The Effects of Nanoparticle-Enhanced Oil on the Efficiencies of Internal Combustion Engines

This study was conducted to investigate the effects of nanoparticleenhanced oil on the state variables of internal combustion engines not limited to gas turbine engines. Two samples of nano-oil were tested: one sample contained AeroShell 560 with diamond nanoparticles additives while the other constituted of zinc sulfide, boron nitride, and graphene nanoparticles. Thelubricating oils were tested in a UH-60 Blackhawk Auxiliary Power Unit (APU) to examine the influence of such oils on the operating temperature and efficiency of the engine. Experimental results from the nano-oil study suggest that the use of nanoparticle-enhanced oils could provide significant improvements in engine efficiency by reducing vibration and temperature of the engine. To further characterize the effects of nano-oils, a supplementary oil study was conducted on a small 4-stroke engine. The same oil samples were tested in the experiment with the addition of a conventional Pennzoil High Mileage 5W-30 and a diamond nanoparticle-enhanced Pennzoil High Mileage 5W-30. This supplementary investigation confirmed that nano-oils improve fuel efficiency of combustion engines by reducing engine temperature and vibration. However, some oil samples yielded anomalous results, discussed in later sections of this article.