Characterization of Diesel-Hydrogen Peroxide Fuel Blend
Characterization of Diesel-Hydrogen Peroxide Fuel Blend
Characterization of Diesel-Hydrogen Peroxide Fuel Blend
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1. Introduction
Diesel engines are a type of internal combustion engine. Rudolf Diesel firstly designed the diesel engine to use
coal dust and vegetable oil as a fuel. Rudolf subsequently tested it with diesel derived from various type of oils
including some vegetable oils, such as peanut oil, to power the engines, which he exhibited at the 1900 Paris
Exposition and the 1911 World's Fair in Paris (Mustufa and Havva, 2008). Generally, petroleum-derived diesel
comprises of about 75% saturated hydrocarbons (primarily paraffin’s including n, iso, and cycloparaffins), with
25% aromatic hydrocarbons (including naphthalenes and alkylbenzenes). The average chemical formula for
common diesel fuel is C12H23, ranging approximately from C10H20 to C15H28(Riazi, 2005).
Investigations on various types of fuels had been conducted in recent years for improving the quality and
performance of diesel fuel. Especially for the reduction of emitted pollutants; researchers have focused their
interest on the area of fuel related techniques such as, the use of alternative fuels, often in fumigated form, or
gaseous fuels of renewable nature that are environmentally friendly (Anand et al., 2011; Lujaji et al., 2011;
Torres-jimenez et al., 2011; Yasar et al., 2011; Ying et al., 2008) or oxygenated fuels that show the ability to
reduce particulate emissions (Ashok and Saravanan 2007; Chen et al. 2008; Karas et al., 1995; Lin and K. Wang,
2004; X Shi et al., 2005; Jianxin Wang et al., 2009).
Significant attention has been given to alternative fuel with superior physiochemical properties for protecting the
environment and enhancing the fuel efficiency aspect, particularly the alcohol based fuels. Much attention has
been given to ethanol because of its admirable properties (Chen et al., 2009; Guarieiro et al., 2009; Huang et al.,
2009; Kwanchareon et al., 2007; Kwanchareon and Luengnaruemitchai, 2007; ,Rakopoulos et al., 2010; Xingcai
et al. 2004a; Xing-cai et al., 2004b) . Also methanol (M100) has been looked into as an alternative diesel fuel for
used in heavy-duty vehicles (Cenk et al., 2010; Sayin et al., 2009). Denatured ethanol (E95) had also been used
in transport buses, that operated in the Midwest and as a replacement for M100 in transport buses during a period
of high methanol prices. Blends of methanol and ethanol used in gasoline, with a focus on blends containing
85% alcohol (M85 and E85) (Ajba et al., 2011; Mehta et al., 2012) were evaluated as alternative light-duty
vehicle fuels.
To attain substantial reductions in emissions, it is thought that reformulation of diesel fuels properties has played
a very important role (De-gang et al., 2005; Tat and Gerpen, 2002). The reformulation of diesel fuels include;
lowering the sulfur and/or aromatic content, or potentially the addition of oxygen atoms within the fuel. It has
been shown that many oxygenates were effective in reducing particulate emissions from diesel engines (Neeft et
al., 1996; Grabowski and McCormick, 1998; Choi and Reitz, 1999; Beatrice et al., 1999). Therefore, much
research was focused on screening of oxygenated fuel additives, including alcohols, esters, and ethers. Dimethyl
ether (DME) was regarded as one of the promising alternative fuels or oxygen additives for diesel engines, with
its advantages of a high cetane number and oxygen content (Arinan and Orman, 2011).
Hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) is a pale blue liquid, slightly more viscous than water, which appears colorless in
dilute solution. It is a weak acid along with strong oxidizing properties, and a powerful bleaching agent. It is
widely used as a disinfectant, antiseptic, oxidizer, and in rocketry as a propellant. The oxidizing capacity of H2O2
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is so strong that it is considered a highly reactive oxygen species (Ashok and Saravanan, 2008; Voloshin et al.,
2007).
In this study, introduction of H2O2 as blend for diesel was carried out experimentally. Various compositions of
H2O2 were tested in order to enhance the properties of diesel, ranging from lean crude diesel and up to the
optimum condition. Poly saccride (PS) based emulsifier reduces the surface tension between the diesel and H2O2
and stabilizes the blend for longer period. Previously, Ashok and Saravanan worked on performance and
emission characteristics of adding H2O2 as an additive with the selected ratio of the most common available
emulsifies (Span 80) (Abe et al., 2010; Ashok and Saravanan, 2008; Taylor, 2011).
2. Material &Method
For the experimental work, the reference diesel fuel was obtained from PETRONAS fuel station whilst the
commercial grade hydrogen peroxide (30%) was obtained from the Chemical Company of Malaysia Berhad
(CCM). Analytical grade acetone (99.9%) and the Agarose were purchased from Merck. Prior to performing the
experimental measurements of each material and fuel blends, all the mass measurements were performed using
an electrical balance (Dhona 200 D, India) which has a precidsion of 0.0001mg. The densities of each liquid
(diesel, H2O2, and acetone) were measured with a capillary pycnometer. All experiments are repeated three times
for consistency and the average reading was used. The emulsifier was prepared shortly prior to the mixing
between the reference diesel (R.D) and the H2O2 to form the diesel blend fuel. The reaction between the poly
saccride and acetone at a ratio of 1:4 (weight/volume) were conducted in a 250 ml sealed Schott bottle with a
magnetic stirrer inserted in the solution and then place on a hot plate at temperature 50 oC for 12 hours, which
was necessary to obtain the desired characteristics. The diesel/H2O2 blends were prepared under closed heating
system at room temperature and atmospheric inner oxygen pressure. During diesel/H2O2 blends preparation, the
amount of poly saccride emulsifier was kept at 5 vol. %, and the volume ratios of H2O2 to the reference diesel
were varied within the range of 0 to 0.15 vol%. Details of experiments which were performed according to
ASTM D-975 methods are shown in Table 1.
Table 3: ASTM standard for Diesel fuel Testing
S. No. Property ASTM Method
1 Density ASTM D-1298
2 Viscosity ASTM D-445
3 Kinematic Viscosity ASTM D-445
4 Flash Point ASTM D-93
5 Fire Point ASTM D-92
6 Refractive Index ASTM D-1218
7 Surface Tension ASTM D-971
8 Ph ASTM D-4539
9 Moisture Contents ASTM D-2709
10 API Gravity ASTM D-287
3. Results& Discussion
3.1Influence of H2O2 on density of fuel blend
Density is a key fuel property, which directly affects the engine performance characteristics. Many performance
characteristics, such as cetane number and heating value, are related to the density of fuel (Wisniak et al., 2007).
The density of diesel fuel usually varies between 0.81 and 0.89 g/cm3. In this study, the densities of prepared fuel
blend are laid between these values. Emulsifier has the lowest density value of 0.6123g/cm3 among the
individual component, while hydrogen peroxide having a density of 1.130 g/cm3 is higher value than the pure
diesel fuel. As a result, the experimentally measured values of densities for the fuel blends as presented in Figure
1 showed higher values than the reference diesel. Although the density of hydrogen peroxide is much greater, the
energy content is apparently lower both on a mass and volume basis when compared to the reference diesel fuel
(Ashok and Saravanan, 2007). Figure 1 shows the density and API gravity for all the fuel blends with different
hydrogen peroxide composition. The density of the fuel blends showed increasing value with the increased in
hydrogen peroxide composition in the mixture due to higher density of H2O2, having a value of 1.130 g/cm3.
However, the density of the fuel blends does not increase much when the hydrogen peroxide exceeded more than
15%.
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Due to the reduction in the energy content after the addition of the hydrogen peroxide, more fuel injection into
the combustion chamber is required. Nevertheless, such disadvantage is compensated back through the higher
cetane number of the fuel blends with the addition of hydrogen peroxide. Higher cetane number of the fuel
blends will lead to cleaner combustion hence lowering the emission of carbon monoxide from the engine.
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blends exceeded beyond 15% hydrogen peroxide. Below the limit, the changes in the pH of the diesel fuel blends
will becomes smaller.
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Acknowledgements: Authors would like to express their sincere gratitude to staff of Department of Chemical
engineering UTP Malaysia, for their selfless help and assistance. University Technology PETRONAS financially
supported this project.
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