Experimental evaluation of a diesel engine running on the blends of diesel and pentanol as a next generation higher alcohol

Alcohols are effective alternatives for use in diesel engines. Higher alcohols, as opposed to lower-chain alcohols (methanol and ethanol) have a promising future for diesel engines. 1-Pentanol, a higher-chain alcohol, has better fuel characteristics and can be made of biomass. Thus, it is important to examine it, as well as, its blends with diesel fuel in internal combustion engines for the characteristics of emissions and power generation. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the engine performance and exhaust emission characteristics of a diesel engine fueled with diesel-1-pentanol blends. For experimental use, fuel blends were prepared by adding 1-pentanol (5%, 10%, 20%, 25% and 35% by volume) into diesel to achieve blends of D95Pen5, D90Pen10, D80Pen20, D75Pen25 and D65Pen35. In order to determine engine characteristics, engine tests were performed at four engine loads (0, 1.5, 2.25 and 3 kW) with a constant engine speed (2000 rpm). The addition of 1-pentanol to diesel decreased lower heating value and cetane number (CN) of the blends. As compared to diesel fuel, the blends increased brake specific fuel consumption (BSFC) but also had a positive impact on exhaust gas temperature (EGT). The higher latent heat of evaporation of 1-pentanol caused a cooling effect in-cylinder, reduction in combustion efficiency and increase in carbon monoxide (CO) and hydrocarbon (HC) emissions. Also, the addition of 1-pentanol to diesel had a significant impact on the increase of oxides of nitrogen (NOx) emissions. However, the D95Pen5 blend does hold potential as a promising candidate for decreasing exhaust gas temperature, CO and NOx emissions, but at the expense of increasing HC emissions.