An Experimentation of Performance of Compression Ignition Engine Fueled with Nano-alumina–Enhanced Diesel, Diesel–Ethanol, and Diesel–Butanol Blends

This study is to use the renewable fuels such as bioethanol and biobutanol as performance improving additives into diesel fuel. Nano-alumina is added in three proportions into diesel, diesel–bioethanol, and diesel–biobutanol blends for further enhancement of performance. The novelty of this study is the utilization of the bio-alcohols manufactured from the waste vegetables and fruits, which are reducing the land pollution, disposal cost, and the decrease in the dependency of diesel fuel. Blends of diesel–bioethanol and diesel–biobutanol are prepared and tested for the homogeneity in the controlled temperature of 25°C. The blends after the homogeneity test are tested for the required properties and compared with the base of commercial Bharat Stage VI diesel. One blend from three base fuels such as diesel, diesel–bioethanol, and diesel–biobutanol is being chosen and further blended with three proportions of nano-alumina particles (50 mg/L, 75 mg/L, and 100 mg/L) and further tested for efficiencies in compression ignition engine. By the comparison of efficiencies, one blend with one proportion of nano-alumina is being compared for the parameters of the engine in five load conditions. The thermal energy release during the fueling is being analyzed by monitoring the heat release rate and the pressure of the engine during the testing. The results revealed that the addition of bioethanol and biobutanol improves the heat release rate by 5%–7% from the base diesel; the addition of 100 mg/L of nano-alumina increases the heat release by further 6.5%–9.5% in the blends of diesel, diesel–bioethanol, and diesel–biobutanol blends, respectively, operated in the range of 75%–85% of brake power of the maximum brake power of the test engine. The emissions of nitrogen oxides and smoke from the engine in these conditions are significantly low while comparing diesel. This study directs the utilization of the renewable fuels’ such as bioethanol and biobutanol up to 20%, which saves the same extent of diesel fuel—an import resource.