Fuel economy in gasoline engines using Al₂O₃/TiO₂ nanomaterials as nanolubricant additives

Energy resources are of strategic interest worldwide. Transportation sector is a principal consumer of different energy resources, therefore reducing the consumption of vital energy resources is critical in automobiles. The friction and wear issues impact the energy efficiency of engines, therefore it is an important development of the lubricant for saving energy. The current study supports that goal. This study deals contribution of Al₂O₃/TiO₂ hybrid nanoparticles as nanolubricants to improve gasoline engine efficiency and fuel economy. The gasoline engine performance characteristics were evaluated experimentally using an AVL dynamometer under different operating conditions including the New European Driving Cycle (NEDC). Additionally, the engine was tested under critical operating conditions (warm-up phase). The results showed that using Al₂O₃/TiO₂ nanolubricants increases the brake power, torque, and mechanical efficiency, while the brake specific fuel consumption (BSFC) reduced owing to the mechanical efficiency of the engine improved by 1.7–2.5%, as compared to the engine oil without nanoparticles. Hence, the vehicle fuel consumption during NEDC could be improved up to 4 L per 100 km in the urban. Furthermore, FESEM, EDS line scanning, XPS, and Raman spectroscopy were conducted to understand the major tribological reasons for improving the engine performance to link tribological tests in the laboratory with actual engine performance. Eventually, the results suggest that nanolubricants provide economical engines with high efficiency that it may be an appropriate direction for vehicle manufacturers and users to suppress the engine fuel cost with engine durability under different operating conditions.