Comparative Analysis of the Effects of Different Nanoadditives on the Performance Characteristics of a Diesel Engine Fueled with Ternary Biodiesel-Ethanol- Diesel Blends

The demand for sustainable fuels and the reduction of exhaust emissions in diesel engines have led to the exploration of alternative fuel blends. The present investigation is carried out on the effects of incorporating Al₂O₃ and ZnO nanoparticles into ternary blends of Alexandrian laurel biodiesel, ethanol, and diesel. Engine performance parameters, including BTE and BSFC, as well as emission characteristics such as NOx, CO, UBHC, and smoke opacity, were analysed under varying engine loads. The results showed that adding nanoparticles improved fuel combustion and thermal efficiency while significantly reducing emissions. Al₂O₃ nanoparticles enhanced BTE by up to 12.46% at full load compared to blends without nanoparticles, while ZnO nanoparticles achieved a higher improvement of 10.99%. In terms of emissions, CO and NOx levels were reduced by 9.53% and 8.76%, respectively, with Al₂O₃, whereas ZnO achieved reductions of 10.17% and 12.16%. Smoke opacity also decreased significantly, with ZnO outperforming Al₂O₃ across all load conditions. The study demonstrates that ZnO nanoparticles exhibit superior catalytic properties, making them more effective in optimising engine performance and emissions. The outcomes of the study show that ternary blends with nanoparticles achieve optimum engine performance with lower emissions, and that the DB20E10A100 blend has shown optimum results compared with other fuel blends. Major Findings: Ternary blends containing nanoparticles significantly improve performance and reduce emissions. Al₂O₃ nanoparticles delivered better emission control and performance analysis than ZnO. The DB20E10A100 blend showed the most optimal engine performance with the lowest emissions.