Energy, exergy and emission analysis on a DI single cylinder diesel engine using pyrolytic waste plastic oil diesel blend

Depletion of fossil fuels and stringent emission norms focus attention to discover an evitable source of alternative fuel in order to attribute a significant compensation on conventional fuels. Besides, waste management policies encourage the valorization of different wastes for the production of alternative fuels in order to reduce the challenges of waste management. In this context, pyrolysis has become an emerging trend to convert different wastes into alternate fuel and suitable to be used as a substitute fuel for CI engines. The current investigation provides a sustainable and feasible solution for waste plastic management by widening the gap between global plastic production and plastic waste generation. It investigates the performance and emission of a single cylinder DI four stroke diesel engine using waste plastic oil (WPO) derived from pyrolysis of waste plastics using Zeolite-A as catalyst. Engine load tests have been conducted taking waste plastic oil and subsequently a blend of waste plastic oil by 10%, 20%, and 30% in volume proportions with diesel as fuel. The performance of the test engine in terms of brake thermal efficiency is found marginally higher and brake specific fuel consumption comparatively lowest for 20% WPO-diesel blend than pure diesel. The NOx and HC emission is found lower under low load condition and became higher by increasing the load as compared to diesel. Fuel exergy was significantly increasing after blending of WPO with pure diesel, but exergetic efficiency of the blended fuels followed the reverse trend. However, increase in load of the engine improved the exergetic efficiency. The 20% WPO-diesel blended fuel is found suitable to be used as an alternative fuel for diesel engine. (C) 2020 Energy Institute. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.