Regular Article

Synthesis of Fe–Ni–TiO₂/activated carbon nanoparticles and evaluation of catalytic activity in a palm oil/diesel fuel blended diesel engine and optimization with RSM

¹ Department of Environmental Engineering, Engineering Faculty, Karabuk University, 78050 Karabuk, Turkey
² Department of Mechanical Engineering, Engineering Faculty, Karabuk University, 78050 Karabuk, Turkey

^* Corresponding author: sametuslu@karabuk.edu.tr

Received: 22 January 2023
Accepted: 26 June 2023

Abstract

Although diesel engine emissions, which can pose serious risks to the environment and human health, can be reduced with biodiesel/diesel fuel blends, combining diesel fuel with an oxidation catalyst with a sizable oxygen storage capacity can more effectively reduce emissions from diesel engines. In this study, Fe–Ni–TiO₂/Activated Carbon (AC) catalyst was produced and used as an oxidation catalyst. Experimental studies were performed on a four-stroke diesel engine by adding at numerous concentrations (0–50–100 ppm) Fe–Ni–TiO₂/AC nanoparticles (NP) to the Palm Oil biodiesel (PO)-diesel fuel blend. Optimum conditions were determined by modelling the obtained data in response surface methodology (RSM). The Fe–Ni–TiO₂/AC catalyst outcomes in a considerable decrease in hydrocarbon (HC), nitrogen oxides (NO_x), carbon monoxide (CO), and smoke emissions. Optimization outcomes pointed out that the ideal diesel engine running requirements were determined to be 1750 W engine load, 100 ppm the NP amount, and 30% the PO ratio. Responses for these optimum conditions for Brake Specific Fuel Consumption (BSFC), Brake Thermal Efficiency (BTHE), CO, HC, NO_x, and smoke were determined as 999.06 g/kWh, 27.07%, 0.032%, 40.63 ppm, 818.18 ppm, and 4.26%, respectively. The R² values showed that the result obtained from the created model was in good agreement with the experimental results.