USU develops dual fuel for environmentally friendly diesel engines

A team of researchers from the Faculty of Engineering at Universitas Sumatera Utara (USU) is developing dual fuel and nano particles as a breakthrough towards environmentally friendly diesel engines, spearheaded by Prof Tulus Burhanuddin Sitorus and Dr. Eng Taufiq Bin Nur.

Prof Tulus Burhanuddin Sitorus in Medan on Thursday said that the research results, which have been published internationally in the journal Applied Energy, confirm that diesel engines do not have to be enemies of the environment.

They are combining three major research areas: dual-fuel strategies, the use of nano-additives, and advanced combustion technology. The results obtained are not only efficiency improvements but also the potential to reduce emissions without having to replace the entire existing engine infrastructure.

“This is a solution that is not only visionary but also realistic for developing countries like Indonesia. So far, much of the world’s research has focused on a single specific alternative fuel, such as biodiesel, hydrogen, or ammonia. However, we see that the future of energy lies in smart combinations,” he said.

The mixture produces more stable combustion and almost no carbon dioxide emissions. Meanwhile, the use of biodiesel with an elliptical injector design can increase efficiency by 15 percent, and methanol in a dual-fuel system can also provide improvements of up to 12 percent.

“However, we cannot deny it. Every fuel has its dark side. Biodiesel does reduce carbon monoxide emissions and dust particles, but it actually increases nitrogen oxide (NOx) due to higher combustion temperatures,” he said.

Meanwhile, Dr. Eng Taufiq Bin Nur said that alcohols, such as ethanol and methanol, do have a cooling effect and more homogeneous combustion, but they are prone to ignition delay.

The secret also lies in nano-sized particles. The team’s research found that nano-additives such as aluminium oxide (Al2O3) and cerium oxide (CeO2) are used as micro-catalysts to improve fuel atomisation.

Finer fuel droplets burn more completely and produce more energy without leaving toxic gas residues. As a result, carbon monoxide and hydrocarbon emissions can be reduced by more than 20 percent, while thermal efficiency increases significantly.

With such a small addition, the resulting changes are very large—an illustration of how small innovations can have a big impact on the future of energy.