Evaluation of Water-Diesel-Butanol Fuel Blends Under Varying Engine Conditions
Keywords:
Butanol, Combustion Analysis, Diesel Engine, Emulsion Fuel, Water AdditionAbstract
Interest in alternative fuels for compression-ignition engines has grown as crude oil reserves decline and emission regulations become increasingly stringent. Water addition to diesel can reduce combustion temperature and induce microexplosion of fuel droplets, while n-butanol increases the oxygen content and further contributes chemical energy to the fuel blend. However, the effect of butanol concentration on the combustion behaviour of water-diesel emulsions under varying engine loads remains unclear. This study investigates the combustion characteristics of water-diesel-butanol blends across three engine loads, with a constant water fraction. Experiments were conducted using a four-cylinder, 3.0 L turbocharged Isuzu 4JJ1 common-rail diesel engine operated at 3000 rpm under 20%, 35% and 50% loads. Five fuels were tested including neat diesel (D), a water-diesel emulsion (W5D), and three ternary blends containing 5 vol.% water and 5, 10, and 15 vol.% n-butanol, denoted as W5DBu5, W5DBu10, and W5DBu15. The pressure traces were cycle-averaged, while the apparent heat release rate (HRR) and mass fraction burned (MFB) were calculated to evaluate combustion behaviour. Among the tested fuels, W5DBu15 exhibited the strongest combustion response with peak cylinder pressure and peak HRR reaching up to 7% and 21% higher than those of neat diesel, respectively. At low load, the MFB of the butanol-containing blends developed slightly later. However, this difference diminished as engine load increased. Overall, the findings of this study suggest that W5DBu10 provides a favourable balance between combustion intensity and stability, highlighting its potential for further evaluation as an alternative diesel fuel.
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