Effect of Diethyl Ether as an Oxygenated Additive in Waste Cooking Oil Biodiesel Fuel on Diesel Engine Performance

The transportation sector is currently the largest contributor to energy consumption and emissions. Biodiesel as a fuel can be used as a substitute for fossil fuels, namely diesel. The addition of oxygenated additives can improve the fuel properties of biodiesel. Diethyl ether (DEE) is an oxygenated additive that can improve the physical and chemical properties of the fuel, and engine performance and reduce diesel engine emissions. This research used an experimental method of making biodiesel using a transesterification process. The fuel is mixed to produce a ternary blend: biodiesel 70%-diesel 30%-DEE (5%, 10%, 15%). Tests on biodiesel fuel with the addition of oxygenation additives aim to analyse performance and exhaust emissions produced from a mixture of ternary fuel. The brake power value when using B30 fuel increased after adding the DEE additive with the highest increase in brake power on B30DEE15 fuel at 12.9%. BSFC value on the use of B30 fuel decreased after adding DEE additives. The highest decrease was in B30DEE10 fuel of 17.3% but it experienced an increase in B30DEE15, which was only down by 13.1%. The highest increase in BTE value was found in B30DEE10 fuel at 19.8%. Exhaust emissions on B30 fuel with DEE additives also experienced a decrease in the highest smoke opacity on B30DEE15 fuel, which was 61%.