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Influence of Cerium Oxide additive on Aloe Vera Biodiesel on CI Engine

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DOI: 10.1080/01430750.2017.1319418

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 International Journal of Ambient Energy

ISSN: 0143-0750 (Print) 2162-8246 (Online) Journal homepage: http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/taen20

Influence of cerium oxide additive and aloe vera

biodiesel on a CI engine

S. Padmanabhan, S. Ganesan, Anipeddi Masen Venkata Anvesh & Bonthu

Pradeep

To cite this article: S. Padmanabhan, S. Ganesan, Anipeddi Masen Venkata Anvesh & Bonthu
Pradeep (2017): Influence of cerium oxide additive and aloe vera biodiesel on a CI engine,
International Journal of Ambient Energy, DOI: 10.1080/01430750.2017.1319418

To link to this article: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/01430750.2017.1319418

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Published online: 11 May 2017.

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Download by: [SRM Dental College & Hospital] Date: 30 September 2017, At: 01:47
 INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF AMBIENT ENERGY, 2017
https://doi.org/10.1080/01430750.2017.1319418

Influence of cerium oxide additive and aloe vera biodiesel on a CI engine

S. Padmanabhana , S. Ganesana , Anipeddi Masen Venkata Anveshb and Bonthu Pradeepb
a School of Mechanical Engineering, Sathyabama University, Chennai, India; b Department of Mechanical Engineering, Sathyabama University,
Chennai, India

ABSTRACT ARTICLE HISTORY

Diesel is the main source of world transportation due to higher combustion efficiency, compliance, consis- Received 28 March 2017
tency and cost-economy. It is also a major contributor to the world prosperity since it is used extensively. Accepted 11 April 2017
Diesel engine’s emissions are the serious hazard to the world environment and it is measured to be the KEYWORDS
major causes of air pollution. The demand in biofuels for years created a scope for aloe vera into biodiesels. Aloe vera; biodiesel; emission
Downloaded by [SRM Dental College & Hospital] at 01:47 30 September 2017

Aloe vera, having higher calorific value vnthan other plant sources used as biodiesels, enhanced us in mak- characteristics; cerium oxide
ing another alternative biodiesel, which has lesser emissions and better performance. In this research work,
four biodiesel blends from aloe vera oil with cerium oxide additive are explored for their performance and
emission characteristics. The results proved B30 (30% biodiesel, 68% diesel and 1% cerium oxide) gives
good performance when compared to other blends.

1. Introduction
It is necessary to develop alternative fuels with properties equiv-
alent to fossil-based fuels to protecting worldwide environ-
ment and from the viewpoint of energy demand. In India,
diesel engines are the major effective prime movers, and it
needs roughly five times that of petrol. Hence looking for
alternative to diesel is a high-priority work. Diesel’s alterna-
tive should be environment friendly and easily available at
low cost. It should achieve the required energy demand with-
out modifying engine’s operative parameters. Many alternative
fuels such as alcohols, biogas and edible and non-edible biofu-
els and hydrogen have proved the suitability via performance
investigations.
Vindhya, Sunil Kumar Reddy, and Govind Naik (2014) have
investigated emission and performance characteristics of diesel
blends with aloe vera on diesel engine with exhaust gas recircu-
lation system. The specific fuel consumption (SFC) of diesel is on
higher side compared with B20 aloe vera blend. Brake thermal
efficiency (BTE) of aloe vera B20 is higher compared to diesel.
The volumetric efficiency of aloe vera B20 is lower compared
to that of diesel. The emissions such as CO2 , O2 and NOx are
decreased compared to diesel, whereas HC remains the same.
Silva et al. (2015) have carried out an investigation on production
of biodiesel from aloe vera. The study aims to utilise aloe vera
as raw material to produce biodiesel. With the improvements
proposed in every process of biodiesel derived from aloe vera
production, it is ensured that in the future aloe vera can be a
viable raw material for biodiesel production.
Sundararajan, Subbiah, and Gomathinayakam (2016) have
conducted experimental investigations on paradise tree oil in
diesel engine with combustion-assisted super-heated hydro-
gen. The investigations proved that 40% higher nitrogen oxide,
5% lower carbon monoxide, 20% less smoke and 45% lower
hydrocarbons than the paradise tree oil combustion character-
istics. The results also proved that the claim of paradise tree oil
with 15% of hydrogen improver is potential alternative for the
Diesel with nominal engine alteration.
Venkatesan and Kadiresh (2016) have used an aqueous
cerium oxide biodiesel and studied emission and performance
parameters of CI engine. Oxygen improves cerium oxide nano-
material, triggering oxidation of hydrocarbons as well as the
reduction of oxides of nitrogen. It also leads to a substan-
tial improvement in the BTE and enhanced brake-specific
fuel consumption. Karthikeyan, Elango, and Prathima (2016)
investigated a rice bran oil biodiesel blends added with nanopar-
ticles of cerium oxide to the B20 blends with the help of ultra-
sonicator at a quantity of 50 and 100 ppm. The investigational
results expose that the use of cerium-oxide-blended biodiesel
has revealed better performance characteristics and decrease in
exhaust emissions in diesel engine.
Jayaprabakar, Karthikeyan, and Rameshkumar (2017) inves-
tigated combustion characteristics of two biodiesels, rice bran
oil and alga-extracted oil with three different injection timings.
The experimental results show that heat release rate and cylin-
der pressure varies with respect to change in the injection tim-
ings. In combustion characteristics, rice bran oil revealed better
results than alga. Anderson (2017) discussed the use of ceramic-
coated thermal barriers for diesel engines. On stainless steel
using plasma spraying method, ceramic coating was applied
and results proved that ceria-mixed yttrium-steadied zirconia
exhibited an improved corrosion resistance.
Beemkumar et al. (2017) aimed to enhance the heat exchange
rate in thermal energy storage system with dissimilar fins
and encapsulation materials. The results are analysed for their
thermal performance characteristics during both the charging
and discharging processes. Sivaganesan et al. (2017) evaluate

CONTACT S. Padmanabhan padamanabhan.ks@gmail.com

© 2017 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group

 2 S. PADMANABHAN ET AL.

performance and emission parameters of Jatropha biodiesel Table 1. Aloe vera biodiesel properties.
blended with bio additive in three different ratios. It is noted that S. No Properties Results
as there is an increase in the blend ratio, there is an increase in 1 Acid value 0.112 mg NaOH/g of oil
thermal efficiency. Biodiesel blends have performed nearer to 2 Kinematic viscosity @ 40°C 4.046 cSt
diesel parameters. 3 Density 0.875 g/cc
4 Flash point by PMCC method 258°C
From the literature study, it is observed that many researchers
5 Fire point by PMCC method 270°C
have used a variety of biodiesel along with the fossil diesel fuel 6 Copper strip corrosion 1a
in the analysis of combustion, performance and emission anal- 7 Moisture content 0.84%
ysis of a wide range of diesel engines with a slight (or without) 8 Cloud point 8°C
9 Pour point 6°C
modification. Aloe vera oil is not much explored as alternative 10 Calorific value 1597.485 cal/g
biodiesel. It can be transformed into biodiesel by maceration Note: PMCC, Pensky-Martens closed cup.
and applied as a fuel for diesel engines. In this research work,
biodiesel blends from aloe vera oil with cerium oxide additive is
explored for its combustion, performance and emission analy- Table 2. Properties of cerium oxide.
sis in a single-cylinder diesel engine and to create an alternate
Molecular formula CeO2
fuel by comparing the blended fuel results with that of base pure
Downloaded by [SRM Dental College & Hospital] at 01:47 30 September 2017

Molar mass 172.115 g/mol

diesel.
2. Aloe vera biodiesel
Aloe vera grows desolate in humid climates around the places.
It is a plant species of the genus Aloe. It is cultivated for medi-
cal and agricultural purposes. Aloe vera is also planted indoors
as a potted plant for decorative purposes. Aloe vera is used in
many skin-related consumer products and some bio-beverages
(Figure 1).
Aloe vera oil is collected and it is processed to aloe vera
biodiesel by removing free fatty acids, where the separation of
biodiesel and glycerol occurs. The separated biodiesel is washed
out to completely eradicate any presence of glycerol in the
biodiesel. The biodiesel is blended with conventional diesel in
required proportions such as B10, B20, B30 and B40, where B
indicates the biodiesel. An experimental examination is con-
ducted to evaluate the combustion, performance and emission
characteristics of aloe vera oil biodiesel and it is doped with
cerium oxide (CeO2 ) nanoparticle blends . The properties of aloe
vera oil are listed in Table 1.
The cerium oxide additive acts as an oxygen improver, which
affords oxygen for the oxidation of carbon monoxide and
engrosses oxygen for the reduction of nitrogen oxides. CeO2
additives in the biodiesel blends result in green combustion and
effectively reduce the hurtful tailpipe gas emissions. Addition
of nanosized form of cerium oxide to diesel cause a substantial
Appearance White or pale yellow solid, slightly hygroscopy
Density 7.215 g/cm3
Melting point 2400°C (4350°F; 2670 K)
Boiling point 3500°C (6330°F; 3770 K)
Solubility in water Insoluble
Crystal structure Cubic (fluorite)
decrease in number-weighted size distributions, and oxidation
rate and light-off temperature are increased. Based on this study,
modified fuel performs closer to conventional diesel. The prop-
erties of cerium oxide are listed in Table 2.
Biodiesel is available in different blends. It can be used as a
fuel on its own (B100), or blended with petrodiesel into B5, B10,
etc. The blends used here are B10, B20, B30 and B40. The blend-
ing of aloe vera biodiesel is mainly done by sonication process.
The ultrasonic mixing improves reaction kinetics and mass trans-
fer, leading to quicker transesterification and higher yield, and
also saves excess methanol and catalyst.
3. Experimental analysis
The experimental investigations were carried out on a sin-
gle cylinder DI diesel engine (Table 3) with uniform speed
to study the performance and emission characteristics of the
blended aloe vera oil. The diesel engine is assessed under vari-
ous engine load conditions with the different blends of soapnut

Figure 1. Aloe vera plant and aloe vera gel.

 INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF AMBIENT ENERGY 3

Table 3. Specification of the test engine. evaluate the emission characteristics such as hydrocarbon, car-
Engine type Single cylinder, 4 stroke, water cooled engine bon monoxide, carbon dioxide and oxides of nitrogen values
Stoke 110 mm, bore 87.5 mm, 661 cc from the exhaust gas.
Power 5.20 kW @ 1500 rpm The test was carried out for different blend proportions of
Compression ratio 17.5
Injection variation 0–25° Btdc aloe vera biodiesel blended with cerium oxide. The performance
Dynamometer Eddy current, water cooled with loading unit analysis of the DI diesel engine at different rated loads was
Fuel tank 15 L, dual compartment with fuel metering assessed in terms of SFC, BTE and emissions characteristics such
as HC, CO, CO2 and NOx . Figure 2 shows the photographic view
of the experimental set-up used in this study.
proportions. The experimental diesel engine was directly cou-
pled with an eddy current dynamometer for varying the loads
from zero load (0%) to full load (100%). Based on the engine
4. Results and discussions
power produced, the engine load range is varied from zero
load condition of 0%, 25%, 50%, 75% and full load condition The engine performance and emission test diesel for and aloe
of 100%. The engine loads are varied manually with help of vera biodiesel with an additive with different blends were tested
an eddy current dynamometer. AVL gas analyzer and smoke at different load conditions.
meter were attached for measuring the smoke density and SFC performance for all the blends of aloe vera was much
Downloaded by [SRM Dental College & Hospital] at 01:47 30 September 2017

exhaust gas temperatures. AVL five gas analyzer was used to nearer to that of diesel (Figure 3). B30 and B40 show initial

Figure 2. The photographic view of experimental set-up.

Figure 3. Variation of SFC with various engine loads.

 4 S. PADMANABHAN ET AL.
Figure 4. Variation of BTE with various engine loads.
Downloaded by [SRM Dental College & Hospital] at 01:47 30 September 2017
Figure 5. Variation of CO with various engine loads.
Figure 6. Variation of HC with various engine loads.
higher value due to their high viscosity and less oxygen amount.
It is observed that SFC for B30 is less than all other blends.
This is due to the presence of oxygen in the aloe vera oil. In
addition, adding cerium oxide to the blends helped increas-
ing oxygen content. The oxygen promotes combustion pro-
cess and increases the combustion temperature and makes the
combustion complete.
On comparing from Figure 4, BTE of aloe vera with diesel, B30
performance is ahead of all other blends and nearer to diesel.
This is due to the less fuel consumption. All blends of aloe vera
Figure 7. Variation of CO2 with various engine loads.
Figure 8. Variation of NOx with various engine loads.
biodiesel show better BTE, which proves it as a better alternative
to diesel.
It is observed from Figure 5 that the CO percentage is reduced
for the all blends of aloe vera when compared to diesel. The
CO emissions are increased with the blends. For B10, it is low
and then for B20 it is increasing with the increase in blends. But
when compared with the diesel, the emissions are low for all the
blends.
From Figure 6, Hydrocarbons are reduced for B10 blend
when compared to diesel due to more oxygen contents in the

biodiesel. It is perceived that, at rated load, the HC for all other
blends are well nearer to those of the diesel.
The CO2 is significantly reduced for B20 blends for the aloe
vera when compared to diesel referring to the Figure 7. CO2 lev-
els are much similar to those of diesel, and aloe vera biodiesel is
a proven alternative for the fossil fuel.
It is observed from Figure 8, the NOx levels were decreased
and nearer to diesel result for aloe vera biodiesel. This is due to
complete combustion.
5. Conclusion
An exhaustive research on aloe vera biodiesel with cerium
oxide additive was carried out in this paper. Cerium oxide
can be used to oxygenate the aloe vera biodiesel blends and
improve the cetane number value for better combustion. By
Downloaded by [SRM Dental College & Hospital] at 01:47 30 September 2017
using these blends, the emission and performance characteris-
tics were improved.
All the performance experiments were carried out without
any modification on the engine and rated speed. The additive
cerium oxide is added to all the blends to satisfy homogene-
ity and avoid phase separation. Several performance tests were
conducted by running the engine with various ratios of blends
and the best combination of blends and additives were ascer-
tained.
Based on the experimental investigations of the aloe vera
biodiesel blends with cerium oxide additive, it signifies an
upright substitute fuel which gives good performance and bet-
ter emission characteristics. In this study, the blend B30 (30%
biodiesel, 70% diesel and 30 ppm nano additive) performed well
when compared to other blends. This study also resulted in
another new alternative in biodiesel category which is environ-
ment friendly.
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INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF AMBIENT ENERGY 5
Disclosure statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.
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