An Exploratory Study of Direct Injection (DI) Diesel Engine Performance Using CNSL—Ethanol Biodiesel Blends with Hydrogen

The emissions from direct injection (DI) diesel engines remain a serious setback from the viewpoint of environmental pollution, especially for those who have been persuaded to use biofuel as an alternative fuel. The main drawbacks of using biofuels and their mixtures in DI diesel engines are increased emissions and decreased brake thermal efficiency (BTE) compared to using neat diesel fuel. The current study analyses the biodiesel made from cashew nut shell liquid (CNSL) using a single-cylinder, direct-injection diesel engine to validate the engine’s performance and discharge characteristics. In addition to the improved CNSL and a twin-fuel engine that runs on hydrogen, ethanol was added to the fuel at rates of 5%, 10%, and 15%. The investigation was conducted using a single-cylinder direct injection diesel engine at steady-state settings, above the sustained engine speed (1500 RPM). Several performance parameters and pollutant emissions, such as hydrocarbons (HC), carbon monoxide (CO), and nitrogen oxides (NOX) were tracked during this study. According to the experimental findings, the biodiesel mixture’s brake heat was reduced by 26.79% in comparison to the diesel fuel. The brake-specific fuel consumption (BSFC) declined with the addition of hydrogen to the CNSL mixture. An increase in the BTE with increasing concentrations of hydrogen in the CNSL fuel blend was observed. The best blends of ethanol and CNSL–hydrogen perceptibly increased the exhaust gas temperature and NOX emissions, while also producing the fewest HC and CO emissions. The current research acts as a novel paradigm that makes it possible to comprehend the exergy related to mass or energy exchanges as a by-product of thermodynamic quality and quantity.