Study of the effects of bio-silica nanoparticle additives on the performance, combustion, and emission characteristics of biodiesel produced from waste fat

Abstract

Numerous countries are investigating alternative fuel sources in response to the escalating issue of energy inadequacy. Using environmentally sustainable biodiesel as a potential alternative to fossil fuels, particularly from waste sources, is a developing prospect. This study aims to examine the feasibility of utilizing industry leather waste as a diesel fuel substitute. Traditional transesterification was used to obtain methyl ester out of leather waste. After processing, 81.93% of methyl ester was produced. Bio-silica (Bio-Si) is used as a fuel additive to enhance combustion and decrease emissions. This work utilized a leather industry waste fat biodiesel (LIWFB), LIWFB blend (B50), LIWFB blend with Bio-Si nanoparticles (B50Bio-Si50, B50Bio-Si75, and B50Bio-Si100 ppm) to analyze the engine outcome parameters at standard operating conditions. Experimental results revealed that adding Bio-Si in the biodiesel blend increased thermal brake efficiency (BTE) but was lower in diesel fuel. The biodiesel blends reduced NOx emissions more than Bio-Si nanoparticle blends. Furthermore, the smoke opacity was reduced by 31.87%, hydrocarbon (HC) emissions were reduced by 34.14%, carbon monoxide (CO) emissions were decreased by 43.97%, and oxides of nitrogen (NOx) emissions were slightly increased by 4.45% for B50Bio-Si100 blend compared to neat diesel. This investigation determined that all the emissions remained lower for all combinations than neat diesel, with a small increase in NOx emissions. Therefore, the LIWFB blend with Bio-Si nanoparticles was a viable diesel fuel alternative in diesel engines.