Impact of Ethanol and N-Butanol Addition on Fuel Properties and Exhaust Emissions of a Stationary Diesel Engine

Ethanol and n-butanol are promising oxygenates to be used in blends with fossil diesel fuel because they have the potential to significantly decrease the particulate matter emissions of compression ignition engines. Moreover, they can be produced from renewable sources, which can help reduce dependence on fossil fuels. In this work, ethanol and n-butanol were each used in four blends with a standard ultra-low-sulfur diesel. The eight samples created are characterized by the same oxygen content per pair, obtained either by use of ethanol or n-butanol, respectively. The effects of each alcohol in terms of mixture stability, ignition quality, and other physicochemical properties were investigated. Finally, the effects of the eight samples on the performance and exhaust emissions of a typical stationary diesel engine operating at steady-state conditions were studied. The results showed that both alcohols contribute to the reduction of particulate matter emissions while causing minor changes to most physicochemical properties.