Studies on effect of graphene nanoparticle addition with simarouba biodiesel blend on ci engine performance combustion and emission characteristics

Abstract

When Rudolf Diesel first introduced the concept of the diesel engine, the experiment was demonstrated with vegetable oil and expressed that prospective fuels of diesel engines would be vegetable oils and stated that someday in future the machine will run on vegetable oils. newline newline newlineBiodiesels are renewable and eco-friendly alternative fuels for CI engine. Biodiesels being oxygenated fuels can reduce the exhaust emissions particulate matter, carbon monoxide, sulfur oxides, and unburnt hydrocarbons compared to diesel. The simarouba kernel contains more oil compared to Karanja, Jatropha, and Neem. Simarouba oil is having high saturated and long fatty- acids that yield biodiesel with higher cetane number, high calorific value and more oxidation stability. newline newlineNanoparticles addition in biodiesel and diesel increases thermal conductivity more than theoretical predictions, rapid internal heating, and vaporization of fuel droplet, ultrafast heat transfer ability. Nanoparticles in nanofuel accelerates the heat transfer between fuel-droplets and the compressed air; allowing quick heat transfer and reduced ignition delay thus promoting a quick, better combustion. Graphene is a monolayer of a carbon isotope, arranged in honeycomb structure. Graphene is the only true two-dimensional material discovered and prepared by man in any laboratory. Thermal conductivity of graphene is 2000 4000 W m 1 K 1, the highest of any known material. Chemically graphene is highly reactive, because the carbon atoms in the 2 dimensional sheets exposed for reaction from both sides. newlineIn this work effort is made to improve the performance of CI engines using graphene as an additive in biodiesel fuel. Stable and homogeneous suspension of graphene is a difficult job and was achieved using a surfactant called sodium dodecyl sulphate in Simarouba Methyl Ester blend with diesel for a graphene to surfactant ratio of 1:4 at various dosing levels of 20ppm,40ppm and 60ppm.