Effect of Fuel Additives on Performance Improvement

International Journal of Applied Engineering Research, ISSN 0973-4562 Vol. 10 No.38 (2015) © Research India Publications; httpwww.ripublication.comijaer.htm

Effect of Fuel Additives on Performance Improvement and Emission Control in Diesel Engines R. Senthil1, a *, K.Arunan2, b, R.Silambarasan3, c, G.Pranesh4, d P.Mebin Samuel 5, e 1

2, 3

Dean, University College of Engineering Villupuram, Anna University, Chennai. Research Scholar, University College of Engineering, Villupuram, Anna University, Chennai. 4, 5 PG Student, University College of Engineering Villupuram, Anna University, Chennai

the automobile pollution increasing drastically for the last three decades. Sudden increase of automobile pollution has caused tremendous damage to the environment and has increased the intensity of air pollution in most of the big cities in India.

Abstract Diesel Engines, by virtue of their good fuel efficiency, have come to power the majority of commercial vehicles and, lately in many markets an increasing proportion of passenger cars as well. This causes more amount of pollutant emitted from the vehicles. The major pollutants are nitrogen oxides, particulate, hydrocarbon and carbon monoxide. This causes severe adverse effects on health and environment. In this paper an attempt has been made to modify the combustion process by adding fuel additives with the diesel fuel. The peroxide and hydrocarbon based fuel additives are used in different proportions along with the diesel fuel. Results show that fuel with peroxide based additives produce better performance than that without additives. The fuel with 0.15% of additives by volume, tend to give better efficiency and emits considerably less amounts of nitrogen oxides and particulates.

The emission regulations have brought on engine modifications such as exhaust gas recirculation and low heat rejection engine causing higher level of smoke. Higher soot and particulate content has resulted in the introduction of diesel particulate filters clog easily and deteriorate the efficiency. Diesel fuel is a highly complex fuel. It changes chemical structure during the time after it leaves the refinery to the time it is pumped into holding tanks and into the fuel station to the time it gets pumped into the system. Fuel molecules oxidize and change structure and the energy per unit volume of the fuel can change during this process which can affect the performance of engine. Using of additive will combat the effects of fuel degradation, increase the cetane value of the fuel, reduces the emissions and allow engine to extract more power from diesel fuel.

Keywords: Diesel Engine – NOx – Particulate Matter – Additives – Emission.

INTRODUCTION

In recent years world wide awareness on environmental pollution has increased phenomenally. Internal combustion engines are the main source of environmental pollution today. It is estimated that about 30% of air pollution arises from automobile emission. In India

The major source of supply of diesel fuel has been straight, non distillates separated from oxide oil. However in recent years, the increase in market demand for diesel fuel has led to the position where oil refiners are incorporating more cracked distillates into

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diesel fuel. Diesel fuel derived from cracked distillates generally have a relatively low cetane rating which may result in incomplete combustion, increased fuel consumption and increased exhaust emission. The emphasis on reduction of emission and fuel conservation have provided a renewed motivation to study the use of fuel additives in internal combustion engines. RC Tupaet al [1] describes the range of chemical additives formulated for gasoline and diesel fuel and their effects, specific function and benefits of additives typical use level and test methods for evaluation.SheldonHerbstmanet al [2] have done investigations using a variety of diesel fuels to develop an injector test which would evaluate the detergent activity of various additives. They found that the detergent additives reduced the injector plugging. This additive was used to demonstrate surface activity as well as prevent high temperature sediment formation.Noboru Miyamoto et al. [3] have studied the effect of oxygenated agents on emission and performance in diesel engines. They have reported that by addition of sufficient oxygenate to ordinary diesel fuel, significant improvements were obtained in smoke, particulate matter, NOx, HC and thermal efficiency. They have also reported that the improvements in the exhaust gas emissions and the thermal efficiency depended on the oxygen content in the fuels. They have concluded that the diethylene glycol dimethyl either (DGM) showed better reduction of NOx, HC smoke and noise and improved the thermal efficiency.Manish K. Nandi et al [4] have studied the effect of peroxide based fuel additives in CI engines. The use of high cetane diesel fuel additive is a cost effective option that can be used to reduce the engine emission. Both the peroxide and nitrates cetane improvement additive significantly reduce all regulated and unregulated emission including NOx.AliKeskin et al [5] have done

experiments in manganese based fuel additive in the diesel fuel. They have found that the performance of the engine and the carbon monoxide and smoke were reduced drastically. R.D. Misra el al [6] reported that additives of types can be used for increasing the performance and reducing emission diesel engine. It is also reported that particulate, CO and Hydrocarbon were reduced considerably when using fuel additives.TheMarsol F.T and SO-2E fuel additives [7] shows improved performance of diesel engine and reduces the NOx significantly for both additives. Further it is reported that smoke increases 35% and also the emission. Fuel additives are mainly used to improve the fuel economy, reduce emission like smoke, CO, HC, NOx and particulate emission. This paper describes the test of peroxide and hydrocarbon based fuel additives in different proportions. A series of experiments were conducted to examine the performance and emission level of the diesel engine, using diesel fuel without and with different proportions of the additives. Peroxide Based Fuel Additive Peroxide based fuel additive is used to improve the cetene number and reduce the emission from the engines. Ditesting butyl peroxide additive having advantage over alkyl nitrate additive in reducing emissions, since it does not contain Nitrogen. The additive react through formation of free radicals to accelerate combustion and to react with an aromatic fragment compared to aliphatic hydrocarbon fragment of the fuel. The oxidative stability and long term storage is not problem for peroxide based fuel additive. Further thermal composition of the peroxide is the times faster than the nitrate and it is very stable under typical fuel system temperature. Hydrocarbon Based Fuel Additive

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Hydrocarbon based fuel additive is solution of Ferrous Picrate and Nitro Aliphatic compound with antioxidants and corrosion in hubris. When it is added with the diesel fuel its active ingredients decompose during the first stages of combustion to increase turbulent mixing and creating more complete oxidation in the short period allowed by the firing cycle. These additive having stable, non corrosive and low in cost and reducing algae and Fungi in fuel storage tank.

Preparation of test fuels The fuel was provided for these tests, a base fuel and treated with additives. Two different additives were used. The additives were added to the base fuel at 0.1% and 0.15% concentration by volume. The additives used are, 1) XAG 818 – Peroxide based fuel additive, and 2) 0X11257 - Cracking liquid – hydrocarbon based additive.

Properties of Additives

Property

Cetane Number Aromatics, Vol % Sulfur, wt% API Gravity Distillation Range IBP, OC

Fuels Hydroxid Peroxid e Based e Based Fuel Fuel Additive 46 43 20 32 0.015 0.038 37.92 35.75 200

Test Procedures The engine was started and allowed to warm up to reach a constant coolant water outlet temperature. The engine was first allowed to run with base fuel alone and the performance of the engine, Specific fuel consumption and Break thermal efficiency were calculated. The exhaust emission from the engine such as Oxides of Nitrogen, Hydrocarbon, Carbon Monoxide, smoke and particulate exhaust gas were measured. HC, CO and NOx were measured by using DI Gas Analyser. Smoke was measured by using AVL 437C Smokemeter.

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EXPERIMENTAL

The engine used for this work is a single cylinder four stroke, vertical, water cooled, direct injection diesel engine. The engine is coupled to a dc generator and loaded by electrical resistance. The experimental set up is shown in Fig.1.

The results are plotted in the graphs. The same experiment was repeated for the above mentioned additives mixed in different proportions with the fuel. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

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proportions at all loads. Among these proportions, fuel with 0.15% peroxide additive gives lower smoke level than that with the other proportions. At maximum load it reduces smoke level 1.4 BSU than without any fuel additive. This is due to the reason that peroxide fuel additive will easily mix with fuel and change the fuel properties.

Fig.2. Variation of hydrocarbon with Brake Power Figure 2 shows the variation of hydrocarbon emission with brake power of the engine while using peroxide and peroxide based fuel additive with different proportions and without any fuel additive. From the graph it is found that there is a reduction of hydrocarbon emission at all loads with the use of peroxide based fuel additive. Among the various proportions of additive used lower hydrocarbon emission at all loads are observed with 0.15% peroxide fuel additive and at maximum load it reduces by 51% of hydrocarbon when compared with the case of without any fuel additive. This is due to change in the fuel property.

Fig. 4.Variation of NOx with Brake Power Figure 4 shows the variation of NOx emission with brake power of the engine while using peroxide based fuel additive with different proportions and without any fuel additive. It is found from the graph that the NOx emission increases with increase in the load for all proportions of fuel additive. Among the different proportions, at 0.15% proportion of peroxide based fuel additive shows lower NOx emission compared with the case of without anyfuel additive. At maximum load it has NO x emission of 450 ppm which is 183 ppm lesser than without any fuel additive, that is around 28% of reduction in NOx emission.

Fig.3. Variation of smoke with Brake Power The variation of smoke level with brake power of the engine with peroxide based fuel additive with different proportions and without any fuel additive is shown in fig.3. It is observed from the graph that there is no change of smoke level up to 20% load since the temperature in the combustion chamber is low. Beyond 20% load the smoke level increases with load for different

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that other fuel additive since it is having higher cetane number. REFERENCES 1. RC Tupe and CJ Dorer, “Gasoline and Diesel Fuel additives for performance / distribution quality-II” SAE 861179. 2. Sheldon Herbatman and Kashmir Virk, “Effect of Fuel Composition and additives and Build up of injectors deposits”, SAE 892119 3. Nobora Miyamoto and Hideyuki Ogawa, Nabi Md. Nurun, Obata.K and TeruyoshiArima “Smokeless, low NOx, high thermal efficiency and low noise diesel combustion with oxygenated agents as mail fuel”, SAE 980506.

Fig.5. Variation of Brake thermal efficiency with Brake Power Figure 5 shows the variation of brake thermal efficiency with brake power of the engine while using peroxide fuel additive with different proportions and without any fuel additive. From the graph, it is found that the brake thermal efficiency increases with increase in the load for all cases. Here again fuel with 0.15% of peroxide based additive shows higher increase in brake thermal efficiency at all loads. This is due to better mixing of molecules of peroxide fuel additive with the fuel. The brake thermal efficiency for 0.15% proportion peroxide based fuel additive is 33.5% which is 3.5% higher than that of the case of without any fuel additive at 100% load.

4. Manish K Nadni et al, “The performance of a peroxide based cetane improvement additives in different diesel fuels”, SAE 942019. 5. Ali Keskin, Metin Guru, Duran Altiparmak, “Influence of metallic based fuel additives on performance and exhaust emissions of diesel engine”, Energy Conversion and Management 52 (2011) 60-65. 6. R.D.Misra, M.S.Murthy, “Blending of Additives with Biodiesels to improve the cold flow properties, Combustion and Emission performance in a Compression Ignition Engine”, Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Volume 15, Issue 5, June 2011, Pages 2413-2422.

CONCLUSION From the investigation, it can be concluded that the use of peroxide fuel additive at 0.15% by volume, reduces both smoke level and NO x level considerably than the other cases. The brake thermal efficiency is increased by 3.5% with the peroxide based fuel additive. Increase of turbulent mixing within the combustion chamber and complete oxidation in shorter period may be attained by the fuel additive. Further the oxides of nitrogen emission from the peroxide based fuel additive are lower than

7. Gvidonas Labeckas, StasysSlavinskas, “Influence of Fuel Additives on performance of direct-injection Diesel Engine and Exhaust Emissions when operating on Shale Oil”, Original Research Article Energy Conversion and Management, Volume 46, Issues 11-12, July 2005, Pages 1731-1744.

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