A Hybrid Response Surface Methodology and Multi-Criteria Decision Making model to investigate the Performance and Emission Characteristics of a diesel engine fueled with Phenolic antioxidant additive and Biodiesel Blends

Overconsumption of fossil fuels has accelerated global warming and raised environmental air pollution levels. Recent studies have looked into the potential use of alternative, environmentally friendly fuels for diesel engines in response to the rising need for oil. Biodiesel is a renewable alternative fuel that is environmentally friendly. The significant increase in NOx emissions is the most notable disadvantage of biodiesel. This study examined the effect of antioxidant-treated Jatropha biodiesel on the performance and exhaust emission parameters of a VCR diesel engine. For this study; diesel, Jatropha biodiesel (B30) and phenolic antioxidant additive diphenylamine at 100 ppm is added by weight to the B30 blend named as B30+DPA, was used. A hybrid RSM and MCDM approaches such as AHP and COPRAS technique has been used to produce a sustainable model to derive the optimum models for output responses. From experimental findings, the antioxidant significantly reduced NOx emission. The inclusion of DPA to tested blend lowered the average NOx emissions and BSFC by 7.4% and 7.8% respectively as compared with B30. Also, the BMEP of B30+DPA is 5.01% and 0.38% higher than diesel and B30, CPMax is 0.9% higher than B30, but 3.4% lower than diesel. The optimal setting of engine input parameters is recorded at CR of 15, 7.5% EGR-HOT and 12 kg load, for optimum BP, BMEP, BSFC, CPMax and NOx emissions. Therefore, the B30+DPA blend is suitable for enhancing diesel engine performance and minimizing exhaust emissions.