Diesel Engine Performance Improvement by adding ZnO nanoparticles to diesel fuel

Abstract

The behavior of a CI (Compression Ignition) engine was analyzed when ZnO (Zinc Oxide) nanoparticles were added, in proportions of 144, 233 and 377 ppm. The tests were developed using diesel fuel with a concentration of 300 ppm sulfur to analyze consumption and how it influences pollutant emissions and engine performance. The tests used a 2.6 ID (direct injection) 4-cylinder in-line truck, with an output of 85.57 HP at 4000 rpm and a torque of 167 Nm at 2200 rpm, a gas analyzer, an opacimeter and a dynamometer. The tests were carried out at an altitude of 2200 m.a.s.l., with an atmospheric pressure of 78.5 kPa. Obtained results in terms of torque indicate an increase of 3.82%, while in power, an increase of 3.46% is evident with the addition of ZnO to diesel; in terms of polluting emissions of CO, a decrease of 35% was obtained. As for CO2, the results showed a decrease of 4%. HC decreased from 86% to 59%. O2 decreased by 1%. The addition of nanoparticles showed no improvement in the mitigation of NOx. Finally, the opacity test shows a decrease of 39.67%. The applicability of this study corroborates that the addition of nanoparticles to diesel fuel mitigates pollutant emissions without significantly sacrificing the performance of CI engines.