Experimental investigations on diesel engine performance and emissions using biodiesel adding with carbon coated aluminum nanoparticles.

This study investigates the effects on engine performance and exhaust emissions using carbon coated aluminium (Al@C) nanoparticles as additives in palm oil methyl ester biodiesel. The nanoparticles were blended with the biodiesel fuel in the mass fractions of 30 ppm under ultrasonic mixing. A series of experimental tests have been conducted using a heavy-duty diesel engine test bench provided by Cummins. The influences of three kinds of biofuel, including biodiesel, biodiesel with ethanol, and biodiesel with ethanol and nanoparticles, have been studied in detail. The results show clearly that adding Al@C nanoparticles can reduce brake specific fuel consumption (BSFC) remarkably with average of 10%. NOx and CO emission reduce significantly in nanoparticles fuel blends cases at about 12% and 9% respectively, comparing with neat biodiesel. However, total hydrocarbon compounds (THC) emission and emitted particle numbers increase with adding nanoparticles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]