WATER-IN-DIESEL EMULSION: TORQUE, FUEL CONSUMPTION AND EMISSION ANALYSIS

Water-in-diesel emulsions (WiDE) as an alternative fuel are becoming more and more an option to fight global fossil fuel consumption and emissions restrictions without the need of engine modifications. This work aims to compare water-emulsified diesel fuel with European commercially available diesel (EN590) when it comes to engine performance and emissions. A mixture of diesel, 8% (m/m) of distilled water, and surfactant was performed in laboratory by mechanical homogenization and later tested in a Lombardini LDW 502 diesel engine connected to an eddy current dynamometer and an emission gas analyzer. The tests were performed at 50%, 75%, and 100% engine loads at different engine speeds (rpm). The results suggest that adding water as a dispersed phase in the fuel allows to obtain better thermal efficiency and overall lower emissions of nitric oxide (NO) and carbon dioxide (CO2) when compared to traditional diesel. The micro-explosion phenomenon and lower temperatures in the exhaust gases can explain these occurrences.