research diesel engine was chosen to investigate the
performance and combustion characteristics (shown in Fig.2). The air flow rate into the engine was
measured by mass flow sensor and the fuel consumption was measured by burette method. Loading was
applied on the engine with the help of eddy current dynamometer. The experiment was carried at different
loads (0, 25, 50, 75% and full load). Various sensors were utilized during the experiment to collect, store
and analyze the data by computerized data acquisition system(IC enginesoft). An exhaust gas analyzer
(AIRREX HG-540, 4Gas analyzer) was employed to measure HC, CO, CO2 and NOX emissions. The
performance, combustion and emission results obtained were tabulated. The specifications of Research
engine are shown in Table 2.

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TABLE 2
Specifications of the Research engine
Engine parameters Specifications
Make Kirloskar
Model/Type TV1/Four stroke
Number of cylinders Single
Bore/Stroke 87.5 mm/110 mm
Rated power 5 HP(3.5 kW) @ 1500 rpm
Capacity(cc) 661
Type of cooling Water cooled
Compression Ratio range 12–18
Injection timing range 0- 250 BTDC
Loading Eddy current dynamometer
Data acquisition device NI USB-6210, 16-bit, 250kS/s.
Temperature sensors Type RTD, PT100 and Thermocouple, K-Type
Load sensor Load cell, type strain gauge, range 0-50 Kg
Fuel flow transmitter DP transmitter, Range 0-500 mm WC
Air flow transmitter Pressure transmitter, Range (-) 250 mm WC
Software “Engine soft” Engine performance analysis software
Rotameter Engine cooling 40-400 LPH; Calorimeter 25-250 LPH

Fig.2 Experimental setup

IV. RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS

A. Performance Characteristics
The major performance parameters such as Brake power (BP), Brake thermal efficiency (BTHE), BSFC,
exhaust gas temperature are evaluated for B20 of MSME and different combinations of diethyl ether and
cerium oxide nano particles.

1) Brake power and Brake thermal efficiency: Fig.3a shows the variation of BTHE with BP for
MSME at various combinations of additives and nano additives comparing with diesel. The BTHE is
gradually increasing with BP. BTHE of the engine is improved by adding the diethyl ether and cerium
oxide nano particles (CONP) compare with B20 of MSME. B20+ 50ppm cerium oxide (31.62%) shows
higher BTHE than neat diesel (31.43%) at full load. The oxides of metal nano particles present in the
biodiesel blend promote the complete combustion, while compared to the individual biodiesel blend.

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Cerium oxide nano particles do something as an oxygen barrier and thus improve the BTHE. It is also
observed that the development in the BTHE increases with the dosage level of nano particles. A
maximum increase of 3.5% in the BTHE was attaining while dosage level of nano particles is 50ppm.
Whereas adding of diethyl ether in the blend improves BTHE but dosage level increases it is decreases
[19].
2) Brake power and Brake specific fuel consumption: Fig.3b shows the variation of BSFC with BP for
B20 of MSME and modified biodiesel with different dosage level of additives and nano additives
comparing with diesel. Corresponding to BP, BSFC is decreasing while increasing the BP. At full load,
BSFC is higher for B20 (0.3 kg/kWh) than adding additives and nano particles but it attains 10% lower
value for B20+50ppm CONP and diesel (0.27kg/kWh). CONP, oxidize the carbon deposits in the engine
cylinder to reduced fuel consumption.
3) Brake power and exhaust gas temperature: The exhaust gas temperature (EGT) for all blends of
MSME with respect to BP as shown in Fig.3c It is observed that the EGT for B20 blend having diethyl
ether and CONP is lower than that of B20 of MSME and neat diesel. The maximum EGT obtained for
diesel and B20 of MSME are 3670C, 3610C where as adding diethyl ether and CONP, the maximum
values are ranging from 283-2860C approximately 20% reduction in the EGT. This may happen due to the
complete combustion of the fuel and reduced the heat loss during the combustion by adding diethyl ether
and CONP.
4) Brake power and mechanical efficiency: Fig.3d shows the variation of mechanical efficiency with
BP for B20 of MSME and modified biodiesel with different dosage level of additives and nano additives
comparing with diesel. Mechanical efficiency is greatly improved by adding diethyl ether and CONP in
blend B20 of MSME. This may be reducing the loss of energy in transmission.

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Fig.3 Variation of BTHE, BSFC, EGT, ME with Brake power

B. Combustion Characteristics: The major parameters that influence the combustion inside the cylinder
are ignition delay, cylinder pressure, and heat release rate.

1) Cylinder pressure (CP): Fig.4a demonstrate the variation of cylinder pressure with crank angle for
B20 blend and modified biodiesel blend with different dosing levels of the diethyl ether and CONP at
different engine load conditions. Peak pressures attain for diesel (80.82 bar) and B20 blend (76.4 bar)
when compare to B20 adding additives. This may be addition of CONP tends to reduce the ignition delay
and enhances the combustion
2) Net heat release rate (NHRR):Fig.4b shows the variation of net heat release rate with crank angle for
B20 blend and modified blends at different engine operating conditions .NHRR is increased the addition
of nanoparticles because of increases higher carbon combustion activation and hence promotes the
complete combustion.

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3) Cumulative heat release (CHR):Fig.4c reveal that the variation of cumulative heat release rate with
crank angle. It is clearly shows the CHR is higher values for diesel (1.4kJ) and blend B20 (1.2kJ) than
other blends having additives (0.95kJ).

B. Emission Characteristics: The major emissions of engine are unburned hydro carbons (HC), carbon
monoxide (CO), carbon dioxide (CO2), nitrogen oxides (NOx) and particulate matter from internal
combustion engines. The effects of additives and nano additives on emissions of B20 blend of MSME are
discussed here.

1) Hydro carbons (HC): The Fig.5a shows the variation of HC with BP for B20 blend and modified
blends of B20. The HC increases with BP for all the blends. However, HC emissions are found to be
considerably reduced with the addition of diethyl ether and nano particles than the neat diesel and
biodiesel blend [20]. Fundamentally, the oxygen content of fuel is the main reason for hydro carbon
emissions reduction. May be addition of CONP improves the combustion by excess oxygen.
2) Carbon monoxide (CO): fig.5b shows the influence of additives to biodiesel on carbon monoxide
emissions. CO emissions are decreasing while increasing the BP for all the blends. Hence CO emissions
shows lower values for B20 blend adding diethyl ether than CONP additives .This may be combustion
improvement due to adding diethyl ether. Because of incomplete combustion causes CO emissions.
3) Carbon dioxide (CO2): Fig.5c shows the variation of carbon dioxide with BP for different
combinations of B20 blend and diesel. It is clearly disclose that conventional diesel having higher CO2
emissions than biodiesel blends. Hence the addition of nano particles decreases CO2 emissions.
4) Nitrogen oxides (NOx): Fig.5d illustrates the variation of nitrogen oxides with brake power for
different blends of biodiesel and diesel. Nitrogen oxides are mainly formed due to high temperatures.
NOX is increasing with brake power however diesel values are higher than B20 blend having nano
particles. B20 with dosage of 25ppm cerium oxide shows lower values.

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Fig.4 Variation of CP, NHRR, CHR with Crank angle

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Fig.5 Variation of HC, CO, CO2, and NOX with Brake power

V. CONCLUSION

The effect of diethyl ether and cerium oxide nano particles on performance, combustion and emission
characteristics of a four stroke direct injection research diesel engine is investigated for mango seed oil
methyl ester (MSME) biodiesel blend B20 at different proportions of additives. It is concluded that BTHE
and ME is improved, BSFC and EGT is reduced by adding diethyl ether and cerium oxide nano particles.
There is considerable reduction in the HC, CO, CO2, and NOX emissions.

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