Impact of aluminium oxide nanoparticles as an additive in diesel-methanol blends on a modern DI diesel engine

The development of nanotechnology makes nanoparticle additives for internal combustion engines possible and the existing research results have shown that the engine performances can be improved with metal-based nanoparticles additive in the fuel. The present study makes an attempt to add aluminium oxide (AL₂O₃) nanoparticles (25, 100 ppm) into diesel-methanol blends, and to study the impact of the nanoparticle additive on the characteristics of a modern DI diesel engine. The results showed that the presence of AL₂O₃ nanoparticles in the diesel-methanol blends improved the peak in-cylinder pressure, heat release rate and brake thermal efficiency by 2.5%, 16.1% and 3.6%, respectively, as compared with those without AL₂O₃ additives, as well as the decreases in the ignition delay and combustion duration by up to 6.9% and 16%. And the brake specific fuel and energy consumption can be reduced by up to 3.7% and 3.5%, respectively. Moreover, engine emission tests showed the suppressions in CO, HC and smoke emissions by up to 83.3%, 40.9% and 69.2%, respectively, but a marginal increase in NO_X emission by 14.4%. These results indicate that the presence of nanoparticle additives in the diesel-methanol blends can achieve sound effects of energy conservation and emission reductions.