Study on the tribological characteristics of plant oil-based bio-lubricant with automotive liner-piston ring materials

The development of bio-lubricant is an immerging area of research considering the rapid depletion of petroleum reserve and environmental concern. This study aims to develop non-edible jatropha oil-based bio-lubricant and investigate the tribological properties considering commonly used piston ring-cylinder liner materials of stainless steel and cast iron due to their interaction under lubricated conditions in an internal combustion engine. The bio-lubricant was prepared by blending different percentages of vegetable oil with commercial lubricants. The tribological test was carried out using a Reo-Bicerihigh-frequency reciprocating rig (HFRR) for the duration of 6 ​h under standard operating conditions. Different properties of bio-lubricants were measured before and after the HFRR test using various analytical instruments. The morphology of the worn material surfaces was examined via Hitachi S-4700 FE-SEM cold field emission high resolution scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The result showed that addition of vegetable oil lubricant up to 7.5% concentration can be compared with commercial lubricant in case of wear rate and coefficient of wear as weight loss reduced significantly. Minimum change in viscosity was observed at the addition of 7.5% bio-lubricant. Surface morphology analysis confirmed less damage of metal surface when tribological analysis were performed at mixed lubricated condition. © 2022 The Author

Sugarcane Biomass as a Source of Biofuel for Internal Combustion Engines (Ethanol and Acetone-Butanol-Ethanol): A Review of Economic Challenges

The objective of this review is to provide a deep overview of liquid biofuels produced from sugarcane bagasse and to address the economic challenges of an ethanol and acetone-butanol-ethanol blend in commercial processes. The chemistry of sugarcane bagasse is presented. Pretreatment technologies such as physical, chemical pretreatment, biological, and combination pretreatments used in the fermentation process are also provided and summarised. Different types of anaerobic bacteria Clostridia (yeast) are discussed to identify the ingredient best suited for sugarcane bagasse, which can assist the industry in commercializing ethanol and acetone-butanol-ethanol biofuel from biomass sugarcane. The use of an acetone-butanol-ethanol mixture and ethanol blend in internal combustion engines is also discussed. The literature then supports the proposal of the best operating conditions for fermentation to enhance ethanol and acetone-butanol-ethanol plant efficiency in the sugar waste industry and its application in internal combustion engines

Developments in nanoparticles enhanced biofuels and solar energy in Malaysian perspective: a review of state of the art

The rapid rise in global oil prices, the scarcity of petroleum sources, and environmental concerns have all created severe issues. As a result of the country’s rapid expansion and financial affluence, Malaysia’s energy consumption has skyrocketed. Biodiesel and solar power are currently two of the most popular alternatives to fossil fuels in Malaysia. These two types of renewable energy sources appear to be viable options because of their abundant availability together with environmental and performance competence to highly polluting and fast depleting fossil fuels. The purpose of adopting renewable technology is to expand the nation’s accessibility to a reliable and secure power supply. The current review article investigates nonconventional energy sources added with nanosized metal particles called nanomaterials including biodiesel and solar, as well as readily available renewable energy options. Concerning the nation’s energy policy agenda, the sources of energy demand are also investigated. The article evaluates Malaysia’s existing position in renewable energy industries, such as biodiesel and solar, as well as the impact of nanomaterials. This review article discusses biodiesel production, applications, and government policies in Malaysia, as well as biodiesel consumption and recent developments in the bioenergy sector, such as biodiesel property modifications utilizing nanoparticle additions. In addition, the current review study examines the scope of solar energy, different photovoltaic concentrators, types of solar energy harvesting systems, photovoltaic electricity potential in Malaysia, and the experimental setup of solar flat plate collectors (FPC) with nanotechnology

Energy for Sustainable Future

Energy and the environment are interrelated, and they are critical factors that influence the development of societies [...

Effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the environment, waste management, and energy sectors: a deeper look into the long-term impacts

The COVID-19 pandemic not only has caused a global health crisis but also has significant environmental consequences. Although many studies are confirming the short-term improvements in air quality in several countries across the world, the long-term negative consequences outweigh all the claimed positive impacts. As a result, this review highlights the positive and the long-term negative environmental effects of the COVID-19 pandemic by evaluating the scientific literature. Remarkable reduction in the levels of CO (3 − 65%), NO2 (17 − 83%), NOx (24 − 47%), PM2.5 (22 − 78%), PM10 (23 − 80%), and VOCs (25 − 57%) was observed during the lockdown across the world. However, according to this review, the pandemic put enormous strain on the present waste collection and treatment system, resulting in ineffective waste management practices, damaging the environment. The extensive usage of face masks increased the release of microplastics/nanoplastics (183 to 1247 particles piece−1) and organic pollutants in land and water bodies. Furthermore, the significant usages of anti-bacterial hand sanitizers, disinfectants, and pharmaceuticals have increased the accumulation of various toxic emerging contaminants (e.g., triclocarban, triclosan, bisphenol-A, hydroxychloroquine) in the treated sludge/biosolids and discharged wastewater effluent, posing great threats to the ecosystems. This review also suggests strategies to create long-term environmental advantages. Thermochemical conversions of solid wastes including medical wastes and for treated wastewater sludge/biosolids offer several advantages through recovering the resources and energy and stabilizing/destructing the toxins/contaminants and microplastics in the precursors

Techno-Economic Analysis of Hybrid Diesel Generators and Renewable Energy for a Remote Island in the Indian Ocean Using HOMER Pro

This study is about the electrification of the remote islands in the Indian Ocean that were severely affected by the tsunami in the 2004 earth earthquake. To supply electricity to the islands, two diesel generators with capacities of 110 kW and 60 kW were installed in 2019. The feasibility of using renewable energy to supplement or replace the units in these two generators is investigated in this work. In 2019, two diesel generators with capacities of 110 kW and 60 kW were installed in the islands to supply electricity. This work analyses whether the viability of using renewable energy can be used to supplement or replace these two generators. Among the renewable energy options proposed here are a 100 kW wind turbine, solar PV, a converter, and batteries. As a result, the study’s goal is to perform a techno-economic analysis and optimise the proposed hybrid diesel and renewable energy system for a remote island in the Indian Ocean. The Hybrid Optimisation Model for Electric Renewable (HOMER) Pro software was used for all simulations and optimisation for this analysis. The calculation is based on the current diesel price of USD 0.90 per litre (without subsidy). The study found that renewable alone can contribute to 29.2% of renewable energy fractions based on the most optimised systems. The Net Present Cost (NPC) decreased from USD 1.65 million to USD 1.39 million, and the levelised Cost of Energy (CoE) decreased from 0.292 USD/kWh to 0.246 USD/kWh, respectively. The optimised system’s Internal Rate of Return (IRR) is 14% and Return on Investment (ROI) 10%, with a simple payback period of 6.7 years. This study shows that it would be technically feasible to introduce renewable energy on a remote island in Indonesia, where numerous islands have no access to electricity

Techno-Economic Analysis of Hybrid Diesel Generators and Renewable Energy for a Remote Island in the Indian Ocean Using HOMER Pro

This study is about the electrification of the remote islands in the Indian Ocean that were severely affected by the tsunami in the 2004 earth earthquake. To supply electricity to the islands, two diesel generators with capacities of 110 kW and 60 kW were installed in 2019. The feasibility of using renewable energy to supplement or replace the units in these two generators is investigated in this work. In 2019, two diesel generators with capacities of 110 kW and 60 kW were installed in the islands to supply electricity. This work analyses whether the viability of using renewable energy can be used to supplement or replace these two generators. Among the renewable energy options proposed here are a 100 kW wind turbine, solar PV, a converter, and batteries. As a result, the study’s goal is to perform a techno-economic analysis and optimise the proposed hybrid diesel and renewable energy system for a remote island in the Indian Ocean. The Hybrid Optimisation Model for Electric Renewable (HOMER) Pro software was used for all simulations and optimisation for this analysis. The calculation is based on the current diesel price of USD 0.90 per litre (without subsidy). The study found that renewable alone can contribute to 29.2% of renewable energy fractions based on the most optimised systems. The Net Present Cost (NPC) decreased from USD 1.65 million to USD 1.39 million, and the levelised Cost of Energy (CoE) decreased from 0.292 USD/kWh to 0.246 USD/kWh, respectively. The optimised system’s Internal Rate of Return (IRR) is 14% and Return on Investment (ROI) 10%, with a simple payback period of 6.7 years. This study shows that it would be technically feasible to introduce renewable energy on a remote island in Indonesia, where numerous islands have no access to electricity

Evaluation of rice bran, sesame and moringa oils as feasible sources of biodiesel and the effect of blending on their physicochemical properties

Globally, the environmental awareness is driving the research towards energy resources that are more beneficial to milieu. Biofuel is considered to be a remarkable option for that. Among the sources of biofuels, vegetable oils are the cheapest, easily available and in abundant quantity. However, some processes are needed to make vegetable oils suitable for engines because vegetable oils have certain detrimental properties. In this study, three potential feedstocks, namely, moringa, sesame and rice bran oils are critically investigated as potential sources for biodiesel production. The work was divided into several steps: firstly, the production of biodiesel from the three feedstocks; secondly, the measurement of the important physical and chemical properties of biodiesels; and finally, the development of mathematical equations with the help of polynomial curve fitting method for biodiesel-diesel and biodiesel-biodiesel blends to predict the most important properties, such as kinematic viscosity, flash point, calorific value, CFPP of the blended biodiesel. The experiment has shown that the three feedstocks can be considered to be feasible sources for biodiesel. It is seen from the experiment that biodiesel blends have notable effect on properties; for instance, the viscosity of the rice bran oil is improved to 5.1631 mm s from 5.3657 mm s, when mixed with sesame biodiesel at a volume ratio of 3:1. Moreover, it is improved to 5.0921 mm s, when mixed with moringa biodiesel at a volume ratio of 3:1. Moreover, flash point and CFPP of rice bran biodiesel are also improved, when mixed with sesame or moringa biodiesel in any percentage

Characterization and prediction of blend properties and evaluation of engine performance and emission parameters of a CI engine operated with various biodiesel blends

The present research is aimed to investigate the feasibility of using palm (PB), mustard (MB) and Calophyllum biodiesel (CB) as renewable and alternative fuels. Biodiesels were produced from the respective crude vegetable oils and physicochemical properties of the biodiesel-diesel blends were graphically compared for all possible biodiesel blends at every 10% composition interval. By applying the curve-fitting method, equations were developed for predicting important properties, which show very close fit to the experimental data. This will help future research such as the optimization of blending percentage, engine combustion and performance and emission analysis. As up to 20% blends of biodiesels showed similar properties to diesel fuel, the engine performance and emission of the 10% and 20% biodiesel-diesel blends were studied for all three feedstocks, as well as diesel fuel, to perform a comparative study. An average of 7-12% BSFC increment was observed for biodiesel blends compared to diesel fuel. The brake power was decreased on average of 4.1-7.7% while operating on the biodiesel blends. Nitric oxide (NO) emission increased 9-17% and hydrocarbon and carbon monoxide (CO) emission showed improved results for the biodiesel blends. An average of 23-43% lower HC and 45-68% lower CO emission resulted from the biodiesel blends compared to those from diesel fuel

Performance, emissions, and heat losses of palm and jatropha biodiesel blends in a diesel engine

After the successful implementation of B5, 5% palm (Elaeis guineensis) based biodiesel, in Malaysia on June 1, 2011, the Malaysian government is now looking to phase out B5 by replacing it with B10 or even a higher blending ratio. Being non-edible feedstock, jatropha (Jatropha curcas) can play a vital role along with the existing palm oil. This experiment was conducted in a four-cylinder diesel engine fuelled with B5, 10%, and 20% blends of palm (PB10 and PB20) and jatropha (JB10 and JB20) biodiesel and compared with fossil diesel at full load and in the speed range of 1000 to 4000 RPM. The brake power was decreased on average 2.3% to 10.7% while operating on 10% and 20% blends of palm and jatropha biodiesel. An average of 26.4% BSFC increment was observed for PB20 and JB20 blends. An average of 30.7% carbon monoxide (CO) and 25.8% hydrocarbon (HC) emission reductions were found for 20% blends. On average, the nitrogen oxides (NOx) emission is decreased by 3.3% while operating on PB10 and PB20 blends, whereas it is increased by 3.0% while operating on JB10 and JB20 blends