The effect of Sr‐doped zinc oxide nanoadditives on the performance and emission parameters of a VCR engine powered by soybean biodiesel

Abstract

In the present study, the effects of soybean biodiesel (SB)-diesel blends containing 1% strontium (Sr) doped zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles (NPs) on the performance and emission parameters of a variable compression ratio (VCR) engine were investigated. To make the fuel blends, 25% soybean biodiesel (SB25) was added to the diesel. To improve the blend's stability, Sr/ZnO NP additions were blended with SB25 at 50 and 75 ppm utilizing an ultrasonication method and a surfactant at 2%. Various physicochemical techniques, such as X-ray diffraction, field-emission scanning electron microscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, and ultraviolet spectroscopy, were used to characterize the produced NPs. These blends improved overall engine characteristics when used with a VCR. In comparison to the absence of nanoadditives, the brake thermal efficiency increased by 10.37% and the brake-specific fuel consumption decreased by 16.76% while using 50 ppm Sr/ZnO NPs additive in SB25 (SB25Sr/ZnO50).