An extensive investigation of utilization of a C8 type long-chain alcohol as a sustainable next-generation biofuel and diesel fuel blends in a CI engine – The effects of alcohol infusion ratio on the performance, exhaust emissions, and combustion characteristics

Abstract

Abstract n-octanol (C8H17OH), an advanced sustainable biofuel, can be originated from ligno-cellulosic biomass raw materials that is convenient for compression-ignition (CI) engine technology due to its plenty of fuel characterizations closer to traditional diesel fuel (DF) than more generally examined alcohol types. The existing paper deals with a comprehensive experimental study regarding the engine performance, harmful pollutants, and combustion characteristics of a single-cylinder, four-stroke, water-cooled, and direct-injection CI engine operating with n-octanol / DF blends of 5%, 10%, 15%, and 20% (by volume) into pure DF, respectively. In case of the steady-state situations, the engine tests were carried out under a stable engine speed of 1500\xa0rpm and four distinct engine loading conditions (25%, 50%, 75%, and full load). The experimental outcomes displayed that NO and CO emissions remarkably descended down to 25.08% and 11.67%, respectively along with an ascending proportion of the n-octanol in the n-octanol / DF blends. On the other hand, CO2 emission that is an indicator of the complete combustion moderately got larger up to 8.57% with the infusion higher-order alcohol into the DF. According to the performance indicators of the researched engine, the highest BTE and the lowest BSFC were observed with using DF because of the higher energy content with respect to the other tested fuel samples. Contrastingly, the duration in the ignition delay (ID) of n-octanol/DF blends was lengthy than that of mineral DF attributable to the lower cetane number of the n-octanol. In addition, the highest gas pressure inside the cylinder and the highest HRR of n-octanol including test fuels was monitored to be higher when compared with the DF by reason of the extended ID period and excessive amount of oxygen atoms available in the n-octanol. Accordingly, the combustion behaviours of n-octanol / DF blends nearly followed that of traditional DF.