Engine Performance of Purified Pyrolytic Oil-Diesel Blends

This research project worked on seeing if pyrolysis oil (TPO) could be used as an alternate diesel fuel to meet increasing energy demand, inflation in fuel prices, and the problem of disposing of used tires. The purified TPO was then mixed with commercial diesel at 10%, 20%, and 30% ratios and tested for physical (fuel) properties, engine performance, and emissions from an engine using these blends as fuel. The results of the fuel tests indicate that all blends had acceptable fuel properties; they were stable when mixed; the flash points were within industry standards; the blends had low ash content and moisture levels, and the heat values were similar to commercial diesel. The engine tests indicated that each blend produced adequate combustion and maintained stability, especially with lower blend ratios; however, at higher concentrations of TPO, brake power and thermal efficiency were lower, and brake-specific fuel consumption was higher. Although performance was lower at high TPO blend ratios, results indicate that purified TPO may be a useful additive for diesel to support environmentally friendly ways to manage waste tires, reduce reliance on fossil fuels, and promote alternative energy use.