Factors affecting emissions from diesel fuel and water-in-diesel emulsion

ABSTRACTThe purpose of this research is to investigate the effect of addition of surfactant and water in diesel and to make an emulsified fuel considering the needs for vehicle performance and its cleanest possible operation. The total surfactant concentration in each of the diesel-water emulsion samples studied (span 20, span 80, tween 20, tween 80) is fixed at 1% w/w. The water content is variable at 5–15% w/w and the diesel content is varied from 84 to 94% w/w. Among all the tested nonionic surfactants, tween 80 is found to prominently reduce the carbon monoxide (CO), hydrocarbon (HC), and nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions. Tween 20 reduced the NOx emission to a greater extent. Diesel emulsion with a fixed ratio of span 80 and tween 80 (1:1) efficiently reduced the overall emissions as compared to diesel alone. The developed diesel emulsion employed with nonionic surfactants clearly reduced the harmful engine emissions such as CO, HC, and NOx, signifying them as a future potential emulsifier in diesel fue...