Experimental investigation on performance and emission analysis of the higher alcohol-blended water-emulsified waste cooking oil biodiesel in an IC engine

Abstract

This study investigated the impact of alcohol addition on various diesel engine parameters using emulsified biodiesel derived from waste cooking oil (WCO). The primary contribution of this study is the development of a new blended fuel consisting of 30% WCO biodiesel by volume mixed with regular diesel, which is then emulsified with 10% water. Additionally, 1-hexanol was incorporated into the water-emulsified biodiesel at a volumetric concentration of 10% and 20%. Therefore, four different fuels were developed and tested against those of biodiesel–diesel fuel in a single-cylinder, four-stroke diesel engine without any modifications. The study shows that 1-hexanol-blended, water-emulsified WCO biodiesel improves combustion efficiency and lowers emissions compared to regular diesel. Adding 20% 1-hexanol to the water-emulsified WCO biodiesel significantly reduced the emissions of carbon monoxide (CO), hydrocarbons (HC), and smoke by 42.8%, 18.2%, and 31.3%, respectively. Additionally, there was an 18.5% drop in brake specific fuel consumption (BSFC) and a 6.6% increase in brake thermal efficiency (BTE). There was a gradual rise in smoke observed as the 1-hexanol in the fuel increased from 10% to 20%. The study shows that adding higher alcohol to water-emulsified WCO biodiesel improves combustion efficiency and helps reduce engine emissions and fossil diesel use.