Tyre pyrolysis oil as an alternative fuel for diesel engines – A review

Alternative fuels for diesel engines have become vital due to increase in energy expenditure, stringent norms of emission, depletion of fossil fuels and fluctuating cost of the petroleum products in india. To overcfome this problem, it is very important to find alternative fuels. The main focus of this review is to shed light on the importance of tyre pyrolysis oil as an alternative fuel for diesel engines. In this context, tyre pyrolysis oil has recently been receiving renewed interest. In this review, the pyrolysis mechanism, pyrolysis reactors, their product yield, characteristic analysis of tyre such as proximate analysis, elemental analysis and pyrolysis process are discussed. Pyrolysis of scrap tyre starts at 250°C and gets completed at 550°C. The presence of a catalyst produces lighter oil with drastic increase in the concentration of single ring aromatics. Engine performance, emissions and combustion parameters, such as the heat release rate and maximum rate of pressure rise, when engines are operated on a tyre pyrolysis oil were also discussed. NO(x), HC, CO, and smoke emissions were found to be higher at higher loads due to the high aromatic content and longer ignition delay. The ignition delays were longer than those with DF. It is concluded that it is possible to use tyre pyrolysis oil in diesel engines as an alternate fuel.