Waste to fuel: Synergetic effect of hybrid nanoparticle usage for the improvement of CI engine characteristics fuelled with waste fish oils

Reducing waste products into energy sources is valuable and essential for the waste-management policies of governments. Globally fish waste and their by-products have been widely dumped in dustbins. The utilization of such wastes for producing high-grade fuel for diesel engines is discussed in this research. This investigation extracted fish oil from fish wastes and produced biodiesel through transesterification method. Then TiO2 and CeO2 nanoparticles were added in mono and hybrid forms to biodiesel of fish oil blends to improve the poor fish biodiesel properties. The prepared test fuels were characterized and compared with conventional diesel fuel. All these fuels were tested in a single-cylinder, water-cooled diesel engine at varying engine loads from 0 to 100% with intervals of 25%. The engine response is handled in terms of the engine performance, combustion, and emission characteristics. The results revealed at full load that the TiO2 mono nano fuels outperformed CeO2 Nano fuel, FWOBD and diesel fuels, but hybrid nano fuel finally outperformed all other fuels considered in this investigation. The hybrid nano-fuel recorded 17% higher brake thermal efficiency, 7.5% higher peak pressure, 36.6% heat release rate, 16% lesser NOx emission, 15% lesser HC emission, and 5% lesser carbon monoxide emission. The metallic nanoparticles were employed as suitable catalysts for combustion at CI engines, improved engine performance, and reduced emissions significantly. In conclusion, it was well-noticed that the addition of hybrid nanoparticles into WFO biodiesel blends has more significant contribution to enhancing engine performance, combustion, and emission behaviors in comparison with the addition of mono-nanoparticle usage.