Exhaust emissions from diesel engines fueled by different blends with the addition of nanomodifiers and hydrotreated vegetable oil HVO

Abstract

Diesel emissions have a significant impact on the atmosphere, contributing to air pollution, smog and global warming. As a result, diesel exhaust is dangerous to human health. While emissions reduction efforts have often focused on changing engine design or improving aftertreatment, diesel fuel modifications can also play an important role in improving engine efficiency and reducing exhaust emissions. The aim of this work was to examine the potential for emissions reductions under real-world conditions when employing fuel additives. Three different additives were examined, consisting of hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO) and two commercial additives containing nanoparticles of cerium dioxide and ferrocene. HVO was selected as a renewable fuel, an alternative to commonly used biodiesels with competitive advantages. The new European driving cycle (NEDC) procedure was used to measure emissions of regulated compounds: carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, hydrocarbons and particulates (by mass and number) from an 11-year-old passenger car equipped with a diesel engine powered by fuel blends. The fuel blends prepared met the quality requirements for diesel fuel. The results obtained confirm that the application of both HVO and nano-additives to diesel can achieve a significant reduction of carbon monoxide (52%) and hydrocarbon (47%) emissions compared to the B7 base fuel. Particulate emissions (up to 10% by mass of particulates and 7% by number of particulates) were found to be best reduced by adding nanoparticles of cerium dioxide to the B7 fuel (with 30% HVO), while the best results in reducing nitrogen oxide emissions were obtained by adding ferrocene nanoparticles to the B7 fuel with 30% HVO.

Keywords: Cerium dioxide; Diesel exhaust emissions; Ferrocene; Fuel additives; Hydrotreated vegetable oil; Nanoadditives.