Effects of Al2O3 Coating on Diesel Engine Performance, Combustion, and Emission Characteristics Fueled by Pongamia Methyl Ester and Its Blends with Diesel

摘要

In this study, for the first time, a nano ceramic material of Al2O3 was used as thermal barrier coating in a diesel engine. In the first phase, engine combustion chamber elements (cylinder head, cylinder liner, valves, and piston crown face) were coated with 200 μm thickness nano ceramic material of Al2O3 by using plasma spray-coating method. In second phase, experiments were carried out on Al2O3-coated engine by using Pongamia methyl ester (PME), PME blends of 20 and 40% by volume with diesel and pure diesel. The test run was repeated on uncoated engine and the results were compared. An increase in engine power and decrease in specific fuel consumption, as well as significant improvements in exhaust gas emissions (except NO_x) and smoke density, were observed for all test fuels used in the Al2O3-coated engine compared with that of the uncoated engine.