A comparative study on the effect of nano-additives on the performance and emissions of a diesel engine run on palm biodiesel

Rising energy requirements in conjunction with the diminishment of fossil fuels and an accelerated pace of fuel consumption, combined with the generation of detrimental emissions, prompted extensive investigation into substitute fuels. Palm oil was employed to produce biodiesel through acid esterification, succeeded by a trans-esterification procedure. A blend comprising 10 palm biodiesel by volume was concocted by amalgamating biodiesel and diesel oils. To enhance fuel properties, the nano additive Al2O3 was employed. This additive was merged with the biodiesel blend at proportions of 50, 100, and 150 ppm, respectively. This article’s objective is to assess the performance and exhaust emissions of a diesel engine that employs the palm biodiesel blend incorporating nano additives. A test setup was affixed to a lone-cylinder diesel engine (R180) for experimental purposes, enabling the measurement of performance and emissions across various engine speeds. The findings of the study reveal that incorporating Al2O3 nano additive at a lower proportion (50 ppm) has a minor impact on the engine’s technical performance and emissions. Conversely, employing a higher proportion (100 ppm and 150 ppm) leads to notable enhancements in both combustion attributes and technical performance—emissions of the engine. This underscores the substantial promise associated with the utilization of nano-additives for augmenting fuel efficiency and curtailing engine emissions. © The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2024.