NIT Trichy study links nanoparticles to increased biofuel performance
April 9th, 2011 - 4:08 pm ICT by ANIWashington, April 09 (ANI): A new study by an Indian researcher has indicated that the addition of alumina nanoparticles can improve the performance and combustion of biodiesel.
The idea, said lead author R. B. Anand, an associate professor of mechanical engineering at the National Institute of Technology in Tiruchirappalli, India, is that because of their high surface-to-volume ratio, the nanoparticles have more reactive surfaces, allowing them to act as more efficient chemical catalysts, thus increasing fuel combustion. The presence of the particles also increases fuel-air mixing in the fuel, which leads to more complete burning.
In the study, Anand and co-author J. Sadhik Basha first used a mechanical agitator to create an emulsion consisting of jatropha biodiesel (a fuel derived from the crushed seeds of the jatropha plant), water, and a surfactant, then blended in different proportions of alumina nanoparticles.
In addition to outperforming regular biofuel, the nanoparticle-spiked fuels produced significantly lower quantities of nitrogen oxide and carbon monoxide gases, and created less smoke.
The study has been published in the Journal of Renewable and Sustainable Energy. (ANI)
- Government told to decide fast on bio-fuels programme: Parliament panel - May 07, 2012
- CII proposes bio-diesel price hike - Jan 02, 2011
- Jatropha holds potential to be sustainable aviation fuel (Lead) - Apr 04, 2011
- Wrongly produced green biofuels can be harmful - Jul 31, 2011
- Delaying fat digestion could be key to curbing appetite - Aug 20, 2010
- Centre initiates research on second generation bio-fuels - Mar 12, 2010
- Jatropha holds potential for sustainable aviation fuel - Apr 04, 2011
- Tweaking copper to recycle CO2 into fuel - Apr 12, 2012
- Tiny gold and silver nanoparticles could revolutionize optics - Dec 04, 2010
- Industrialisation contaminating lakes with nitrogen - Dec 19, 2011
- New pressure-cooking technique converts algae into cheap biofuel - Apr 23, 2010
- Common roadside plant could become new source of biofuel - Nov 05, 2010
- New method accelerates stability testing of soy-based biofuel - Jan 14, 2009
- Now, 'shrimp cocktail' to power cars and trucks - Jul 30, 2009
- Conversion of waste vegetable oil into biodiesel simplified - Oct 08, 2010
Tags: agitator, basha, biofuel, carbon monoxide, chemical catalysts, co author, emulsion, fuel combustion, gases, institute of technology, jatropha biodiesel, jatropha plant, mechanical engineering, national institute of technology, nitrogen oxide, plant water, surfactant, sustainable energy, tiruchirappalli, volume ratio