Effect of Hybrid Nano additives on Performance and Emission Characteristics of a Diesel Engine Fueled with Waste Cooking Oil Biodiesel

The search for a new renewable biofuel and aiming to make the environment clean is always a challenge for a researcher in developing a sustainable fuel for future mobility. In this context, vegetable oils were found as good alternative biofuels for diesel engines as they are biodegradable and renewable in nature. Most of the physio-chemical properties of vegetable oils are very closer to diesel. However, pure vegetable oils are expensive and using them to operate the diesel engine may affect the food supply chain. In view of this limitation, Waste Cooking Oil Biodiesel (WCOB) derived from waste cooking oil (WCO) was found to be very attractive solution for the above said constraints as they are easily available, renewable, economically and environmentally viable. This research aims at studying the effect of hybrid nano additives (i.e. Copper Oxide with Zinc Oxide) on performance and emission characteristics of a diesel engine fueled with Waste Cooking Oil Biodiesel. The Copper oxide with Zinc oxide hybrid nano fluids were prepared by a novel wet chemical method. These nano fluids were prepared in two mass fractions (i.e. 50ppm and 100ppm) and blended with WCOB and considered as test fuels such as WCOBCZ50 and WCOBCZ100. The stability of hybrid nano fluids prepared by wet chemical method and blended with WCOB was found good. The fuels diesel, WCOB, WCOBCZ50 and WCOBCZ100 were tested in the test engine at different loading conditions to evaluate the engine performance and emission parameters. The experimental results revealed that the addition of hybrid nano additives in WCOB improved the fuel properties which were reflected in terms of increased brake thermal efficiency and reduced brake specific fuel consumption compared to neat WCOB. It was also observed that HC, CO, NOx and smoke emissions were reduced with the addition of hybrid nano additives as compared to neat WCOB. Thus, it can be concluded that inclusion of hybrid nano additives pave way for effective utilization of WCOB in an unmodified diesel engine over a period of time.