Combined Effect of Preheating and Addition of CeO₂ Nanoparticles in Biodiesel Blend (B20) on Combustion, Emission, and Performance of a 10-kW Diesel Engine

Abstract

The objective of the present study was to address several concerns associated with biodiesel, such as its higher viscosity and density, while simultaneously improving the diesel engine's efficiency and environmental performance. For this purpose, the combined effect of preheating and inclusion of cerium oxide nanoparticles (CeO₂) to a biodiesel blend is investigated in a 10-kW diesel engine by analyzing its combustion, performance, and emission characteristics. The biodiesel (B100) was produced via transesterification of Palm oil in the presence of potassium hydroxide and methanol. Subsequently, the fuel blends B20 (80% v/v diesel and 20% v/v palm biodiesel) and NB20 (B20 + 60 ppm CeO₂ nanoparticles) were prepared for conducting experiments. A separate external fuel preheating setup was developed for supplying preheated fuel directly to the engine at a specific temperature for the fuel blends HB100 (B100 at 70 °C), HB20 (B20 at 55 °C), and NHB20 (NB20 at 55 °C). The six fuels (B20, HB20, NHB20, B100, HB100, and diesel) were investigated in a diesel engine at various engine loads (0, 25, 50, 75, and 100%) for the present study. The findings of the present investigation revealed that NHB20 showed nearly identical performance and emission characteristics to diesel, with the highest brake thermal efficiency of 26.98% at 75% engine load compared to diesel (27.17%), among the other tested fuels.