Effect of ferrocene as a combustion catalyst on the premixed combustion flame characteristics of Jatropha biodiesel

Fuel additives are widely used to optimize the combustion process, reduce the harmful emissions, and improve the performance of engines. Among the metal-based additives, ferrocene is soluble in most fuels, including biodiesel. Furthermore, it is easily available and has high stability, low toxicity, and high lipophilicity. It can evenly disperse in biodiesel without causing any change in the physicochemical properties. Therefore, it can serve as an effective combustion catalyst for biodiesel. In this study, the effect of ferrocene as a combustion catalyst on the pyrolysis and combustion performance of Jatropha biodiesel is investigated. The coupled technique of thermogravimetry-Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy-mass spectrometry (TG-FTIR-MS) is used to analyze the evolution characteristics of multicomponent gaseous products generated during the pyrolysis and high-temperature oxidation of Jatropha biodiesel (JB100) and Jatropha biodiesel + ferrocene (JBF). The laminar premixed combustion flame and pollutant emissions of JB100 and JBF are examined using a variety of techniques, including OH planar laser-induced fluorescence (OH-PLIF), flue gas analysis, spectral analysis, transmission electron microscopy, etc. The results reveal that after adding ferrocene, the activation energy for the pyrolysis reaction of JB100 decreases by 4.66 kJ/mol and the complete weight loss temperature decreases by 10 celcius. Further, the addition of ferrocene reduces the endothermic heat by 0.38 mW/mg during the initial stage of the high-temperature oxidation reaction of JB100, and the amounts of final products CO2 and H2O are increased. Compared with JB100, JBF shows an enhanced OH group intensity in the combustion flame and a lower soot spectral peak. Furthermore, compared with JB100, under JBF combustion, the pollutant PM2.5 emissions decrease by 13.3 %, PM10 emissions decrease by 13.2 %, PM> 10 particulate matter emissions decrease by 19.3 %, CO emissions decrease by 6.8 %, NOx emissions increase by 21.2 %, and the size of soot particles decreases by 20.8 %.