Soot particle morphology and nanostructure with oxygenated fuels: A comparative study into cold-start and hot-start operation

Puneet Verma; Mohammad Jafari; Ali Zare; Edmund Pickering; Yi Guo; Chiemeriwo Godday Osuagwu; Svetlana Stevanovic; Richard Brown; Zoran Ristovski

doi:10.1016/j.envpol.2021.116592

Soot particle morphology and nanostructure with oxygenated fuels: A comparative study into cold-start and hot-start operation

Environ Pollut. 2021 Apr 15:275:116592. doi: 10.1016/j.envpol.2021.116592. Epub 2021 Jan 24.

Authors

Puneet Verma¹, Mohammad Jafari², Ali Zare³, Edmund Pickering⁴, Yi Guo⁵, Chiemeriwo Godday Osuagwu⁵, Svetlana Stevanovic³, Richard Brown⁶, Zoran Ristovski²

Affiliations

¹ International Laboratory of Air Quality and Health, Queensland University of Technology (QUT), Brisbane, QLD, 4000, Australia; Biofuel Engine Research Facility, Queensland University of Technology (QUT), Brisbane, QLD, 4000, Australia. Electronic address: puneet.verma@connect.qut.edu.au.
² International Laboratory of Air Quality and Health, Queensland University of Technology (QUT), Brisbane, QLD, 4000, Australia; Biofuel Engine Research Facility, Queensland University of Technology (QUT), Brisbane, QLD, 4000, Australia.
³ Flow, Aerosols & Thermal Energy (FATE) Group, School of Engineering, Deakin University, VIC, 3216, Australia.
⁴ School of Chemistry, Physics and Mechanical Engineering, Queensland University of Technology (QUT), Brisbane, QLD, 4000, Australia.
⁵ International Laboratory of Air Quality and Health, Queensland University of Technology (QUT), Brisbane, QLD, 4000, Australia.
⁶ Biofuel Engine Research Facility, Queensland University of Technology (QUT), Brisbane, QLD, 4000, Australia.

PMID: 33582631
DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2021.116592

Abstract

This study investigates the morphology and nanostructure of soot particles during cold-start and hot-start engine operation of a diesel engine using oxygenated fuels. The soot samples were analysed using transmission electron microscopy. The oxygen content in the fuel was varied between 0 and 12%. The results showed that the primary particles during cold-start have significantly smaller size when compared to hot-start engine operation. The addition of oxygenated fuels also resulted in smaller sized primary particles. Smaller radius of gyration and higher fractal dimension of soot aggregates during cold-start would mean smaller aggregate size with a more compact structure. Shorter fringes with a higher inter-fringe spacing for cold-start would mean lower graphitisation of soot particles that could be related to higher oxidation reactivity of soot particles.

Keywords: Biodiesel; Cold-start; Diesel engine; Nanostructure; Soot morphology.

MeSH terms

Fractals
Gasoline / analysis
Microscopy, Electron, Transmission
Nanostructures*
Particle Size
Soot* / analysis
Vehicle Emissions / analysis

Substances

Gasoline
Soot
Vehicle Emissions