Evaluation of water emulsion in biodiesel for engine performance and emission characteristics

The present experiment was conducted by executing detailed tests on performance, combustion, and emission characteristics to prove that the Nerium biodiesel emulsified fuel can be an eco-friendly fuel. The emulsified biodiesel was formed by mixing with a small proportion of water in the limits of 5%, 10%, and 15% by volume. This study also assessed the stability of different emulsified blends. The properties were tested according to ASTM requirements. The blend of 60% diesel, 20% biodiesel, 15% water, and 5% surfactant showed the higher brake thermal efficiency and in-cylinder pressure by 13.72% and 12.6%, respectively, when related to base fuel. Also, carbon monoxide, oxides of nitrogen, opacity of smoke and hydrocarbon emission of the above blend decreased by 42.87%, 6.5%, 12.96%, and 31.94%, respectively, when related to base fuel. This can be attributed due to the micro-explosion and availability of the oxygen content in the fuel. The results noticed a significant improvement and advantage of using the eco-friendly emulsified fuel in traditional engines without any modifications. Micro-explosion during combustion stage guaranteed a reduction in emission of nitrogen oxides (NOx).