Proceedings of the
International Conference on Mechanical Engineering 2009
(ICME2009) 26- 28 December 2009, Dhaka, Bangladesh

ICME09-TH-04

ROLE OF OXYGENATED FUEL TO REDUCE DIESEL
EMISSIONS: A REVIEW

M. Nurun Nabi1, Dhandapani Kannan, J. Einar Hustad1 and M. Mustafizur Rahman2
1Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), NORWAY
2Rajshahi University of Engineering and Technology (RUET), BANGLADESH

ABSTRACT

Particulate matter (PM) and oxides of nitrogen (NOx emissions) are the two important harmful emissions in diesel engine. Fuel companies and the researchers around the world are devoted to reduce such emissions with different ways. Fuel modification, modification of combustion chamber design and exhaust after treatment are the important means to alleviate such emissions. In this context, engine researchers are hunting suitable alternative fuels for diesel engine. Among different alternative fuels, oxygenated fuel is a kind of alternative fuel. Diethylene glycol dimethyl ether (DGM), dimethoxy methane (DMM), dimethyl ether (DME), diethyl ether (DEE), methyl tertiary butyl ether (MTBE), dibutyl ether (DBE), dimethyl carbonate (DMC), methanol and ethanol have played their role to reduce diesel emissions. These fuels can either be used as a blend with conventional diesel fuel or as a neat fuel. The presence of oxygen in the fuel molecular structure plays an important role to reduce PM and other harmful emissions from diesel engine. The present work reports on the effect of oxygenated fuel on diesel combustion and exhaust emissions. It has been found that the exhaust emissions including PM, total unburnt hydrocarbon (THC), carbon monoxide (CO), smoke and engine noise were reduced with oxygenated fuels. NOx emissions were reduced in some cases were increased depending on the engine operating conditions. The reductions of the emissions were entirely depended on the oxygen content of the fuel. It has been reported that the combustion with oxygenated fuels were much faster than that of conventional diesel fuel. This was mainly due to the oxygen content in the fuel molecular structure and the low volatility of the oxygenated fuels. The lower volatile oxygenated fuel evaporated earlier and very good air-fuel mixing was achieved during combustion eventually resulted in lower exhaust emissions.

Key words: Diesel Engine, Alternative Fuel, Oxygenated Fuel, Diesel Combustion And Exhaust,Emission.

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