Utilisation of advanced biofuel in CI internal combustion engine

In recent years, biofuels have been attracting more attention, especially in Europe, due to the new regulations concerning the improvement of renewables in fuel composition. The acid-catalysed alcoholysis reaction of the cellulosic fraction of raw and pre-treated lignocellulosic biomasses, using n-Butanol (n-BuOH) and diluted inorganic acid as homogeneous catalyst, produces a mixture mainly composed by Butyl Levulinate (BL) from cellulose, Dibutyl ether (DBE) from n-BuOH etherification and unreacted n-BuOH. This last can be then separated and recycled, so increasing the sustainability of the whole process. BL is directly obtained from cellulosic fraction of not edible biomass and represents a promising advanced biofuel. Therefore, in the different types of blends containing the main products obtainable from the one-pot alcoholysis of lignocellulosic biomasses, BL represents the effective renewable component of the fuel. In this work, different blends of BL/DBE mixed with Diesel fuel were tested in a small single-cylinder air-cooled Diesel engine with direct injection. Data concerning the measurement of pollutant emission, engine performance and combustion characteristics are reported. Results have been compared with those obtained fuelling the engine with a conventional Diesel fuel. The mixtures were prepared by using commercial reactants, characterized by compositions analogous to those of the reaction mixtures. The obtained results evidenced the potentiality of these novel blending mixtures to reduce the emissions of particulate without any increasing of NOx emission or changing in engine power and efficiency.