Aqueous Aluminum Nanofluid Combustion in Diesel Fuel

Abstract

Abstract This paper presents a significant chemical reaction of hydrogen combustion during aqueous aluminum nanofluid combustion in diesel fuel. The results show that hydrogen burns in a diesel engine in the presence of an active aqueous aluminum nanofluid. The nano particles are made by applying a plasma arc to aluminum nanopowder submerged in water. The average diameter of the aluminum nanoparticles is about 40–60 nm and they are covered with thin layers of aluminum oxide due to the high oxidation activity of pure aluminum. This provides a large contact surface area with water and high activity for the decomposition of hydrogen from water during the combustion process. During combustion the alumina serves as a catalyst and the coated aluminum nanoparticles are denuded and decompose the water to yield the hydrogen. The combustion of the diesel fuel mixed with aqueous aluminum nanofluid shows the following phenomena: total combustion heat increases while the concentration of smoke and nitrous oxide in the exhaust emission from diesel engine are decreased.