Simple diesel hack dramatically cuts pollution, boosts efficiency

TECHNOLOGY

A research team at the Federal University of Technology Owerri in Nigeria has come up with a promising method for reducing pollution from diesel engines without affecting engine output: add small amounts of water to diesel fuel. And the result? Harmful emissions are dramatically reduced while overall engine efficiency is maintained, and in some cases improved.

Although emission control systems such as catalytic converters and particulate filters can help reduce these pollutants, they also add cost and mechanical complexity. According to this new analysis, Water-in-Diesel Emulsion (WiDE) technology offers a more straightforward and cleaner option that can be used in current diesel engines without a redesign.

The WiDE approach involves dispersing extremely small water droplets within diesel fuel with the help of surfactants that keep the blend stable for as long as 60 days. When this mixture burns, the water rapidly turns to vapour, creating a “micro-explosion” that enhances the mixing of air and fuel. This lowers the highest temperatures reached during combustion, which limits the formation of nitrogen oxides. At the same time, the improved air-fuel interaction leads to more complete fuel burning, resulting in reduced soot and particulate emissions.

Studies reviewed by the researchers found that using WiDE can reduce nitrogen oxides by up to 67% and particulate matter by as much as 68% percent compared to regular diesel fuel. As well as cleaner emissions, engines running on WiDE-converted fuel into useful work more effectively.

“Water-in-diesel emulsions are a practical and cost-effective way to make diesel engines cleaner,” says lead author Dr Chukwuemeka Fortunatus Nnadozie. “Because the technology does not require redesigning the engine, it offers an immediate path toward lower emissions in developing and developed countries alike.”

While WiDE shows great promise, the authors recommend further work to find the best surfactant and to study the long-term effects of the emulsions on engine components. They also emphasise that WiDE could complement other clean technologies, such as biodiesel and advanced emission control systems in improving air quality.

“This technology can bridge the gap between conventional diesel use and a cleaner energy future,” says co-author Professor Emeka Emmanuel Oguzie. “With proper formulation and testing, it could become an important part of sustainable transportation and industrial power systems.”

Water-in-diesel emulsions are a practical and cost-effective way to make diesel engines cleaner. Because the technology does not require redesigning the engine, it offers an immediate path toward lower emissions in developing and developed countries alike.

Chukwuemeka Fortunatus Nnadozie

SOURCE