Investigations and development of novel fuel blends using biodiesel and butylated hydroxytoluene: optimization using D-optimal design and desirability

Abstract

The transportation industry is most concerned about the rising cost of fossil fuels and the deterioration of the environment. Although many alternative fuels currently have enhanced performance characteristics, continuous research attempts to further enhance their quality even more. This research focuses on improving fuel quality by incorporating Waste vegetable oil biodiesel derived from Liza oil and Butylated Hydroxytoluene (BHT). The combination of these factors results in a novel approach that uses experimental and parametric optimization to outperform current constraints in alternative fuels. The objective of this study is to compare the performance and emission characteristics of several blends of diesel, including B10 (20% biodiesel + 500 ppm BHT + diesel), B20 (20% biodiesel + 1000 ppm BHT + diesel), B30 (20% biodiesel + 1500 ppm BHT + diesel), B40 (20% biodiesel + 2000 ppm BHT + diesel), and B50 (20% biodiesel + 2500 ppm BHT + diesel). The tests were carried out at a variety of engine loads and speeds. The performance of Liza oil blends, as assessed by engine performance and emissions characteristics, was found to be comparable to that of diesel. Mechanical and brake thermal efficiency was determined to be highest for the B30 and B40 mixtures. The Liza oil Biodiesel operation exhibited fewer hydrocarbon emissions than the diesel fuel mode at B20. The D-optimal design was utilized for the experiment design. The data collected was used for the analysis of variance (ANOVA) for the development of mathematical expression for each response variable. The response surface methodology (RSM) was employed for the development of response surfaces to explore the effects of control factors on each response variable. The most favorable results were obtained using desirability-based optimization at 8.22 kg engine load and 500 ppm BTH concentration. It resulted in 20.04% brake thermal efficiency, 0.4 kg/ kWh brake specific fuel consumption, 39% mechanical efficiency, 0.028 Vol.% carbon mono-oxide, 7.39% carbon-di-oxide, 39.16 ppm hydrocarbon, and 1230 ppm nitrogen oxide as response variables.