Gaseous emission comparison of a compression–ignition engine fueled with different biodiesels

In this study, it was performed a comparison of the performance and emissions of two methyl ester fuels: one obtained from animal fat and the other from crude canola oil, in a compression-ignition engine against diesel fuel. The experimental results compared with diesel fuel showed that significant reductions could be obtained by biodiesel derived from animal fat in carbon monoxide and oxides of nitrogen emissions. Carbon dioxide emissions showed a trend of decreasing with the biodiesel fuels. An increase in brake specific fuel consumption was observed for different biodiesel fuels when compared with diesel fuel. It was concluded that animal tallow methyl ester performed better than canola oil methyl ester, whereas slightly higher brake torque is observed with canola oil methyl ester.     

Performance analysis of Diesel engines fueled by biodiesel blends via thermodynamic simulation of an air-standard Diesel cycle

Because of environmental problems, it becomes necessary to develop alternative fuels that give engine performance at par with diesel. Among the alternative fuels, biodiesel and its blends hold good promises as an eco-friendly and the most promising alternative fuel for Diesel engine. The properties of biodiesel and its blends are found similar to that of diesel. Many researchers have experimentally evaluated the performance characteristics of conventional Diesel engines fueled by biodiesel and its blends. However, experiments require enormous effort, money and time. Hence, via finite-time thermodynamics simulation, an air-standard Diesel cycle model with heat transfer loss and variable specific heats of working fluid is analyzed to predict the performance of Diesel engine. The effect of compression ratio, cut-off ratio and fuel type on output work and thermal efficiency is investigated through the model. The fuels considered for the analysis are conventional diesel, rapeseed oil biodiesel and its blend (20 % biodiesel and 80 % diesel by volume). Numerical simulations showed that the output work and thermal efficiency of the engine decrease with increase of cut-off ratio for all fuels. Also, the model predicts similar performance with diesel and biodiesel blend which means that the biodiesel blend (20 % biodiesel and 80 % diesel by volume) could be a good alternative and eco-friendly fuel for conventional Diesel engines without any need to modify the engine.     

Performance and environmental impact of a turbojet engine fueled by blends of biodiesels

Depletion of conventional fuels, concerns about environmental pollution and the tightening of exhaust emission legislations are the main reasons for increasing research on alternative fuels produced from agricultural feedstock. In this study, biodiesel fuels produced from cotton and corn vegetable oils are investigated as renewable fuels for a gas turbine engine for aviation. The biodiesel fuels are defined as cotton methyl ester (CTME) and corn methyl ester. The performance characteristics and exhaust emissions of the gas turbine engine are investigated when the engine fueled with three blends of 10%(B10), 20%(B20) and 50%(B50) of biodiesel/JetA-1 by volume. The biodiesel fuels were produced using transesterification process and characterized according to ASTM biodiesel specifications. Chemical and physical properties show a real potential of using biodiesel blends as an alternative for JetA-1. The measured engine performance parameters and exhaust emissions are compared with that of pure JetA-1 over a range of throttle setting. The gas turbine engine used in this study is equipped with pressure, flow, temperature, thrust and speed sensors that connected to data acquisition system and control unit in addition to exhaust gas analyzer. The experimental results show that biodiesel fuels can be used up to blend of 50% with JetA-1 in gas turbine engines with slight enhancement in engine performance and significant improvements in exhaust emissions. The engine static thrust is increased with 2% for B50 at lower and medium engine speeds and decreased with 11% at high engine speed compared to conventional JetA-1 fuel. The thrust-specific fuel consumption for biodiesel blends is lower than that for regular JetA-1 fuel. The gas turbine engine efficiency is increased for biodiesel blends by 14% compared to JetA-1, and this is reported for CTME B50. For oxygen concentration in exhaust gases emissions, the higher the biodiesel blend, the higher the O₂ concentration in the exhaust compared with JetA-1 fuel. The O₂ level increased by 6% for biodiesel blend of B50 compared to JetA-1 fuel. The emissions of CO and HC emissions decreased by 5 and 37%, respectively, compared with conventional JetA-1. Additionally, the biodiesel blends achieve a higher CO₂ and NO_x emissions with 11 and 27%, respectively, compared to JetA-1. The sulfur dioxide SO₂ decreased by 75% compared to the regular JetA-1 fuel.     

Study on clean technology-assisted combustion behavior and NO<Subscript><Emphasis Type="Italic">x</Emphasis></Subscript> emission using thermal imager for alternate fuel blends

The correlation between oxides of nitrogen emission and in-cylinder temperature of diesel engine fueled with various alternative fuels has been investigated in this research paper. Experimentations were performed in engine without any modifications using pure high-speed diesel fuel, used cooking oil biodiesel (UCO20), animal fat residue biodiesel (AFR20) and camphor oil (CMR20) at 20% volume concentration of biodiesel each. From combustion analysis, the heat release rate and peak cylinder pressure of biodiesel blends were about 13.487% lower and 4.819% higher than those of diesel fuel on an average, respectively. Longer combustion duration has been observed for all biodiesel blends at all load conditions. Oxides of nitrogen emission level show 16.405, 10.352 and 7.524% increment for UCO20, AFR20 and CMR20, respectively. Noteworthy NO _x reduction of about 43.8% was recorded for diesel blended with camphor oil when compared to other biodiesel blends. The relationship between in-cylinder temperature and NO _x emission concentration was premeditated through thermal imager. The result depicted that the increase in NO _x concentration depends on augmented in-cylinder temperature for all test fuels.     

Potential for improving vehicle fuel efficiency and reducing the environmental pollution via fuel ionization

In order to reduce the level of atmospheric pollution caused by vehicle engine emissions, application of a novel technique based on fuel magnetization has been tested in this study aiming at improving fuel efficiency and reducing the rate of gas emissions into the environment. Two experiments were conducted, each using a different type of magnetic device. The first type of magnetic device is installed within the fuel tank and the second is installed onto the fuel line. Each experiment was performed on ten separate vehicles from the Dubai Taxi Corporation fleet. When compared to the baseline data, reductions of 70?% for both hydrocarbon and carbon monoxide emissions, and 68?% for oxides of nitrogen were recorded. Results also demonstrated an average fuel consumption reduction of 18?%. These results clearly indicate that the introduction of magnetic field within the fuel supply of engine enhances the combustion process, thereby economizing fuel consumption and reducing the environmentally harmful emissions.     

Effect of biodiesel on particulate numbers and composition emitted from turbocharged diesel engine

In present study a turbocharged, medium duty compression ignition engine was alternatively fuelled with biodiesel to investigate the changes in particulate matter composition, relative to that taken with diesel fuel. The engine was operated on an AC electrical dynamometer in accordance with an 8-mode, steady-state cycle. The numbers of particles were estimated through electrical low pressure impactor, while sulfates and trace metals were analyzed by ion chromatography and inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectroscopy, respectively. Nitric oxides and nitrogen dioxides were measured separately using SEMTECH-DS. Experimental results revealed that, on account of elevated ratios of nitrogen dioxide to nitrogen oxides, mean accumulation mode particles were 42 % lower with biodiesel. On the other hand, nuclei mode particles were higher with biodiesel, owing to heterogeneous nucleation and accounting for an increase in sulfate emissions up to 8 % with biodiesel as compared to diesel. On the average, trace metal emissions were significantly reduced showing 65–85.4 % reduction rates with biodiesel, relative to its counterpart. Further to this, individual congeners such as iron, calcium, and sodium were the predominant elements of the trace metals emitted from engine. The mean relative decrease in iron and calcium was 89–97.8 and 77.6–87 %, respectively, while the relative rise in sodium was in the range of 29–46 % with biodiesel. Further, elements such as zinc, chromium, and aluminum showed substantial abatement, whereas potassium, magnesium, and manganese exhibited irregular trends on account of variable engine loads and speeds during the various modes of cycle.     

Optimization of operational parameters on performance and emissions of a diesel engine using biodiesel

This work investigates the influence of compression ratio on the performance and emissions of a diesel engine using biodiesel (10, 20, 30, and 50 %) blended-diesel fuel. Test was carried out using four different compression ratios (17.5, 17.7, 17.9 and 18.1). The experiments were designed using a statistical tool known as design of experiments based on response surface methodology. The resultant models of the response surface methodology were helpful to predict the response parameters such as brake specific fuel consumption, brake thermal efficiency, carbon monoxide, hydrocarbon and nitrogen oxides. The results showed that best results for brake thermal efficiency and brake specific fuel consumption were observed at increased compression ratio. For all test fuels, an increase in compression ratio leads to decrease in the carbon monoxide and hydrocarbon emissions while nitrogen oxide emissions increase. Optimization of parameters was performed using the desirability approach of the response surface methodology for better performance and lower emission. A compression ratio 17.9, 10 % of fuel blend and 3.81 kW of power could be considered as the optimum parameters for the test engine.     

Optimum reaction time, performance and exhaust emissions of biodiesel produced by microwave irradiation

While transesterification is well established, there remain considerable inefficiencies in existing transesterification processes. In this study an alternative energy stimulant, “microwave irradiation” was used for the production of the alternative energy source, biodiesel. The optimum parametric conditions obtained from the conventional technique were applied using microwave irradiation in order to compare both systems. The results showed that application of radio frequency microwave energy offers a fast, easy route to this valuable biofuel with advantages of enhancing the reaction rate and improving the separation process. The methodology allows for the use of high free fatty acid content feedstock, including used cooking oil; hence it helps to reduce the cost of production which constitutes a major hurdle towards widespread commercialization of biodiesel. The study also showed that the optimum reaction time for microwave-enhanced biodiesel production should be highly respected. Exceeding the optimum reaction time will lead to deterioration of both biodiesel yield and purity. This paper also reported the performance and exhaust emissions from a diesel engine when fuelled with a petroleum diesel fuel and two different biodiesel fuels; one obtained by the conventional technique and the other by microwave irradiation. It was concluded that microwave-enhanced biodiesel is not, at least, inferior to that produced by the conventional technique.     

Performance and pollutants analysis on diesel engine using blends of Jatropha Biodiesel and Mineral Turpentine as fuel

Performance and pollutants features of Jatropha–Mineral Turpentine blends along with diesel have been examined in a single-cylinder compression ignition engine. Vegetable oils have higher viscosities than diesel fuel, and it greatly disturbs the performance, durability, burning and discharge features of the compression ignition engine. The tests were performed with different blend combinations of Jatropha–Mineral Turpentine oil as fuel. The experimental outcome indicates that brake thermal efficiency of the blend of 80% Jatropha Biodiesel and 20% of Mineral Turpentine is nearby to diesel fuel at 75% load. Carbon monoxides, hydrocarbons and emission were reduced to the considerable amount, whereas the oxides of nitrogen increase with increase in part load and reduced with 75% and full load operations. The specific fuel consumption of Jatropha–Mineral Turpentine blends found to be slightly upper than diesel fuel. The heat release rate and cylinder pressure of Jatropha–Mineral Turpentine blends were closer to diesel fuel. The test results recommend that Jatropha–Mineral Turpentine blends might stay a decent auxiliary to diesel fuel in the near upcoming and it can be concluded that Jatropha–Mineral Turpentine oil blends could be utilized in a conventional compression ignition engine with no alteration.     

Isolation and characterization of a novel native Bacillus strain capable of degrading diesel fuel

The ability of native bacteria to utilize diesel fuel as the sole carbon and energy source was investigated in this research. Ten bacterial strains were isolated from the oil refinery field in Tehran, Iran. Two biodegradation experiments were performed in low and high (500 and 10000 ppm, respectively) concentration of diesel fuel for 15 days. Only two isolates were able to efficiently degrade the petroleum hydrocarbons in the first test and degraded 86.67% and, 80.60 % of diesel fuel, respectively. The secondary experiment was performed to investigate the toxicity effect of diesel fuel at high concentration (10000 ppm). Only one strain was capable to degrade 85.20 % of diesel fuel at the same time (15 days). Phenotype and phylogeny analysis of this strain was characterized and identified as diesel-degrading bacteria, based on gram staining, biochemical tests, 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis. These results indicate that this new strain was Bacillus sp. and could be considered as Bacillus Cereus with 98 % 16 S rRNA gene sequence similarity. The results indicate that native strains have great potential for in situ remediation of diesel-contaminated soils in oil refinery sites.     

北京市表层土壤中PAHs含量特征及来源分析

土壤,作为城市中最重要的环境介质,承担了较高多环芳烃(PAHs)的环境负荷,开展土壤PAHs分布特征及来源分析研究,可以为污染风险防控、环保政策制定提供支撑.为研究北京市不同功能区土壤环境中PAHs的含量、组成及来源,本文在北京市主城区进行了大范围采样,同时针对工业区、农业种植区、水源保护区及居民区等不同功能区进行了分...     

Impact of a Jet A-1/HEFA blend on the performance and emission characteristics of a miniature turbojet engine

It is forecast that in the future, alternative fuels derived from non-petroleum sources will become the basic propellant for turbine aircraft engines. Currently, five types of aviation turbine fuel containing synthesized hydrocarbons are certified and accepted, and allow adding a maximum of 50% of synthetic component to conventional fuel. The experimental performance and the emission characteristics of a turbojet engine were investigated in this paper. The studies were conducted with the use of a miniature turbojet engine, which is the main component of a laboratory test rig. The test rig is an interesting solution for engine research, due to the fact that studies concerning full-scale aircraft engines are very complex and expensive. The literature of the subject contains many papers using small-scale turbojet engines for testing alternative fuels. However, most of them concern components of fuels, e.g. biodiesel, butanol, which do not have direct application in aviation. Two different fuel samples, a conventional Jet A-1 fuel and a blend of 48% synthesized paraffinic kerosene from hydroprocessed esters and fatty acids process with Jet A-1 were tested. This process is one of the routes of producing alternative fuel for aviation, approved by ASTM standard. The test rig studies were performed according to a specific profile of engine test, which models different modes of a turbojet engine’s operation. The obtained results are compared in relation to the results for neat Jet A-1 fuel and then discussed.     

Development and evaluation of biodiesel fuel and by-products from jatropha oil

Biodiesel is an environmentally friend renewable diesel fuel alternative. Jatropha seeds can be a feedstock to produce a valuable amount of oil to be converted to biodiesel using transesterification reaction. Jatropha plant has been successfully grown in southern Egypt using primary treated municipal wastewater for its irrigation. Abench scale production of biodiesel from Jatropha oil (using methyl alcohol and sodium hydroxide as catalyst) was developed with methyl esters yield of 98 %. Biodiesel was produced on a pilot scale based on the bench scale experiment results with almost the same methyl esters yield of 98 %. The produced biodiesel was evaluated as a fuel and compared with petroleum diesel according to its physical and chemical parameters such as viscosity, flash point, pour point, cloud point, carbon residue, acid value and calorific value. The experimental techniques and product evaluation results show that such properties of the produced biodiesel are near to that of petroleum diesel. A mass balance representing the transesterification process is presented in this study. Glycerol of 85 % purity was produced and evaluated as a valuable byproduct of the process. Free fatty acids and sodium phosphate salts which have industrial interesting are also produced and evaluated.     

Dynamics of diesel fuel degradation in contaminated soil using organic wastes

Bioremediation is an effective measure in dealing with such contamination, particularly those from petroleum hydrocarbon sources. The effect of soil amendments on diesel fuel degradation in soil was studied. Diesel fuel was introduced into the soil at the concentration of 5 % (w/w) and mixed with three different organic wastes tea leaf, soy cake, and potato skin, for a period of 3 months. Within 84 days, 35 % oil loss was recorded in the unamended polluted soil while 88, 81 and 75 % oil loss were recorded in the soil amended with soy cake, potato skin and tea leaf, respectively. Diesel fuel utilizing bacteria counts were significantly high in all organic wastes amended treatments, ranging from 111 × 106 to 152 × 106 colony forming unit/gram of soil, as compared to the unamended control soil which gave 31 × 106 CFU/g. The diesel fuel utilizing bacteria isolated from the oil-contaminated soil belongs to Bacillus licheniformis, Ochrobactrum tritici and Staphylococcus sp. Oil-polluted soil amended with soy cake recorded the highest oil biodegradation with a net loss of 53 %, as compared to the other treatments. Dehydrogenase enzyme activity, which was assessed by 2,3,5-triphenyltetrazolium chloride technique, correlated significantly with the total petroleum hydrocarbons degradation and accumulation of CO₂. First-order kinetic model revealed that soy cake was the best of the three organic wastes used, with biodegradation rate constant of 0.148 day^?1 and half life of 4.68 days. The results showed there is potential for soy cake, potato skin and tea leaf to enhance biodegradation of diesel in oil-contaminated soil.     

Hydrogen from coal: Production and utilisation technologies

Although coal may be viewed as a dirty fuel due to its high greenhouse emissions when combusted, a strong case can be made for coal to be a major world source of clean H₂ energy. Apart from the fact that resources of coal will outlast oil and natural gas by centuries, there is a shift towards developing environmentally benign coal technologies, which can lead to high energy conversion efficiencies and low air pollution emissions as compared to conventional coal fired power generation plant. There are currently several world research and industrial development projects in the areas of Integrated Gasification Combined Cycles (IGCC) and Integrated Gasification Fuel Cell (IGFC) systems. In such systems, there is a need to integrate complex unit operations including gasifiers, gas separation and cleaning units, water gas shift reactors, turbines, heat exchangers, steam generators and fuel cells. IGFC systems tested in the USA, Europe and Japan employing gasifiers (Texaco, Lurgi and Eagle) and fuel cells have resulted in energy conversions at efficiency of 47.5% (HHV) which is much higher than the 30–35% efficiency of conventional coal fired power generation. Solid oxide fuel cells (SOFC) and molten carbonate fuel cells (MCFC) are the front runners in energy production from coal gases. These fuel cells can operate at high temperatures and are robust to gas poisoning impurities. IGCC and IGFC technologies are expensive and currently economically uncompetitive as compared to established and mature power generation technology. However, further efficiency and technology improvements coupled with world pressures on limitation of greenhouse gases and other gaseous pollutants could make IGCC/IGFC technically and economically viable for hydrogen production and utilisation in clean and environmentally benign energy systems.     

Reducing leachable petroleum hydrocarbon concentration in weathered fuel oil contaminated soil by chemical oxidation with hydrogen peroxide

Number 6 fuel oil is one of the most used energy sources for electricity generation. However, leaks can contaminate soil and also groundwater due to leaching. At old sites, the oil may have low toxicity but still contaminate groundwater with foul-tasting compounds even at low concentrations. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the feasibility of applying H₂O₂ to reduce the leaching potential of a fuel oil contaminated soil. A silt-loam soil was collected from a contaminated thermal-electric plant with a hydrocarbon concentration of 3.2% in soil producing 4.3 mg/l in leachate. Hydrogen peroxide was applied (0.1, 0.2, 0.3, 0.6, 1.2% dry weight basis), and petroleum hydrocarbons were measured in soil and leachate pre- and post-treatment (72 h). At first, the soil and leachate concentrations diminished linearly (24.4 and 27.3% in soil and leachate, respectively). This was followed by a phase in which the concentration in leachate diminished greatly (75.8%) although the concentration in soil was reduced only moderately (15.1%). Overall, hydrocarbons in leachates were reduced 82.4% even though concentrations in soil were only reduced 35.8%. Correlation analysis showed that at only 1.0% w/w H₂O₂ a concentration of petroleum hydrocarbons in leachate safe for human consumption (≤ 1 mg/l) could be obtained even with a final hydrocarbon concentration in soil > 2%. Thus, this study presents an alternative strategy for remediation of fuel oil contaminated soils in urban environments that protects water sources by focusing on contamination in leachates, without spending extra financial resources to reduce the hydrocarbon concentration in low-toxicity soil.     

Application of indigenous microbial consortia in bioremediation of oil-contaminated soils

Bioremediation of oil spillage in soils using consortia of microbes beckons much exploration. The present study involves bioremediation of oil-contaminated soils from north Chennai, India, using indigenous microbial consortia. Totally, 32 positive oil degrading isolates were obtained from 3 different locations, i.e., petrol filling stations, automobile workshops and oil refineries. Substrate utilization patterns of individual isolates and the consortial sets were observed. Mixture of three common hydrocarbons (petrol, diesel and engine oil) was used for studies. The substrate oil utilized by consortia was taken for thin-layer and column chromatography which perfectly resulted in varied fractions of oil compared to the unused oil as control. The best consortia were used directly for bioremediation experiment. Three different oil-contaminated soils were used and bioremediation patterns were observed. The rate of bioremediation differed within soils, nevertheless all soils were almost 100 % reclaimed within 30 days. Bioremediation kinetics showed that the process corresponds to first-order kinetics and kinetic constants for the different soils ranged from 0.051 to 0.077/day. Assessment of detoxification of acute phytotoxicity owing to the pollutant oil was done, and results observed were significant. An increase of 25, 300 and 212 % in germination index, average growth index and sustenance index, respectively, of Trigonella foenum-graecum Linn. in treated soils was observed, compared to untreated soils. Thus, this study confirmed that microbes in ‘Consortial Union’ serve as better treating agents in bioremediation of oil-contaminated soils than individual microorganisms.     

Sources of variation in δC of fossil fuel emissions in Salt Lake City,USA

The isotopic composition of fossil fuels is an important component of many studies of C sources and sinks based on atmospheric measurements of CO₂. In C budget studies, the isotopic composition of crude petroleum and CH₄ are often used as a proxy for the isotopic composition of CO₂ emissions from combustion. In this study, the C isotope composition (δ¹³C) of exhaust from the major fossil fuel emission sources in Salt Lake City, USA, was characterized with 159 measurements of vehicle exhaust of various types and eight measurements of residential furnace exhaust. These two sources were found to be isotopically distinct, and differed from global-scale estimates based on average values for crude petroleum and CH₄. Vehicle-specific factors such as engine load and operation time had no effect on δ¹³C of vehicle exhaust. A small difference was found between the mean δ¹³C of vehicle exhaust collected randomly from different vehicles and the mean δ¹³C of gasoline collected from multiple fueling stations representing major gasoline distributors in Salt Lake City and the surrounding area. However, a paired comparison of δ¹³C of exhaust and gasoline for six different vehicles did not show any consistent C isotope fractionation during vehicle combustion. The mean δ¹³C of crude petroleum processed for local distribution differed slightly from refined gasoline collected at multiple fueling stations, but time lags between processing and transportation cannot be ruled out as an uncontrollable contributing factor. Measured isotope ratios were then combined with fuel consumption statistics to predict the annual cycle of δ¹³C of fossil fuel emissions for the Salt Lake City metropolitan area. The results showed that the isotopic composition of CO₂ emissions from fossil fuel combustion varied by almost 3‰ over the course of the 2002 calendar year. This study illustrates that on a regional scale, the isotopic composition of fossil fuel emissions shows a high degree of both spatial and temporal variability that may influence characterization of C sources and sinks with atmospheric measurements.     

成都市近地表大气尘铅分布特征及源解析

分析了成都市近地表大气尘样品铅及其同位素含量比的测定数据,铅含量变化范围为(119.76～1327.42)×10^-6,均值为374.51×10^-6,统计标准偏差为273.36,变异系数为0.73,说明成都市近地表大气尘铅含量变化大。燃煤飞灰的放射性成因铅明显高于汽油和柴油,可作为鉴别大气尘铅来源的证据。铅同位素含量数据表明成都市近地表大气尘的铅污染是复合污染源所致,其中,相对清洁区污染以建筑扬尘为主,中度污染区是汽车尾气和扬尘的叠加作用,重污染区是燃煤飞灰汽车尾气和工业污染源的综合表征。     

柴油污染重塑红黏土直剪力学特性试验研究

广西红黏土分布区柴油泄漏对土体造成了一定程度污染,为研究轻质非水相非极性柴油孔隙液对红黏土力学性质的影响,本文以0#柴油为添加剂对其重塑样进行不排水快速直剪试验,测得了不同含水率、含油率、法向压力下红黏土抗剪强度及其参数变化规律。研究结果表明:在土-水-油系统中,非极性柴油孔隙液对红黏土强度影响相对较小,且受含水率影响。同一含油率时,红黏土抗剪强度、内摩擦角、黏聚力均随含水率增加而降低;同一含水率时,法向压力影响柴油作用模式,随含油率增加,抗剪强度参数变化较为复杂,当含水率为20%,红黏土内摩擦角、黏聚力反向波动变化;同一含湿率时,柴油比例的提高导致红黏土抗剪强度参数的增大。扫描电镜观察发现,非极性柴油孔隙液的介入,改变了水-土系统的静电及结构模式,导致红黏土强度发生变化,通过所建的“多尺度多阶段柴油作用微结构模型”,阐明了柴油孔隙液对红黏土强度特性影响的微观机理。