diethyl ether as a fuel and an additive in diesel engines

1. Literature review

This paper used various researches done on diethyl ether as a fuel and an additive in diesel engines. There are multiple methods used to minimize the harmful exhaust emission from diesel engines. There different procedures used to remove the detrimental discharge on diesel engines (Sezer, 2019). The first technique was to modify the engine design and fuel injection, which is very costly and time-consuming. The second technique that was not as effective as it negatively affected engine performance; it used various exhaust gas devices. Finally, the other method was the use of multiple fuel substitutes and fuel additives, which worked well; it abridged emission and enhanced engine performance (Sezer, 2018). Nitrogen oxide (NO) and particulate matters (PM) are significant pollutants and are difficult to be eliminated. The only solution to reduce emissions is the use of various additives, which include the use of addictive conventional fuel diesel and alternative fuel, natural gas, biogas, among others. Therefore, the use of other fuel and fuel additives stood to be the most cost-effective, has less toxic waste, and improved engine performance results.

Through biodiesel-diesel fuel can substitute diesel fuel at a blending ration of up to 20%, fuel properties could be beyond the recommended standards by manufacturers when blending at a high volume ratio. Investigation of diesel-biodiesel fuel (B20) matched to fuel properties and engine cyclical variation (Yasin et al. 2017). The analysis of data used the coefficient of variation (COV) and wavelet power spectrum (WPS), and the results showed a substantial change in density and acid value with a significant reduction in viscosity when diesel blends with biodiesel at 20%.

The study conducted on the use of natural gas in a diesel engine as dual fuel and investigated the effects of using DEE as an additive for removing some of the inadequacies of natural gas; showed that the use of average dual fuel causes reduced performance at low and medium loads. After comparing diesel fuel with dual fuel, dual fuel produces higher carbon oxide (CO) and hydrocarbon emission at all loads. Therefore, the use of diethyl ether as additive hints to an enhancement in the thermal brake efficiency and definite energy consumption while producing lower carbon oxide and nitrogen oxide emissions in comparison to the use of the standard duel fuel.

According to (EPA Rule, R.), transport and energy generation being significant energy models are chief drivers of the global economy and societies, and it’s considerably is dependent on because it drives every side of human life and its activities (Singh et al.

2018). Different fuel properties tested have given mixed results that call for research on the best combination that can work effecting. Consequently, the mixture should be fuel-efficient, improve engine performance as well as safeguard the environment by ensuring less emission of carbon monoxide and other hazardous emissions.

(Ali et al. 2014)This resulted in the need for alternative fuels, like biodiesel, used as renewable energy. Biodiesel found to have a problem with fuel properties and reduced cold flow features. It needed a fuel additive to improve its properties. The improvement comprised a mixture of palm oil methyl esters with increased additive, mixed with ethanol, butanol, and diethyl ether revealed improved acid value, cloud point, concentration, and thickness, among others, but had reduced energy content.

(Rakopoulos, et al. 2014)There are various mixtures of diesel fuel with vegetable oils, bio-diesel, ethanol, and diethyl ether that were examined. After measuring the fuel consumption, exhaust gas temperature, exhaust smoke, Nitrogen Oxides, and carbon monoxide, the results show a reduced smoke emission except for vegetable oils, which showed reduced emission of Nitrogen Oxides. (Ibrahim, 2018)The study of diesel, biodiesel – diesel mixture and two mixtures of biodiesel – diesel –DEE with DEE proportions 5% and 10% by volume, shows that diesel –biodiesel blend increased the minimum brake specific fuel consumption( BSFC) by 8.1%. Additionally, it reduced the minimum thermal efficiency by 6.8% compared to diesel fuel.

The experiment for diesel, neat biodiesel, 50% blend of diesel Fand biodiesel at different engine loads with continuous speed showed that; the engine could not run at a high-speed load when DEE was limited to 12.5% (Nanthagopal, et al. 2019). Also, the study revealed that increased brake specific fuel consumption of 12.5%, when blended with ether, the brake thermal reduced by 5.3% compared to diesel fuel. Again, the operation of a diesel engine with diesel-biodiesel and DEE blend showed a reduction of emission for 84%, 4.6%, and 57% reduction of unburned hydrocarbon, carbon monoxide, and nitrogen oxides respectively, compared to that of diesel fuel at 100% engine load.

Additionally, there is an alternative way of using alternate fuel for diesel without modifying the engine, where oil can be obtaining waste plastic pyrolysis oil (WPPO) and mixed with 5% and 10% diethyl ether produced single-cylinder cold water, that improved diesel engine performance and combustion (Devaraj et al. 2015). The combination reduced both waste plastics as well as smoke levels, and thermal brake efficiency (BTE) improved when compared to pure plastic pyrolysis oil and diesel. Blending DEE with plastic increased Cenate rating on the engine, and tallying oxygenates to the blend developed the combustion process and reduced emission of carbon monoxide (CO) and nitrous oxide (NOx).