RESUMO
The availability of petroleum fuels is being challenged due to high demand and heavy dependence on imports, raising awareness of the need for cleaner alternatives. Urbanization, air quality, economic factors, and emissions limits motivate the search for alternative fuels compatible with compression ignition engines. A comprehensive bibliometric analysis further underscores the escalating worldwide research efforts in this critical domain. According to the existing literature, nitromethane and 2-ethoxy ethyl acetate have demonstrated superior physical and combustion properties compared to other additives. To explore their potential, a meticulous performance and emission analysis was conducted using a single-cylinder, 4-stroke VCR CI engine, employing varying proportions of 2-ethoxy ethyl acetate and a constant 2% blend of nitromethane, with EEA concentrations ranging from 5, 10, to 15% (v/v). This research delved into the influence of these diverse fuel blends on the performance of CI engines and exhaust characteristics within a compression ratio spectrum spanning from 17 to 20. The experimental findings revealed that ternary blends, although having a marginal impact on engine performance, exhibited lower emissions compared to pure diesel. The pinnacle of this investigation emerged with the EEA5NM2D93 blend, which yielded optimal results in terms of both performance and emission characteristics.