425830

Enhancing Efficiency and Reducing Emissions in Diesel Engine Power Plants Using Ethanol as a Supplementary Fuel

Article

Last updated: 11 May 2025

Subjects

-

Tags

Mechanical power engineering

Abstract

The integration of ethanol as a supplementary fuel in diesel engine power plants represents a promising approach to improve efficiency and reduce emissions. This dual-fuel method leverages ethanol's high oxygen content and cooling properties, leading to cleaner combustion, enhanced power output, and reduced pollutant formation. In particular, the oxygenation effect of ethanol can decrease particulate matter (PM) emissions by 30% and lower nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions by up to 15% compared to traditional diesel-only operation. The cooling effect of vaporized ethanol reduces the intake air temperature, thereby enhancing the air-fuel mixture density, which results in a 5% improvement in thermal efficiency. In a quantitative analysis of a stationary diesel engine supplemented with 20% ethanol by volume, results showed a reduction in specific fuel consumption from 0.25 kg/kWh to 0.22 kg/kWh, indicating improved fuel economy. Emissions measurements further demonstrated a 10% decrease in CO₂ emissions, from 2.5 kg/kWh to 2.25 kg/kWh, due to ethanol's lower carbon-to-hydrogen ratio. Additionally, under peak load conditions, the dual-fuel operation achieved a 7% increase in brake thermal efficiency, from 38% to 40.7%, highlighting the potential of ethanol to enhance diesel engine performance while supporting sustainable energy goals. This study emphasizes the feasibility of ethanol supplementation in diesel engines as an effective pathway to decarbonize power generation and advance clean energy transitions in power plant applications.

DOI

10.21608/pesj.2025.369016.1019

Keywords

Diesel Engine Power Plants, Greenhouse gas emissions, Nitrogen Oxides (NOx), Sustainability Challenges

Authors

First Name

Medhat

Last Name

Elkelawy

MiddleName

-

Affiliation

Mechanical engineering department, Faculty of Engineering, Pharos University in Alexandria, Alexandria, Egypt Department of Mechanical Power Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Tanta University, Tanta, Egypt

Email

medhatelkelawy@f-eng.tanta.edu.eg

City

-

Orcid

0000-0002-4191-9772

First Name

Abdelrahman

Last Name

Saeed Amin

MiddleName

-

Affiliation

Mechanical engineering department, Faculty of Engineering, Pharos University in Alexandria, Alexandria, Egypt

Email

202002558@pua.edu.eg

City

-

Orcid

-

First Name

Hagar

Last Name

Bastawissi

MiddleName

Alm-Eldin

Affiliation

Department of Mechanical Power Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Tanta University, Tanta, Egypt

Email

hagaralmeldin@f-eng.tanta.edu.eg

City

-

Orcid

-

First Name

Hussein

Last Name

Seleem

MiddleName

Eltaibee

Affiliation

Electronics and Communications Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Tanta University

Email

hussein.eltaibee@pua.edu.eg

City

Tanta

Orcid

0000-0002-2936-5447

Volume

2

Article Issue

1

Related Issue

54245

Issue Date

2025-06-01

Receive Date

2025-03-17

Publish Date

2025-06-01

Page Start

185

Page End

196

Online ISSN

3009-6197

Link

https://pesj.journals.ekb.eg/article_425830.html

Detail API

http://journals.ekb.eg?_action=service&article_code=425830

Order

425,830

Type

Case studies

Type Code

3,164

Publication Type

Journal

Publication Title

Pharos Engineering Science Journal

Publication Link

https://pesj.journals.ekb.eg/

MainTitle

Enhancing Efficiency and Reducing Emissions in Diesel Engine Power Plants Using Ethanol as a Supplementary Fuel

Details

Type

Article

Created At

04 May 2025