Enhancing the Performance and Emission Profile of B25 Jatropha Biodiesel in a Diesel Engine Using a Cerium Oxide Nanoadditive

This study outlines the performance and emission features of a diesel engine fuelled with jatropha methyl ester (JME) blends and their enhancement with cerium oxide (CeO₂) nanoparticles. Performance analysis revealed that higher biodiesel blends showed a reduction in brake thermal efficiency (BTHE), while the B25 blend exhibited identical performance as that of conventional fuel. At maximum load, the brake specific fuel consumption (BSFC) and brake thermal efficiency (BTHE) of conventional fuel were 0.257 kg/kWh and 32.06%, while for B25 they were 0.280 kg/kWh and 32.04%, respectively. B25 outperformed other biodiesel blends in performance metrics. The addition of CeO₂ nanoparticles improved the BTHE of B25, and at maximum load, it was 32.42%. In emissions, B25 demonstrated a superior profile compared to conventional fuel, significantly reducing the emission of carbon monoxide (CO) by 34%, unburned hydrocarbons (HC) by 35%, and smoke density by over 30% when doped with nanoparticles. At maximum load, the NOx emission of conventional fuel and B25 was found to be 802 ppm and 820 ppm. The inclusion of CeO₂ significantly enhanced the performance with a reduction in exhaust emissions, except for the emission of NOx, affirming B25 with CeO₂ as an optimum fuel blend.