Nano-additive: An approach to enhance the fuel properties of

biodiesel

ABSTRACT

The world is going through energy crisis because of rapid growth in population and increase in
industrialization.60 percent of total energy demand is satisfied with fossil fuel. Excess use of fossil fuel not only
depletes this non-renewable energy sources but also significant contributor to air pollution with adverse effects.
There is a need to develop liquid fuel particularly biodiesel as an alternate approach to mitigate the above-
mentioned problem. Bio-diesel can be prepared from easily available non edible raw material like Karanja,
Jatropa, Jojoba, Mahua, Cottonseeds, Neem, Orange seed, Decan hemp,Kusum and rubber seeds. It has so many
advantages such as raw materials are easily available in local market, eco-friendly, biodegradability and
sustainability. The Biodiesel when blended with organic and inorganic nanoparticles such as rice husk,
aluminum oxide, copper oxide, cerium oxide ,Carbon nanotube ,the emission characteristics, combustion and
engine performance is considerably changed. The HC, NOx and smoke emission is significantly reduced and the
break thermal efficiency is also increased due to high catalytic activity of nano-additive. The biodiesel blended
with appropriate nano-additive is found suitable as a substitute for diesel engine.

Keywords: Biodiesel, Nano-additive, emission characteristics, combustion

[Link]
The energy crisis goes on increasing as the non-renewable crude oil level goes on depleting due to considerably
high rate of extraction and consumption. The significant growth in population needs more energy demand.
Industrialisation and transportation sector have the lion’s share of fossil fuel consumption [1]. In the present
scenario the Internal combustion Engine have a significant effect and role on the transport sector. High
durability, heavy load carrying ability and less consumption of fuel are the basic requirement in transportation
and that’s why diesel engine is the preferable one. The diesel engines have so many advantages and exceptional
characteristics such as higher reliability, high thermal efficiency, longer durability and less fuel consumption but
simultaneously it has drawbacks like high emission rate of unburnt hydrocarbon, nitrogen oxides, carbon
dioxides and particulate matters which are responsible for severe atmospheric pollution and global warming
[2,3]. A regulation and policy have been developed and enforced all over the world to minimise the emission for
a better cleaner environment and to maintain a healthy human life [4,5]. The above-mentioned reasons forced
the scientist and researchers to reconnoiter an appropriate alternative for diesel-based engines with emission
minimisation techniques.
Biodiesel prepared from non-edible sources without effecting food-chain, have some positive and
qualitative characteristics such as better physico-chemical properties, high oxygen content, cetane number, low
percentage of Sulphur and aromatic portions in comparison to the biodiesel derived from animal fats and edible
oils [6]. Bio-degradability, non-toxicity, low rate of emission, better lubricity, sustainability and environment
friendly nature makes biodiesel as an alternative source of conventional fuel [7, 8]. The most employed alkali
catalyst employed in the production of biodiesel are NaOH and KOH [9].Corn oil, palm oil, olive oil, soyabean
oil peanut oil , sunflower oil and coconut oil come under edible sources of biodiesel. The use of these sources
not only compete with food pattern but also there will be a hike in fuel price [10, 11]. Some of the commonly
used non-edible raw material for biodiesel production without hampering the food security are Jatropha Curcas,
Madhuca iondica, Nicotia natabacum, Pongamia pinnata, Hevea brasiliensis, jojoba and cotton seeds [12,
13].Rice husk is an important agricultural waste which is used as a fuel and also as nano-additive [14,15].
Recently, in India 200 districts are selected from 18 states for the smooth working on biofuel project. The
planning commission of India has given priority and also selected Jatropha curcas and Pongamia pinnata as the
raw material for biodiesel [16]. Pongamia pinnata can increase the yield of biodiesel the main advantage of this
is it has other benefits such as ornamental value, green manure, low cost and raw oil [ 17,18]. 1 kg of seeds are
obtained from around 800-1200 [19]. Jatropha curcas belongs to family Euphorbiaceae and considered as
drought resilient tropical plant whose seeds contain about 37 to 40 percent of oil. The land which are not used
for farming , can be used for the development and plantation of Jatropha. It is found in the lab of Temasek life
science and JOil Pte limited, Singapore that strain of Jatropha has oleic acid of about 75% which makes it more
suitable for the processing of biofuel. The extraction of raw oil is carried out by the help of machine-driven
press expeller [20]. However, the However, the main problem arises in the processing of biodiesel is that some
non-edible sources are enriched with free fatty acid value known as FFA. This value determines whether pre-
treatment known as esterification is required or not in the process involved for the biodiesel production. This
two step process involving esterification gives a better yield [21]. It would be better to use 100% biodiesel
known as B100 in-stead of jatropha biodiesel-diesel blends to reduce the emission more effectively [22].Figure
1 represents some non-edible and edible biodiesel feed stocks.
Figure 1.

[Link] of Additive in Biodiesel

The main objective of using additives as a blend in biodiesel is to provide and increase the efficiency and fuel
characteristics without having any ill effect on the performance parameter. Additives are either organic
compound or metal based oxides and smaller amount in a range of 100ppm to thousand ppm of these are
blended with biodiesel. Figure 2 represents different types of additives. These additives are generally classified
into different categories such as cetane improvers, antioxidants, stability improvers, cold flow improvers, anti-
wear agents, anti-freezing agents, automotive performance enhancement products and cetane number.

Figure 2

2.1 Use of nano-additives and it’s effect on performance parameter and emission characteristics
The nano-catalysts when blend with biodiesel will increases the performance parameter such as BSFC, BTE and
reduce the SFC. Better torque with reduction in friction power and cylinder temperature will also be provided by
the biodiesel blended with nano-additive. It helps in reduction of emission characteristics such as unburnt
hydrocarbon, nitrogen oxide, shoots ,carbon dioxides etc.
 Aluminium Oxide (Al2O3)
It is found that Al2O3 have high temperature within it when it reacts with oxygen [23]. High
temperature Combustion makes Al2O3 very unstable so that the nano particle blended methyl ester will
increase the rate of combustion. The fuel suspension stability of CRDI system and performance of
engine will also be improved. This will provide highly active surface area with increasing oxidation
rate and decreased ignition temperature [24]. It will reduce the SFC and increase the BTE when added
in ppm measures into biodiesel. A mixture of 20% biodiesel in 80% diesel with addition of 100ppm
Al2O3 will produce maximum hydrocarbon of 26.7%.There will be a decrease in CO emission around
48% with increase in NOx percentage about 7.95%.Delay of ignition will increase the rate of emission
of nitrogen oxides.

 Carbon Nano Tubes (CNT)

When CNT is added into Diesel-Biodiesel ,then the blended biodiesel shows better performance with
power output around 3.67% and improved BTE of 5.57% and there is a little bit reduction in SFC.
When CNT blended with biodiesel due to it’s high reactivity, it helps to increase the octane number
simultaneously increase in output torque and engine power. There is a decrease in emission for soot,
 HC and CO but increase in NOx concentration. But using multiwalled carbon nanotube blended with
JMED lead to decrease in CO emission by 50%, NOx by 35% and emission of smoke by 60% [25,26].

.
 Silver (Ag)
Ag of size 50nm when blended in biodiesel , there will be a reduction in SFC up to 15% of BSFC
and improvement in BTE about 5.58%.Usage of Ag in biodiesel also enhances the output torque and engine
power. There will a decrease in HC and CO emission but hike in CO2and NOx percentage of emission [25].
 Nano particles of Zinc Oxide (ZnO)
Blend of diesel in biodiesel with the addition of 250ppm of ZnO at different temperature increases the
calorific value of fuel and improves the BSFC and BTE. Calorific value of this combination is
[Link] will be a increase in NOx emission but complete combustion leads to decrease the emission
of CO and smoke [26].
 Cerium Oxide (CeO2)
Cerium oxide of 90 ppm when added in Biodiesel emulsified with 5% water ,it will enhance the BTE
with reduction of cylinder temperature and friction in engine. There will be slight increase in BSFC but
overall combustion character will be increased [27].There will be a decrease in NO x emission at
maximum load but there will a decrease in emission for CO due to deficiency of oxygen[28]
 Copper Oxide (CuO)
Addition of 50 ppm CuO in MME20D80 helps to increase of 1.3% BTE at maximum load and thermal
efficiency. There is a reduction in SFC[29].There will be overall reduction emission characteristics of
HC up to 5.33%, Smoke around 12.5% and CO up to 33% [30]

[Link]

The present study is focused on

 the detailed review of using nano-additive in biodiesel especially nano particle of aluminium oxide and
cerium oxide in jatropha biodiesel and Karanja biodiesel
4. Materials and Methods
4.1 Preparation of nanoparticle Sol-gel method

4.2 Pretreatment of JCO and KBD

4.3 Transesterification of JCO and KBD

4.4 Test fuel preparation for both JCO and KBD

5. Result and Discussion
5.1Fuel Characteristics
5.2 Emission and Engine performance
[Link]

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