Investigation of the performance and emissions of a diesel engine fuelled with bio-oil generated through microwave-assisted pyrolysis of a blend of hazelnut, walnut, and polyethylene terephthalate waste

New and renewable energy sources are the most important issue nowadays. Bio-oil which can replace fossil fuel is an alternative source of energy. In this study, the performance effects and emissions of bio-oil produced by microwave-assisted pyrolysis system (MAP) from the walnut shell (WS), hazelnut shell (HS), and polyethylene terephthalate (PET) waste mixtures on a single-cylinder diesel engine were investigated. For this purpose, WS, HS, and PET wastes were mixed in two different proportions and converted into pyrolytic oil in the MAP system at 700 watts of microwave power and a 30-minute retention time. Produced pyrolytic oils were converted into bio-oil as S1 (46.25% WS + 46.25% HS + 2.5% PET) and S2 (43.75% WS + 43.75% HS + 7.5% PET) through a 3-stage basic upgrading steps. Experimental results showed that MAP of mixed WS, HS, and PET resulted in high hydrocarbon content bio-oil. In the engine experiments, bio-oil was mixed with diesel at 10%, 20%, and 30% ratios by volume and used in a diesel engine at different Brake Mean Effective Pressure (BMEP) (1.4, 2, 2.7, and 3.4 bar). Engine performance has been found to be comparable to diesel at low blend percentages. At 3.4 bar BMEP, while the brake-specific fuel consumption (BSFC) of diesel was 712 g/kWh, it was obtained as 832 and 804 g/kWh at S1 and S2, respectively. However, when the emissions were evaluated in general, it was determined that the emission values increased with increasing bio-oil/diesel blend ratios due to the high viscosity, higher density, and low cetane number of bio-oil compared to diesel. [Display omitted] •Bio-oil was produced from the walnut shell, hazelnut shell, and waste PET mixtures by microwave-assisted pyrolysis.•Using biomass and PET improved carbon content of bio-oil.•Sustainable and alternative energy source for the replacement of fossil fuels.