Application of CuO nanoparticles on performance and emission characteristics of ternary blends of diesel, waste cooking oil and pumpkin seed oil biodiesel in an IC engine

Abstract

The aim of this work is to demonstrate the effect of copper oxide (CuO) nanoparticles doped biodiesel on the performance and emission characteristics of a compression ignition (CI) engine. The base fuel (B20) is a ternary blend of 10% waste cooking oil (WCO) biodiesel, 10% pumpkin seed oil (PSO) biodiesel, and 80% conventional diesel. The B20 blend has been doped with CuO nanoparticles at four different dosage of 20, 40, 60 and 80 ppm. The tests are conducted on a single-cylinder diesel engine with no modifications and under standard operating conditions. WCO and PSO were identified for this work due to their good economic viability, and the oils are converted into biodiesel through the transesterification process. The performance parameters, such as brake thermal efficiency (BTE) and brake specific fuel consumption (BSFC) under different load conditions are evaluated. The emission characteristics of carbon monoxide (CO), hydrocarbons (HC), and oxides of nitrogen (NOx) are also considered for this study. From the results, it is found that the use of a ternary blend with CuO for an IC engine gives higher BTE with reduced BSFC. It is also perceived that the emission of CO and HC from the engine can be controlled with the addition of CuO nanoparticles.