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Cleaner emissions from a DI diesel engine fueled with waste plastic oil derived from municipal solid waste under the influence of n-pentanol addition, cold EGR, and injection timing

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Abstract

Urban planning and development is a decisive factor that increases the automobile numbers which leads to increased energy demand across the globe. In order to meet the escalating requirements of energy, it is necessary to find viable alternatives. Waste plastic oil (WPO) is one such alternative which has dual benefits as it reduces the environmental pollution caused by plastic waste and it could possibly meet the energy requirement along with fossil fuels. The study attempted to reduce emissions from a DI diesel engine fueled with WPO using 30% by volume of n-pentanol with fossil diesel (WPO70P30). EGR (10, 20, and 30%) and injection timing modifications were made with the intention to find optimum engine operating conditions. The experimental results indicated that addition of renewable component like n-pentanol had improved the combustion characteristics by igniting WPO more homogeneously producing a higher premixed combustion phase. Smoke density for WPO70P30 was found to be twice lower than that of neat WPO at standard injection timing of 23°CA bTDC at any given EGR rate, NOx emissions were slightly on the higher side about 12% for WPO70P30 blend against WPO at same operating conditions. WPO70P30 showed lowest smoke and carbon monoxide emissions than diesel and WPO while delivering BTE’s higher than WPO and closer to diesel at all EGR and injection timings. However NOx and HC emissions increased with n-pentanol addition. The use of EGR reduced NOx emissions but was found to aggravate other emissions. It was concluded WPO70P30 can be favorably used in a DI diesel engine at the engines advanced injection timing for better performance than diesel with a slight penalty in NOx emissions.

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Abbreviations

bTDC:

Before top dead center

CAS:

Chemical Abstract Service

CCI:

Calculated Cetane Index

CO:

Carbon monoxide

DI:

Direct Injection

EGR:

Exhaust gas recirculation

EGT:

Exhaust gas temperature

HC:

Hydrocarbons

HRR:

Heat release rate

LHV:

Low heating value

NOx :

Nitrogen oxides

ν:

Kinematic viscosity

ρ:

Density

SD:

Standard deviation

ULSD:

Ultra-low sulfur diesel

WPO:

Waste plastic oil

WPO70P30:

70% by vol. of waste plastic oil + 30% by vol. of n-pentanol blend

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Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank the Indian Institute of Technology, Madras for characterization of WPO and the Polymeric Materials Research Laboratory at Alagappa College, Tamil Nadu for the estimation of fuel properties.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Mechanical Engineering, Jeppiaar Engineering College, Chennai, TN, India

    Dillikannan Damodharan

  2. Department of Mechanical Engineering, Annamalai University, Chidambaram, TN, India

    Dillikannan Damodharan

  3. Department of Mechanical Engineering, Annamalai University, Chidambaram, TN, India

    Amudhavalli Paramasivam Sathiyagnanam

  4. Department of Industrial Technology, California State University, Fresno, CA, 93740-8002, USA

    Babu Rajesh Kumar

  5. Department of Mechanical Engineering, University College of Engineering, Nagercoil, TN, India

    Kuttalam Chidambaradhanu Ganesh

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  1. Dillikannan Damodharan
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  2. Amudhavalli Paramasivam Sathiyagnanam
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  3. Babu Rajesh Kumar
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  4. Kuttalam Chidambaradhanu Ganesh
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Correspondence to Dillikannan Damodharan.

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Responsible editor: Santiago V. Luis

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Damodharan, D., Sathiyagnanam, A.P., Rajesh Kumar, B. et al. Cleaner emissions from a DI diesel engine fueled with waste plastic oil derived from municipal solid waste under the influence of n-pentanol addition, cold EGR, and injection timing. Environ Sci Pollut Res 25, 13611–13625 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-018-1558-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-018-1558-5

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