Combustion and Emission Characteristics of Diesel Fuel Enhanced with Ternary Ag/CeO2/TiO2 Nanocatalysts

Diesel engines are commonly used in transportation and power generation, but their operation is associated with incomplete combustion and emissions. In this research, four different nanocatalyst additives including Ag, Ag/TiO2, Ce/TiO2, and Ag/CeO2/TiO2 were studied as diesel fuel additives to improve combustion efficiency and minimize regulated emissions. These nanoparticles were synthesized and characterized by employing X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) techniques. The prepared fuel blends were tested in a single-cylinder diesel engine at additive concentrations of 50, 75, and 100 ppm under varying engine loads. Among the tested formulations, the ternary Ag/CeO2/TiO2 blend demonstrated the highest performance. When compared with the baseline diesel fuel, it reduced CO emissions by 32.5%, HC emissions by 27.8%, and NOx emissions by 29.4%. At the same time, the amount of CO2 emission has increased by 18.81%, which shows that the combustion is more complete. Also, the same formulation has decreased brake-specific fuel consumption (BSFC) by 18.7% and increased brake thermal efficiency (BTE) by 16.3%. The improved performance is due to the cooperative effect of CeO2 oxygen buffering, TiO2 surface-assisted oxidation, and oxidation activity of the silver species. The findings show that the ternary nanocatalyst formulation is an effective approach for optimizing diesel fuel combustion and emissions.