Experimental study on direct injection diesel engine fuelled with ferric chloride nanoparticle dispersed Cassia Fistula biodiesel blend

The present work investigates the influence of surface-modified ferric chloride (FeCl 3 ) nanoparticles mixed Cassia Fistula oil biodiesel blend (B20) for assessing combustion, performance, and emission parameters of diesel engine. FeCl 3 nanoparticles were dispersed in three different concentrations as 50 ppm, 75 ppm, and 100 ppm. QPAN 80 dispersant was used as a dispersant to modify the surface of FeCl 3 nanoparticles. The stability study of the prepared fuel dispersions was carried out for a period of one month using UV spectroscopy. B20 blend dispersed with FeCl 3 nanoparticles has shown good stability. A tremendous improvement in engine operating parameters was seen with nanofuel and the injection pressure (IP) together. At higher IP of 220 bar, the brake thermal efficiency (BTE), cylinder pressure (CP), and net heat release rate (NHRR) were found to have improved by 3.14%, 5.81%, and 22.92% whereas the brake-specific fuel consumption (BSFC) was lowered by 3.89%. The emissions in terms of carbon monoxide (CO), unburnt hydrocarbons (UHC), nitrogen oxide (NO x ), and smoke were noticed to have lowered by 42.68%, 9.73%, 14.68%, and 23.02%, respectively, for B20 + 75 ppm FeCl 3 + 75 ppm dispersant as compared to regular diesel.