The Effects of Sugarcane Bagasse Ethanol-Gasoline Blends on Exhaust Emissions and Fuel Consumption of a 171CC Four-Stroke Single - Cylinder Engine

Abstract

ABSTRACTThe increasing global demand for energy, driven by population growth, industrialization, and urbanization, has intensified the search for cleaner and sustainable alternative fuels. This study investigated the production of bioethanol from sugarcane bagasse and evaluated its performance in ethanol–gasoline blends for spark ignition engines. The bagasse was pretreated through acid hydrolysis, followed by enzymatic hydrolysis using cellulase and fermentation with Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The produced ethanol, with a purity of 99.53%, was blended with gasoline to obtain (E0–E30) mixtures. Engine performance and emission characteristics were tested using a 171 cm³ single-cylinder, four-stroke spark ignition engine operating at a constant speed of 3000 rpm. Results showed that fuel consumption decreased progressively from 0.225 cm³/sec for E0 to 0.201 cm³/sec for E30, indicating improved fuel efficiency with increasing ethanol content. Carbon monoxide (CO) emissions remained constant at 1.0 ppm across all blends, while carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions decreased from 6.47 ppm (E0) to 5.00 ppm (E30), contrary to common literature trends. Total volatile organic compounds (TVOC) emissions also showed a general reduction, with the lowest value observed at E25, suggesting enhanced combustion efficiency. Overall, the findings demonstrate that bioethanol derived from sugarcane bagasse is a viable and sustainable fuel additive, with blends between E20 and E30 offering optimal performance and emission benefits in spark ignition engines.