Fuel Consumption Research Articles

A Comprehensive Review on Nanofuel : Bringing Clean Energy to Reality

In recent years, the depletion of fossil fuels has become a pressing concern with the world’s ever increasing energy demands. The rapid consumption of fossil fuels, such as coal, natural gas, and oil has given rise to significant environmental and economic consequences. These non-renewable energy sources are limited and their extraction as well as usage contributes to pollution, harmful emissions eventually leading to global climate change. To address this challenge, many researchers have been exploring the potential of nanofuel as a secondary energy carrier. Nanofuels are a class of alternative fuels that incorporate nanoparticles to enhance combustion efficiency, reduce emissions, and improve overall energy output. This paper presents an innovatory concept of nanofuel wherein the enhancement of the fuel efficacy by suspension of nanoparticles in a liquid carrier is described and major challenges are identified, which urges researchers in materials, chemistry, physics , and engineering to collaborate across disciplines. Key Words : Nanofuel, Metal-oxide nanoparticles, Performance, Combustion, Emission

Lead‐Free Perovskite‐Based Photocatalysts for Solar‐Driven Chemistry Technologies

AbstractThe high consumption of fossil fuels and concomitant contamination of the environment have promoted the search for new, low‐cost, and cleaner energy sources to satisfy the current energy demand around the world, decreasing the levels of greenhouse gas emissions to the atmosphere. One of the promising strategies to facilitate the generation of renewable energy involves solar‐driven chemical reactions, by using photocatalysts with improved sunlight absorption and carrier transfer abilities. Lead‐free halide perovskites (LFHPs) are good candidates, showing mesmerizing optical features, modulable band structure, oxidizing/reducing capability, and less toxicity compared to their Pb‐analogous. However, the literature reporting the photo(electro)chemical (PEC) properties of the LFHPs‐based materials for solar energy production is scarce. This review describes the current state‐of‐the‐art exhibiting the influence of the dimensionality, chemical composition and the formation of heterojunctions based on LFHPs on their photo(electro)activity for conducting solar‐driven hydrogen evolution, carbon dioxide (CO2) reduction, and the degradation of recalcitrant pollutants to obtain added‐value chemicals. In this way, it is also included the main challenges to be faced. Furthermore, we address some potential LFHPs to be explored in PEC systems, opening up the gamut of possibilities to consolidate the solar‐to‐chemical transformation as an innovative alternative to favor environmentally friendly energy production.

Does economic and climate policy uncertainty matter the oil market?

In the context of addressing climate change and promoting the energy transition, economic policy uncertainty (EPU) and climate policy uncertainty (CPU) have become significant factors increasing fluctuations in the oil market. This research investigates whether EPU and CPU exert an influence on the oil market by using the wavelet-based quantile-on-quantile approach. Our findings demonstrate that the effect of EPU and CPU on oil prices (OP) varies across different frequencies. Specifically, high EPU aggravates investors' pessimism sentiment and dampens companies’ willingness to invest in the short run. As a result, the decrease in investment by market participants in oil-related products causes OP to decline. In the medium- and long-horizons, low levels of EPU can stimulate consumer oil consumption and drive OP higher. Moreover, the uncertainty posed by CPU in the short run increases the risk of fossil fuels becoming stranded assets and negatively impacts the stability of the oil market. In the medium to long-term perspective, CPU leads investors to increase their consumption of fossil fuels due to cost-efficiency considerations, thereby positively influencing oil demand. These results can provide decision-making support for governments to formulate effective oil market development strategies and for investors to optimise risk management.

Electrification or deforestation? Evidence from household practices in Côte d’Ivoire

This paper investigates the impact of electrification on household practices related to deforestation in Côte d’Ivoire, specifically focusing on the expansion of arable farms and the use of biomass fuels. A theoretical framework inspired by the heterogeneous agricultural households model proposed by Angelsen (1999) is employed to theoretically elucidate the relationship between electrification and the expansion of arable farms. Using data from the latest four waves of the household Living Standards Measurement Surveys (1998, 2002, 2008, and 2015) and a pseudo-panel fixed effects regression model, we find that increased access to electricity significantly reduces both the average size of arable farms and the collection of firewood from forests. These results are robust across various alternative specifications and estimation methods. Moreover, an electrification threshold of approximately 80% has been identified, beyond which the beneficial impacts of electrification on forest loss would disappear.

A SWOT Analysis of the Green Hydrogen Market

Since the Industrial Revolution, humanity has heavily depended on fossil fuels. Recognizing the negative environmental impacts of the unmoderated consumption of fossil fuels, including global warming and consequent climate change, new plans and initiatives have been established to implement renewable and sustainable energy sources worldwide. This has led to a rapid increase in the installed solar and wind energy capacity. However, considering the fluctuating nature of these renewable energy sources, green hydrogen has been proposed as a suitable energy carrier to improve the efficiency of energy production and storage. Thus, green hydrogen, produced by water electrolysis using renewable electricity, is a promising solution for the future energy market. Moreover, it has the potential to be used for the decarbonization of the heavy industry and transportation sectors. Research and development (R&D) on green hydrogen has grown considerably over the past few decades, aiming to maximize production and expand its market share. The present work uses a SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats) analysis to evaluate the current status of the green hydrogen market. The external and internal factors that affect its market position are assessed. The results show that green hydrogen is on the right track to becoming a competitive alternative to fossil fuels soon. Supported by environmental benefits, government incentives, and carbon taxes, roadmaps to position green hydrogen on the energy map have been outlined. Nevertheless, increased investments are required for further R&D, as costs must be reduced and policies enforced. These measures will gradually decrease global dependency on fossil fuels and ensure that roadmaps are followed through.

The impact of women's status on HCEs: Evidence from Chinese families

Amidst the intensification of global efforts to reduce emissions, China has prominently advocated for “carbon peaking” and “carbon neutrality” goals, and the issue of domestic carbon emissions has attracted widespread attention. Within this context, a thorough examination of energy consumption and carbon emissions within the household sector assumes paramount importance in delineating effective pathways for reducing Household Carbon Emissions (HCEs). Focusing on indirect energy use as a key representative, this article empirically investigates the influence of women's status on per capita HCEs and its underlying mechanisms, drawing on data from the 2017 Chinese General Social Survey (CGSS). The analysis reveals a notable finding: a higher women's status significantly correlates with increased per capita HCEs. Delving into the mechanisms at play, it becomes apparent that women's advancement correlates with heightened household income. This income augmentation, in turn, fuels consumption upgrades, thereby amplifying per capita HCEs, namely a phenomenon attributed to the “income effect”. Simultaneously, the advancement of women prompts households to adopt sustainable consumption patterns, representing a notable “substitution effect”. This shift in consumption preferences paradoxically contributes to increased per capita HCEs. Moreover, as women's status ascends, families display a proclivity towards sustainable consumption patterns, further accentuating the “substitution effect” and consequent reductions in per capita HCEs. Presently, in China, the “income effect” resulting from women's status holds a greater sway over per capita HCEs than the “substitution effect”. This nuanced analysis not only sheds light on the intricate dynamics governing HCEs but also furnishes policymakers with invaluable insights for crafting strategies aimed at mitigating such emissions.

Impact of Multi-Dimensional Features on Fuel Consumption Considering the Heterogeneous Effects of Road Characteristics

Impact of Multi-Dimensional Features on Fuel Consumption Considering the Heterogeneous Effects of Road Characteristics

Fuel consumption and trailing-edge noise tradeoff studies via mission-based airfoil shape optimization

Aerodynamic drag is often used as a proxy for fuel consumption in aircraft design. However, the aeroacoustic byproduct of airfoil design, such as trailing-edge noise (TEN), is yet to be considered in aircraft applications, despite its inclusion in wind turbine designs. To explore the impact of TEN in airfoil design for aircraft, we establish a mission-based aerodynamic shape optimization framework. A surrogate-based detailed flight mission analysis (that can simulate a flight mission from takeoff to landing) is incorporated into the optimization framework to obtain realistic flight conditions during takeoff and landing—which are important to assess TEN metrics—and calculate accurate fuel consumption, where both are used to evaluate the objective function. To assess its effectiveness, we compare the results against those of the conventional single-point optimization. Not surprisingly, the mission-based optimization simultaneously reduces fuel consumption and TEN, while the single-point optima (performed at the low Mach region) reduce TEN at the expense of higher fuel consumption. This is due to the tradeoff between aerodynamic performance in the transonic region and aeroacoustic performance in the low Mach region, which cannot be properly analyzed without including flight mission analysis in the optimization loop.

Asymmetric Effects of Economic Growth, Fossil Fuel Consumption, and Financial Development on Carbon Emissions in Ghana

This research analyzes the impact of economic expansion, non-renewable energy consumption (NonREC), financial sector improvement, and carbon releases in Ghana. The study used yearly data from 1971 to 2014 and applied the Nonlinear Autoregressive Distributed Lag (NARDL) method to examine the data. The NARDLapproach facilitated the differentiation of variables into favorable and unfavorable adjustments by examining the short- and long-run effects. The results indicated that all the independent variables exhibited short-term asymmetries, while economic growth presented long-term asymmetry. Negative adjustments in economic expansion led to a decline in carbon releases in the long run but an increase in the short run. favorable and unfavorable adjustments in NonREC positively and negatively impact carbon releases in both the short and long term. Additionally, negative adjustments in financial development positively affected carbon releases in the long run. The cumulative dynamic multipliers graphs and impulse response function graphs illustrate the same impact pattern of the independent variables on carbon releases, confirming the findings' robustness. The study suggests implementing environmental policies in Ghana that promote renewable sources of energy and energy-conserving innovations to reduce environmental degradation. The findings recommend that the decision-maker prioritize effective environmental strategies like a green economy, renewable energy use, and energy-saving technologies. By adopting clean energy and implementing advanced technologies, sustainable economic growth can be achieved while preserving the environment and the ecosystem.

Study on auto-ignition characteristics of N-heptane/methanol/ammonia mixed fuel

An investigation was carried out on the auto-ignition properties of n-heptane/ammonia/methanol fuel mixtures, characterized by a small amount of n-heptane concentration (2 %). The experiment was conducted using a rapid compression machine (RCM) within a temperature bracket of 790–1112 K, under pressures of 1.5 and 3.05 MPa. The fuel incorporates a methanol content of 0 to 98 %, with mixture equivalence ratios set at 0.5, 1.0, and 2.0. Observations indicate that the fuel component and the equivalence ratio influence the ignition delay time (IDT). It was found that the reactivity of the mixtures increases upon the induction of n-heptane. For the 1 % CH3OH mixture, the IDT is the shortest with stoichiometry. When the methanol content increases, the IDT decreases with increased equivalence ratios. In addition, a detailed mechanism has been modified to improve the predictive performance of the experimental mixture. The chemical reaction kinetic analysis shows that n-heptane promotes the combustion reaction. The consumption of fuels in the combustion process follows a sequential pattern, with n-heptane being consumed first, followed by methanol and ammonia. Both n-heptane and methanol experience nearly complete consumption before the combustion. In contrast, the consumption of ammonia proceeds at a significantly slower rate and is primarily consumed in substantial quantities at the combustion stage. The dehydrogenation reactions compete for key radicals, which inhibit the oxidation process of the system. The extraction of H from methanol by HO2 to produce H2O2 is a sensitive reaction to promote combustion.

Controlled Traffic Farm: Fuel Demand and Carbon Emissions in Soybean Sowing

Soil compaction between crop rows can increase a machine’s performance by reducing rolling resistance and fuel demand. Controlled Traffic Farm (CTF) stands out among modern techniques for increasing agricultural sustainability because the machines continuously travel along the same path in the field, reducing plant crush and compacting the soil in the traffic line. This study evaluated fuel consumption and CO2 emissions at different CTF intensities in different soil management strategies for soybean crop. The experimental design involved randomized blocks in a split-plot scheme with four replications. The plots constituted the three types of soil management: conventional tillage, no-tillage with straw millet cover, and no-tillage with brachiária straw cover. The subplots constituted for agricultural tractors were passed over in traffic lines (2, 4, and 8 times). We evaluated agricultural tractor fuel consumption, CO2 emissions, and soybean productivity. The straw cover and tractor-pass significantly affected the fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions of the soybean cultivation. Fuel consumption and CO2 emissions were reduced due to the machine-pass increase, regardless of soil management. Thus, a CTF reduces rolling resistance and increases crop environmental efficiency. Bare-soil areas increased by 20.8% and 27.9% with respect to fuel consumption, compared to straw-cover systems. Brachiária straw and millet reduce CO2 emissions per hectare by 20% and 28% compared to bare soil. Lower traffic intensities (two passes) showed (13.72%) higher soybean yields (of 4.04 Mg ha−1). Investigating these effects in other types of soil and mechanized operations then becomes essential.

Conceptual Study on Car Acceleration Strategies to Minimize Travel Time, Fuel Consumption, and CO2-CO Emissions

A conceptual study was performed on intelligent driving acceleration strategies for vehicles equipped with internal combustion engines. Two archetypal acceleration scenarios of highway driving and urban driving were prescribed. Three trajectories were considered for each scenario. They involved (a) nearly constant acceleration, (b) fast acceleration first and slow acceleration later, and (c) slow acceleration first and fast acceleration later. The selected vehicle was a generic European small–medium passenger car. Engine inlet pressure and ignition time were optimized along each trajectory to minimize fuel consumption, CO, and CO2 emissions, and travel time. The optimization process involved a methodological approach based on the higher-order singular value decomposition of the tensor form of the engine model. The optimized trajectories were analyzed and compared among themselves. Conceptual acceleration design guidelines for intelligent driving were provided that could be of interest when integrating vehicle/engine performance into the surrounding traffic flow.

Comparative Analysis of CO2 Emissions, Fuel Consumption, and Fuel Costs of Diesel and Hybrid Dredger Ship Engines

There is a consensus on the need to reduce the emissions of carbon compounds. The increase in global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in the maritime industry poses a serious challenge to environmental sustainability, climate change, and the operating costs of ships. This article shows how hybrid versus diesel propulsion technology for ships can help reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions and fuel consumption, and how these changes can be achieved. The need to reduce exhaust emissions and the increasing need for the shipping industry to seek alternative fuels means that existing regulations for marine engines and engine emissions are being updated almost constantly and new regulations are being formulated. The cost implications of the new regulations may lead to an increase in emissions as engines with lower fuel consumption are chosen, i.e., larger marine engines. Alternative approaches are needed to reduce CO2 emissions and fuel consumption, which could ultimately lead to hybrid propulsion for ships. This paper examines the current state of greenhouse gas emissions in shipping by analyzing the CO2 emissions and operating costs of two ships of the same type with similar technical and technological characteristics and different propulsion systems to gain insight into the problem. This paper compares the reductions in CO2 emissions, fuel consumption, and fuel costs for two suction hopper dredgers with standard diesel and hybrid propulsion. The technical characteristics, CO2 emissions, fuel consumption, and price of the two ships were analyzed to determine the advantages and disadvantages of each propulsion system. The novelty of this study is that two suction hopper dredgers from the same company with similar technical–technological characteristics but different propulsion systems were used for the case study and a mathematical procedure for calculating CO2 and other greenhouse gasses was presented in comparison, all to determine to what extent and in what way the hybrid propulsion system of a ship can contribute to reductions in CO2 emissions and fuel costs at the ship and company levels compared to a standard diesel propulsion system. This comparative analysis shows how much lower CO2 emissions, fuel consumption, and fuel cost savings can be expected when using a hybrid propulsion system compared to a standard diesel propulsion system. Finally, a conclusion is drawn on the efficiency and environmental compatibility of the two systems.

The dynamics of natural resources, renewable energy, and financial development on achieving ecological sustainability

Environmental sustainability has emerged as a paramount concern on the global agenda. Following the Paris Agreement and COP26, a strong global commitment exists to reducing its environmental footprint. This study examines the impact of non-renewable energy consumption and economic growth on ecological integrity from 1980 to 2021 b y employing the Autoregressive Distributed Lag (ARDL), Fully Modified Ordinary Least Squares (FMOLS) and Dynamic Ordinary Least Squares (DOLS) methodologies. Causality tests were also performed to understand the interrelationships among the variables, complemented by various pre-estimation tests to address potential data structure limitations. The findings highlight a dual impact on ecological integrity. While economic growth and the consumption of fossil fuels significantly worsen ecological degradation, the presence of natural resources benefits environmental quality. Intriguingly, it was revealed that both financial development and renewable energy consumption do not notably influence carbon dioxide emissions. This result is further validated by Granger causality tests, which align with the conclusions derived from the ARDL outcomes. Based on these detailed results, the study proposes targeted policy recommendations for Indonesia to encourage sustainable development practices that mitigate adverse environmental impacts while leveraging the positive contributions of natural resources .This study also serves as a valuable reference for other developing countries, such as China, in balancing the relationship between environmental sustainability and economic development.

Effect of Intake Valve Gap Adjustment Variation on Fuel Consumption in Daewoo 4dwy-30 Diesel Motorcycle

Effect of Intake Valve Gap Adjustment Variation on Fuel Consumption in Daewoo 4dwy-30 Diesel Motorcycle

Determination of Thermal Efficiency and Fuel Consumption Rate of a Pressure Cooker Fueled with Blends of Waste Vegetable Oil and Kerosene

In Nigeria, before the removal of subsidy on kerosene in 2016, the product was accessible to low-income individuals and is intended to be used as a fuel for cooking, lighting, or heating. Recently, kerosene is rapidly vanishing from rural families and it is becoming inaccessible due to its ever-rising cost. Therefore, to ease the hardship of low-income individuals to have access to high thermal efficiency cookers with affordable fuel, a study was carried out to determine the thermal efficiency and fuel consumption rate of a pressure cooker fueled with a blend of waste vegetable oil and kerosene. Based on this, a low-cost pressure cooker was developed with locally available materials to aid the atomization of fuel during cooking. Along with this, vegetable oil was blended with kerosene to enhance the quantity of kerosene used to fuel the pressure cooker. This cooker fueled with blends of vegetable oil and kerosene was analyzed for its thermal efficiency and fuel consumption rate and was also compared to the conventional kerosene stove. The result shows that the constructed pressure cooker has a thermal efficiency of 52% which is 20% more than the conventional kerosene stove but the developed pressure cooker consumes more fuel (48.62 ml) than the conventional kerosene wick stove (33.78 ml). Though the pressure cooker consumes more fuel, the thermal efficiency per time with respect to the fuel consumed is much better than conventional kerosene stoves which makes the developed cooker cheaper and more affordable both to low-income earners and for rural dwellers.

The influence of acetylene black microparticles as a fuel additive in pure palm oil and its performance characteristic on diesel engine

Fuel additives are recognized for their potential to make diesel engines cleaner and more efficient. However, the use of Pure Palm Oil (PPaO) as a fuel faces challenges due to its inherent combustion inefficiencies. This study explores how Acetylene Black (AB), as an additive, affects the combustion performance and spray characteristics of a diesel engine. Observations of spray phenomena were conducted using a High-Speed Camera Phantom C110. The addition of AB to PPaO resulted in an increase in engine power and torque by 11.43 % at a 60 % load, averaging a 2.97 % improvement over diesel fuel (DF). PPaO demonstrated the most significant improvement in Specific Fuel Consumption (SFC) by 17.2 % at a 40 % load, averaging an 8.2 % increase. For PPaO with AB (PPaOAB), the greatest enhancement in SFC occurred at a 10 % load, showing a 9.2 % improvement over DF, with an average increase of 2.1 %. The study also found that thermal efficiency was optimally enhanced with PPaOAB at a 20 % load, achieving a remarkable 17.7 % improvement compared to DF. Notably, the inclusion of PPaOAB significantly reduced the thickness of carbon deposits on the pistons and cylinder head by 51.8 % and 3.9 %, respectively, and improved spray angle and penetration compared to PPaO. These findings suggest that AB could be a promising additive for PPaO, sparking further research interest in the application of AB in other fuels.

Investigation of Analyzable Solutions for Left-Turn-Centered Congestion Problems in Urban Grid Networks

Traffic congestion caused by left-turning vehicles in a coordinated corridor is a multifaceted problem requiring tailored solutions. This study explores the impact of shared left-turn lanes within one-way couplets, particularly during peak hours, where high left-turn volumes, limited side street storage, and the overlapped green time between pedestrians and left-turners contribute to queue spillbacks, coordination interruption, and network congestion. The focus of this paper is on the solutions that can be easily analyzed by practitioners, here called “analyzable solutions”. This approach stands in contrast to solutions derived from “non-transparent” optimization tools, which do not allow for a clear assessment of the solution’s adequacy or the ability to predict its impact in real-world applications. This paper investigates the effects of employing two analyzable signal timing strategies: Lagging Pedestrian (LagPed) phasing and Left-Turn Progression (LTP) offsets. Using high-fidelity microsimulation, the authors evaluated different scenarios, assessing pedestrian delays, queue lengths, travel time index, area average travel time index, and environmental impacts such as Fuel Consumption (FC) and CO2 emissions. The effectiveness of the proposed strategies was comprehensively evaluated against the base case scenario, demonstrating considerable improvements in various performance measures, including approximately a 5% reduction in FC and CO2 emissions. Implementation of the LTP strategy alone yields substantial reductions in delays, the number of stops, the queue length for left-turning vehicles, travel times for all road users, and ultimately FC and CO2 emissions. This study offers innovative approach to addressing the complex and multifaceted problem of left-turn-centered congestion in urban grid networks using efficient and down-to-earth analyzable solutions.

Photoelectrocatalytic Reduction of CO2 to CO via Cu2O/C/PTFE Nanowires Photocathodes

AbstractThe consumption of fossil fuels releases large amounts of carbon dioxide (CO2) in the atmosphere, causing a serious greenhouse effect. Photoelectrochemical (PEC) reduction of CO2 to chemical fuels is an effective way to alleviate the current energy and environmental crisis. However, it is still difficult to rationally design efficient PEC CO2 reduction photocathodes. Cuprous oxide (Cu2O) is a promising photocathode material, but its surface is susceptible to the accumulation of photogenerated electrons leading to corrosion and activity reduction, and is accompanied by hydrogen evolution reaction (HER), both of which lead to the overall low conversion efficiency of CO2 reduction by Cu2O. In this study, the PEC CO2 conversion efficiency was improved by the synergistic effect of the C electron transport layer to accelerate the electron transfer to alleviate the Cu2O corrosion problem and the polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) hydrophobic layer to inhibit the HER. The test showed that the CO yield of Cu2O/C/PTFE at the optimum potential (−0.7 V vs. RHE) was 54.6 μmol cm−2 h−1, which was 3.2 times higher than that of pure Cu2O. This study provides a facile strategy for constructing an efficient photocathode with great potential for CO2 reduction.

Industrial Park low-carbon energy system planning framework: Heat pump based energy conjugation between industry and buildings

The accelerating urbanization, rapid industrial development, and excessive consumption of fossil fuels pose survival challenges such as energy depletion and environmental degradation for humanity. In the context of industrial park development, constructing a low-carbon energy system, increasing the proportion of renewable energy, enhancing energy-level matching, and utilizing heat pumps for deep waste heat recovery are effective approaches to reduce fossil energy consumption and alleviate environmental pressures. Addressing issues such as diverse thermal flows in industrial sites, complex electricity-heat-cooling energy demands, and unclear industrial-building energy coupling mechanisms, this paper proposes a two-stage planning framework, comprising the following five steps: (1) constructing a waste heat utilization system centered around heat pumps, (2) establishing a mechanism for matching heat sources, equipment, and thermal sinks, (3) establishing an energy conversion model and energy quality quantification system, (4) optimizing waste heat utilization path allocation, and (5) conducting a system energy flow analysis. Case studies demonstrate that the proposed system achieves optimized matching of multiple heat sources and sinks in industrial and building scenarios through thermal integration, meeting diverse energy demands in the park, including electricity, cooling, and multi-grade heat. After coupling with traditional steam pipeline networks, the annual total cost and annual steam power consumption decrease by 33% and 39% respectively, with a waste heat contribution rate of up to 26% and a renewable energy penetration rate of up to 25%, and a waste heat recovery system payback period of 6 years. By establishing an energy quality quantification system and conducting multi-objective optimization considering losses and economic costs, this paper provides Pareto frontier solutions, offering references for engineering proposals. The proposed networked waste heat recovery system is characterized by low energy consumption and high economic efficiency, effectively integrating the energy characteristics of industrial parks and demonstrating engineering applicability.