AN OVERVIEW OF BUTANOL AS COMPRESSION IGNITION ENGINE FUEL
Amit Kumar Thakur, Ajay Kumar Kaviti, Rajesh Singh, Anita Gehlot
Abstract
The need for alternative renewable fuels has given rise to considerable interest in addressing the problem of, in particular, higher energy requirements, high oil prices, reduced oil supplies, and ecological emissions of fossil fuels. Alcohols in the form of methanol, ethanol, and butanol have raised sparks. They are the best contenders because of their high oxygen content and high octane content. This comprehensive review aims to highlight the essential characteristics of these alcohols as fuel. Further comparison is made with pure diesel to get the best results for the CI (compression ignition) engine in terms of combustion, performance, and emission parameters. The fuel characteristics study shows that butanol can solve problems using methanol and ethanol as fuel. Progress is also being made in all these alcohols in the production process from different sources. In addition to this, several modus operandi, such as alcohol-diesel fuel mixtures, alcohol-diesel fuel emulsions, alcohol-diesel fuel with nanoparticles, are discussed and then used in diesel engines. The blending of alcohol with diesel fuel has not only helped in increasing the performance of the diesel engine but also has resulted in low emissions which are considered to be harmful. Similar studies also show that, due to its improved quality and miscibility with diesel fuel, bu-tanol is a viable substitute.