A Review of Application of Nanotechnology to Improve Performance, Combustion and Emission Characteristics of Biodiesel

Liquid biofuels have been selected by users due to their availability, higher calorific value, safety for usage, easy adaptability with fewer technological changes and even political issues. Considering the operational challenges faced by biofuel production, green energies have a limited share of the global primary energy supply. Newly-emerged nanoprocessing approaches are exploited to enhance bioenergy production efficiency. The potential of nano-particles and nano-additives supplementation in biodiesel has been introduced during the present study. Implementation of nano-additives could lead to more power output, less fuel consumption as well as fewer emissions, higher thermal efficiency, decreased cost of operation and enhanced reliability and durability for diesel engines. Poor physicochemical properties of biodiesel at low temperatures, higher fuel consumption and lower energy content could be disappeared using nanotechnology. Most of the practical works to mask the shortcomings of biodiesel have focused on fuel modification methods through further blending and feedstock screening and engineering of the oily feedstock; The application of fuel nano-additives brings meaningful improvement in the thermophysical and chemical properties of the biodiesel.