Numerical Investigation on Energetic, Combustion and Emissions Parameters of a Diesel Engine Fueled with Diesel/Butanol and Diesel/Pentanol

Abstract In this article, the effect of butanol/diesel and pentanol/diesel blended fuel with different proportions on the energetic, combustion, and emissions parameters of a diesel engine was studied. First, an engine model was established using Diesel-RK software. The modeled engine was a direct injection diesel engine having a fixed compression ratio, injection timing, and speed of 17.5:1, 23 degbTDC, and 1500 rpm, respectively. After that, a set of experiments was conducted using a 5% pentanol and 95% diesel by volume fuel blend maintaining the same operating conditions as the simulation, and the results of the experiment were compared with the numerical result using the same blend. The simulated results were found to be in respectable agreement with experimental findings. The analysis of the simulated results shows that at 100% load using 15% butanol and 85% diesel by volume and 15% pentanol and 85% diesel by volume brake thermal efficiency was increased by 0.96% and 0.8%, respectively. The emission of NOx was reduced by 24.4% and 10.75% on average using butanol and pentanol blends, respectively. The instantaneous heat release rate and ignition delay increase with the higher alcohol–diesel blends, whereas the peak pressure rise and combustion temperature decrease. Smoke emissions were reduced by 3.31–8.75%, and specific particulate matter emissions decreased by 20.9% and 15.07%, respectively, on average with the addition of butanol/pentanol in neat diesel.