Effect of Ceramic Thermal Barrier Coatings on a Diesel Engine Fueled with Jatropha Biodiesel Ternary Emulsion Blends

This work examines the performance, combustion, and emission characteristics of a diesel engine coated with a ceramic thermal barrier coating and fueled with emulsified Jatropha biodiesel blended with water and butanol. A low heat rejection (LHR) engine was prepared by depositing a 100 µm NiCrAlY bond coat and a 200 µm of 8YSZ ceramic top coat via air plasma spraying. B20W10Bu5, B20W10Bu10, and B20W10Bu15 ternary emulsions were successfully produced using ultrasonic homogenization. The experimental outcomes indicate that the ceramic-coated engine exhibited higher thermal efficiency than that of the conventional engine. The highest performance was achieved with B20W10Bu10 fuel, which resulted in a 7.4% increase in the brake thermal efficiency and a 7.8% decrease in the brake-specific fuel consumption relative to the results for the conventional coated diesel engine. Hydrocarbons, carbon monoxide, and smoke emissions decreased considerably due to the combined impacts of oxygenated fuel composition, micro-explosions, and thermal insulation capability. It can be seen from the discussion above that the utilization of a ceramic thermal barrier coating and the Jatropha-based ternary emulsion fuel, especially B20W10Bu10, shows great promise for enhancing engine performance while lowering exhaust emissions.