Experimental investigations on the increase in nitric oxide emissions using biodiesels and their mitigation

TLDR: In this article, the major contributor to the higher nitric oxide emissions with biodiesel was investigated in two different engine configurations: one with a conventional mechanical-type engine and the other with a diesel engine.

Abstract: One of the major shortcomings to be addressed in the widespread applications of biodiesel fuel for compression ignition engines is the formation of higher nitric oxide emissions. It is well established in the literature that thermal nitric oxide is a dominant source for nitric oxide formation in engines. Thermal nitric oxide formation increases by any in-cylinder combustion strategy that alters the in-cylinder temperatures, the oxygen fraction or the residence time of high-temperature post-flame burned gases. The differences between the properties of biodiesel in terms of a higher bulk modulus, a higher cetane number and the presence of a fuel-bound oxygen fraction and the properties of diesel are found to affect the in-cylinder charge conditions and thus the nitric oxide formation. The present work aims to understand the major contributor to the higher nitric oxide formation with biodiesel based on experimental investigations in two different engine configurations: one with a conventional mechanical-type...