Evaluation of Performance and Emission Characteristics on Diesel Engine Fueled by Diesel–Algae Biodiesel Blend with Ignition Enhancing Additives

Abstract

Algae offer an appealing source for creating inexhaustible and feasible biofuels to diesel engine. Researchers evaluated the performance of algae and microalgae biodiesel in various types of diesel engine and reported that engine characteristics of algae biodiesel (B20 blend) are closer to baseline (diesel) fuel but NOX emission is increased for algae and microalgae biodiesel blend in diesel engine. With the purpose to reduce the NOX emission, addition of ignition promoting additive with B20 blend is viable solution without engine modification. In this study, B20 (80% of diesel and 20% algae biodiesel on volume basis) is blended with 5% of di-ethyl ether (DEE), 2-ethylhexyl nitrate (2-EHN) and di-tertiary butyl peroxide (DTBP), namely B20 + 5% DEE, B20 + 5% 2-EHN and B20 + 5% DTBP, respectively, and the impact of the ignition improvers on the engine performance and emission characteristics of biodiesel-fueled diesel engine was examined for the fuel blends. The outcomes demonstrated that the addition of DEE, 2-EHN and DTBP in biodiesel enhanced the performance and emission characteristics of DICI engine and this study concluded that the DTBP can be utilized as promising ignition enhancer for diesel–algae biodiesel blend to compare with DEE and 2-EHN.