Effect of added alumina as nano-catalyst to diesel-biodiesel blends on performance and emission characteristics of CI engine

Recent studies affirm that petro-diesel fuel properties vary by adding the biodiesel. In addition, catalysts can mix with these fuels to improve their performance and exhaust emission characteristics. In the present paper, an experimental investigation was conducted to evaluate the effects of the alumina nanoparticles as additive to B5 (95% diesel+5% biodiesel from waste cooking oil) and B10 fuel blends on the performance and emission of a CI single-cylinder engine. The alumina nanoparticles with dosages of 30, 60, and 90 ppm were used for each fuel blends. Assessed characteristics were the torque, power, brake thermal efficiency (BTE), specific fuel consumption (SFC), exhaust gas temperature (EGT), and emissions of CO, CO2, UHC, and NO at engine speeds of 1800, 2300, and 2800 rpm. The results for optimal fuel showed the torque, power, BTE and EGT increase 5.36%, 5.36%,10.63% and 5.80%, respectively, when compared with those of pure diesel fuel, while the SFC unlike reduces by 14.66%. The CO and UHC exhaust emissions decrease by 2.94% and 20.56%, respectively, while NO emission rises by 43.61%. It is observed a high statistical correlation between the CO-NO and CO-O-2 contents. There is a negative statistical correlation between the CO and NO emissions. (C) 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.