Higher Nitrogen Oxides Emissions Research Articles

Assessing the Robustness of Ozone Chemical Regimes to Chemistry-Transport Model Configurations

In a previous study, we assessed the efficiency of reducing either traffic or industrial emissions on various ozone metrics for several cities in Europe, based on the Air Control Toolbox surrogate model. Here, we perform various model parametrisation sensitivity analyses in order to assess the robustness of our results. We find that increasing the model resolution has a limited impact on the ozone response to emission changes when focusing on concentration peaks but strongly changes the response of the ozone daily mean with a switch to a titration regime for all zones with significant nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions. The impact of pollution imported from outside the simulation domain was also studied and we show that if the first lever for action on ozone peaks remains as the reduction of local and regional emissions, in order to achieve higher levels of reduction, it is necessary to act at a European level. We also explore more up-to-date temporal profiles and sectoral emission speciation and find a shift towards a more NOx-limited regime in a number of cities. Overall, these sensitivity tests show that most of the differences are simulated in cities with high NOx emissions and little solar radiation but do not change the overall conclusions that were previously obtained.

Experimental Investigation of Gaseous Emissions and Hydrocarbon Speciation for MF and MTHF Gasoline Blends in DISI Engine

Article Experimental Investigation of Gaseous Emissions and Hydrocarbon Speciation for MF and MTHF Gasoline Blends in DISI Engine Rafiu K. Olalere 1,2, Gengxin Zhang 1, and Hongming Xu 1,3, * 1 Department of Mechanical Engineering, School of Engineering, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham B15 2TT, UK 2 Department Mechanical Engineering, Lagos State University of Science and Technology, Ikorodu 02341, Nigeria 3 State Key Laboratory of Automotive Safety and Energy, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China * Correspondence: h.m.xu@bham.ac.uk Received: 8 November 2023 Accepted: 25 March 2024 Published: 28 March 2024 Abstract: With the increasing shortage of fossil energy, the development of engines urgently requires alternative fuels. Gaseous emissions of a gasoline direct injection spark ignition engine fueled with blends of 2-methylfuran (MF 20% vol. and gasoline 80% vol.) and 2-methyltetrahydrofuran (MTHF 20% vol. and gasoline 80% vol.) were experimentally investigated using Gasmeth FTIR. Experiments were conducted at air-fuel ratio (λ = 1) and at engine speed of 1500 rpm using the fuels optimised spark timing. Effects of fuel injection sweeps (180–280 °CA BTDC) on the emission characteristics of blends were investigated at the intermediate load of 5.5 bar IMEP. Hydrocarbon emission (HC) for gasoline is about 41% and 16% higher compared to MF20 and MTHF20 respectively. Carbon monoxide emission for the fuels increases as the injection timing is retarded but the Nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions was observed to reduce with the retarded injection timing. Both MF20 and MTHF20 recorded high NOx emissions compared to gasoline. The results indicated ethylene (25–26%) as the major component of the HC speciation in the fuels investigated. The unburnt furan samples for blend fuels were determined to be less than 3% of HC emissions, which could be considered a safe level for exposure.

Characteristics of NOX and NH3 emissions from in-use heavy-duty diesel vehicles with various aftertreatment technologies in China

Some in-use China IV and China V heavy-duty diesel vehicles (HDDVs) with selective catalytic reduction (SCR) systems probably fail to mitigate nitrogen oxide (NOX) emissions as expected. Meanwhile, these SCR-equipped HDDVs might emit excessive ammonia (NH3). To better understand the NOX and NH3 emissions from typical HDDVs in China, seventeen in-use vehicles with various emission-control technologies were tested by using laboratory chassis dynamometers. The results indicated that individual NOX and NH3 emissions from HDDV fleets widely varied owing to differences in aftertreatment performance. China V and VI HDDVs with effectively functioning SCRs could substantially control their NOX emissions to be below the corresponding emission limits (i.e., 4.0 and 0.69 g/kWh for China V and China VI vehicles, respectively) but with a potential risk of high NH3 emissions caused by diesel exhaust fluid (DEF) overdosing. Furthermore, higher vehicle speed and payload resulted in lower NOX emissions and possibly higher NH3 emissions from HDDVs with effectively functioning SCRs, while higher NOX emissions from tampered- and non-SCR HDDVs. NOX emissions from China VI HDDVs were more sensitive to cold starts compared to China V and earlier vehicles, but there was no significant discrepancy in NH3 emissions between cold- and hot-start tests.

Performance and emission characteristics of an ammonia/diesel dual-fuel marine engine

This study explores the challenges and possibilities of using ammonia (NH3) as a carbon-free fuel for marine propulsion in a Wärtsilä ammonia/diesel dual-fuel engine using a reactivity-controlled compression ignition (RCCI) concept. The main issues in ammonia RCCI engines are high ammonia slip and high emissions of nitrogen oxides and nitrous oxide. A joint experimental and computational investigation was conducted to understand the combustion process, pollutant and greenhouse gas (GHG) formation mechanisms, and the effects of injector configuration and injection timing on engine performance. A comparative assessment between the ammonia/diesel RCCI engine and a baseline natural gas/diesel RCCI engine showed that, upon replacing premixed natural gas with ammonia and maintaining the same energy share of diesel (8.5% of the total energy from diesel), the engine yielded considerably poor combustion efficiency. Increasing diesel usage to 24% share of the total energy allowed a successful engine operation, cutting GHG by 70%. However, higher diesel usage increased CO and CO2 emissions. N2O emission was attributed to the slow premixed ammonia/air flame propagation and near-wall flame quenching. The primary sources of NO emissions in ammonia/diesel RCCI engines were identified as fuel-NOx from premixed ammonia oxidation and thermal NOx in the diesel flame region. A recommendation was put forth for enhancing the operating conditions and injection strategies of ammonia RCCI engines. The proposed operation and injection strategy results in a 45% reduction in CO emission, a 60% reduction in total GHG emissions, and, notably, an 89% decrease in CO2 emissions compared to the LNG/diesel engine.

Synthesis of ethyl levulinate over sulfonated lignin-based carbon catalyst as a fuel additive to biodiesel-diesel blends towards engine emissions

Biodiesel-diesel blend is a promising approach for petroleum diesel substitution but concurrently requires modifications to improve its properties. In this study, ethyl levulinate (EL) was synthesized via levulinic acid (LA) esterification over a sulfonated lignin-based carbon catalyst and employed as an additive to improve biodiesel-diesel blends. The catalyst was prepared from lignin as a carbon precursor, modified via hydrothermal sulfonation at 180 °C for 6 h, and finally characterized. The effects of reaction parameters for LA esterification, such as ethanol-to-LA molar ratio (3–15), catalyst loading (3–20 wt%), and reaction time (2–6 h) were studied. Ethyl levulinate with 80 mol% and 100 mol% concentrations were examined as a fuel additive for palm oil biodiesel-diesel blends of B10, B15, and B20. The effect of the additive on the density and viscosity of biodiesel-diesel blends, as well as carbon monoxide (CO) and nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions from engine combustion, was investigated. The results show that the catalyst has good acidity (1.30 mmol/g) and suggested thermal stability up to 200 °C, as well as unique surface morphology with a large surface area of 193 m2/g contributed by mesopores and micropores. A high initial yield of EL of 84.3 mol% was obtained over LHS-400-1 at optimum conditions of 6 ethanol-to-LA molar ratio, 15 wt% of catalyst, and 5 h at 80 °C. The reusability study up to five cycles showed a gradual reduction in the LA conversion which indicated catalyst instability. As for the biodiesel-diesel blends, the presence of EL at 3 to 7 vol% reduced the viscosity and slightly increased the density. Furthermore, CO and NOx emissions trends decreased with the addition of EL. The presence of LA in 80 mol% EL for biodiesel-diesel blends resulted in slightly high CO and NOx emissions as compared to the blends with 100 mol% EL.

Identify the key emission sources for mitigating ozone pollution: A case study of urban area in the Yangtze River Delta region, China

Ozone (O3) has become the most critical air pollutant in the Yangtze River Delta (YRD) region of China. Research on the O3 formation mechanism and its precursor sources (including nitrogen oxides (NOX) and volatile organic compounds (VOCs)) could provide a theoretical basis for mitigating O3 pollution in this region. In this study, simultaneous field experiments were conducted for air pollutants in a typical urban area (Suzhou) in the YRD region in 2022. The capacity of in-situ O3 formation, O3-NOX-VOCs sensitivities and sources of O3 precursors were analyzed. The results showed that in-situ formation contributed 20.8 % of the O3 concentration in the warm season (April to October) of the Suzhou urban area. Compared with the warm season average, the concentrations of various O3 precursors increased on pollution days. The O3-NOX-VOCs sensitivity was the VOCs-limited regime based on the average concentrations during the warm season. O3 formation was most sensitive to anthropogenic VOCs, of which oxygenated VOCs, alkenes and aromatics were the key species. There was a VOCs-limited regime in spring and autumn, while a transitional regime in summer due to the changes in NOX concentrations. This study considered NOX emission from VOCs sources and calculated the contribution of various sources to O3 formation. The results of VOCs source apportionment showed that diesel engine exhaust and fossil fuel combustion had a dominant proportion, but O3 formation presented significant negative sensitivities to the above two sources because of their high NOX emissions. There were significant sensitivities of O3 formation to gasoline vehicle exhaust and VOCs evaporative emissions (gasoline evaporation and solvent usage). The contribution of VOCs evaporative emissions during the O3 pollution episode was significantly higher than the average; therefore, controlling VOCs evaporative emissions during the O3 pollution episode is critical. These results provide feasible strategies to mitigate O3 pollution.

A novel multiple spark ignition strategy to achieve pure ammonia combustion in an optical spark-ignition engine

Ammonia is an attractive carbon-free fuel that has the potential to reduce the need for conventional hydrocarbons (HC) and reduce emissions of undesirable pollutants such as CO, CO2, particulates, and unburned hydrocarbons. However, ammonia has different combustion characteristics than conventional HC fuel. Ammonia is difficult to ignite and has a low combustion rate, resulting in large cyclic variations. In addition, nitrogen oxides (NOx) emissions in the exhaust tract are a major challenge when using ammonia as a fuel directly in engines. In this study, the effect of multiple spark ignition sites on the combustion of pure ammonia in an optical spark ignition engine (SI) was investigated. The experiment was conducted with four spark plugs mounted equidistantly on a special metal liner and one spark plug fitted at the top of the cylinder head. The multiple flames emitted from the different spark ignition sites were captured by natural flame luminosity (NFL) imaging. In the results, the conventional single spark ignition is compared with multiple ignitions. It was found that single spark ignition resulted in lower in-cylinder pressure, longer combustion duration, and higher combustion instability due to the poor ammonia fuel combustion rate. However, firing multiple spark plugs significantly improved combustion stability, increased engine power, and shortened the combustion period under the same operating conditions. In addition, the flame kernels produced by multiple ignition sites resulted in higher NOx emissions in the exhaust tract due to the higher temperatures in the cylinder. In addition, this study also investigated the effect of three different air–fuel equivalence ratios (λ) of 1.0, 1.2, and 1.4 on the combustion characteristics of ammonia fuel. The maximum NOx level was obtained for λ: 1.2 because the excess air in the mixture oxidizes the ammonia and provides abundant oxygen to generate more NOx. Further reducing the ammonia fuel and increasing the excess air to λ: 1.4 dramatically reduced NOx emissions due to the lower pressures and temperatures in the cylinder resulting from the longer combustion period.

Emission behaviour and aftertreatment of stationary and transient operated hydrogen engines

As society moves towards climate neutrality, hydrogen fuelled internal combustion engines (H2 ICEs) should be considered as a prime technology. These engines are valued for their robustness, superior lifetimes, manufacturing techniques and characteristics, which are already known from diesel or gasoline engines. Since an H2 ICE is run on hydrogen (H2), carbon-based emissions are only released on a very low level from the lube oil. Nitrogen oxides (NOx) emissions are de facto the only gaseous pollutant that must be processed by the exhaust aftertreatment system (EAS) of such engines. This paper provides an overview of the raw exhaust gas emission behaviour of a 2 l four-cylinder passenger car engine that is run solely on hydrogen. As already mentioned, the main challenge faced by the EAS is to reduce NOx. Thus, the inspected EAS includes a selective catalytic reduction (SCR) catalyst with ammonia (NH3) as a reductant. The species of NOx was reduced under stationary operation conditions at all of the considered engine load points at an efficiency of at least 98%. Strategies that could be applied to conduct a load change of an H2 ICE were experimentally investigated. To perform a load change under high performance conditions, H2 ICEs needed to be run on a richer air-fuel mixture than under stationary operation conditions in order to provide enough exhaust enthalpy for the turbocharger. If a richer air-fuel mixture was used, higher NOx emissions were detected, increasing the necessity of an EAS containing an SCR catalyst for H2 ICEs. A WLTC and two RDE cycles were investigated to determine their raw and tailpipe exhaust gas emissions. By applying a simple AdBlue® dosing strategy, the raw NOx exhaust gas emissions from the WLTC could be reduced from 79.9 mg/km to as low as 7.3 mg/km. Carbon-based and secondary emissions such as NH3 and nitrous oxides (N2O) were measured at levels well below 5 mg/km.

Removal and mechanism analysis of NOx emissions in carbon-free ammonia combustion systems with a secondary fuel injection

Ammonia, as a carbon-free renewable fuel of emerging interest, has the potential to substitute conventional fossil fuels. However, one challenge in utilizing such fuel is the risk of high NOx (nitrogen oxide) emissions. This work clarifies how a secondary fuel injection strategy affects pollutant formation and pinpoints the underlying suppression mechanism. For this, a three-dimensional computational model involving a detailed ammonia/oxygen kinetic mechanism is established and validated with experimental data from the literature. Effects of the primary fuel flow rate, secondary fuel injection ratio R, and the dimensionless axial location of the secondary fuel injection l on the emission behavior are evaluated in detail. Introducing such a strategy leads to an approximately 28% NO (nitric oxide) emissions reduction, mainly due to the chemical effect of NO reacting with NH2 from NH3 decomposition downstream of the secondary injection region. Increasing R is associated with a lower NO emission but a higher NH3 that is negligible or notable. Furthermore, varying l is found to result in a slight change in the NO emission, whereas it greatly affects the NH3 consumption. This work confirms the viability of applying a secondary fuel injection strategy to mitigate NOx emissions without a negligible NH3 penalty.

Optimal Strategies of Mitigation Options for NOx Emissions in the Power Generation Industry

AbstractThe power generation sector is considered one of the major contributors to nitrogen oxides (NOx) emissions which have serious impacts on air quality. An optimization model is developed to help decision‐makers determine the best strategy or mix of strategies for the electricity sector to meet a given NOx reduction target and electricity demand at a minimum cost. The model recommended the selective catalytic reduction (SCR) technology to be applied at higher NOx emissions and the reduction reached up to 80 %. This potential option provides promising prospects for NOx emissions control, which is in line with the economic demand for sustainable energy and environmentally friendly technologies.

Manganese-based catalysts supported on carbon xerogels for the selective catalytic reduction of NOx using a hollow fibre-based reactor

As a more compact, affordable and efficient alternative to traditional catalytic converters, catalytic hollow fibre-based reactors have significant potential in addressing the high nitrogen oxides (NOx) emission associated with the combustion of green ammonia. In this work, the performance of a series of manganese (Mn)-based catalysts supported on three different carbon xerogels during the ammonia-selective catalytic reduction (NH3-SCR) reaction was investigated in a packed bed reactor configuration under typical vehicle exhaust gas conditions. The best catalyst candidate Mn-CX, which was associated with the highest NO conversion (i.e. 24% at 225 °C) and highest nitrogen selectivity (i.e. 85% at 225 °C), was deposited in a 7-channelled hollow fibre substrate via a combined sol-gel and incipient wetness impregnation method. At 225 °C and 1 atm, the performance of the hollow fibre-based reactor was enhanced by a factor of four compared to the packed bed reactor (i.e. rO2= 3300 molO2∙m−3∙h−1∙gcat−1 and rO2= 810 molO2∙m−3∙h−1∙gcat−1). The superior performance of the hollow fibre-based reactor is attributable to the unique morphology of the hollow fibre substrate, which lends itself to minimised mass transfer limitations. The markedly improved performance of the hollow fibre-based reactor underlines its potential as a technically and economically feasible solution to mitigate the high NOx emissions associated with ammonia combustion. The identification of the catalytic hollow fibre-based reactor as a viable exhaust gas after-treatment technology for green ammonia-fuelled engines, addresses a significant barrier facing the adoption of green ammonia as a carbon-free, future fuel, thereby facilitating the transition to a decarbonised transport sector.

Advanced strategies to reduce harmful nitrogen-oxide emissions from biodiesel fueled engine

Advanced techniques have shown an effective approach to reducing nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions from biodiesel-fueled engines. The primary concern is higher NOx emissions using biodiesel due to its different physio-chemical fuel properties and higher in-cylinder combustion temperatures than diesel. This study aims to scrutinize the existing literature on NOx forming origins from biodiesel and present the state-of-the-art literature on reduction technologies, identify research gaps and introduce further developments to the research opportunities. Accordingly, the present review has organized the technologies into three categories: pre-combustion, combustion, and post-combustion techniques. In addition, the pros and cons of each technique are presented by identifying their role using combustion characteristics. The study identifies that ignition delay and combustion duration are the major factors to consider in reducing NOx emissions. Applying innovative tactics to modify the fuel, chamber, and injection parameters prolongs the ignition delay and combustion duration, thereby reducing NOx emissions. Furthermore, exhaust gas after-treatment systems with novel catalytic convertors have shown a strong capability of reducing NOx emissions. The findings also indicate significant reductions in NOx emissions from biodiesel with provided technologies; however, a clear roadmap is needed to integrate these technologies for sustainable application. The study concludes that emulsion techniques, low-temperature combustion strategies, retarded injection timing, and exhaust gas after treatment have shown significant NOx reduction through reduced peak temperature rates. The study recommends further investigation on reactive controlled combustion techniques as they directly impact NOx emission, and their results comparisons will give a clear understanding for deriving better commercial options.

Enhanced combustion of ammonia engine based on novel air-assisted pre-chamber turbulent jet ignition

Ammonia has demonstrated great potential for achieving zero carbon emissions from internal combustion engines. However, the application of ammonia in engines faces the risks of ignition failure, low burning rate, and high nitrogen oxides emissions. Pre-chamber turbulent jet ignition (TJI) can provide multi-point ignition and fast combustion. Thus, in this study, a novel self-designed air-assisted pre-chamber apparatus is proposed to optimize the engine performance and combustion in a spark-ignition ammonia engine. The effects of high-reactivity pre-chamber fuels, including hydrogen, gasoline, and methane, on the performance of a TJI engine are investigated for the first time. The results show that, in the TJI mode considering the pre-chamber fueled with high-reactivity fuels, both the indicated mean effective pressure and indicated specific fuel consumption are improved compared with those in the spark-ignition mode. The enhanced combustion process involving shortened ignition delay and combustion duration is achieved by using the TJI mode. Double-peak phenomena are observed in both the pressure and heat release rate curves. In the TJI mode with the pre-chamber fueled with hydrogen, an optimal engine performance involving a high indicated mean effective pressure, low fuel consumption, and low coefficient of indicated mean effective pressure variation is obtained. Moreover, both peaks of the heat release rate are higher, and the ignition delay and combustion duration are further shortened owing to the jet effect produced by hydrogen combustion in the pre-chamber. Low NOx and NH3 emissions are observed in the TJI mode, particularly when the pre-chamber is fueled with hydrogen.

Experimental mild conversion of a lean burn natural gas engine with SCR to a hydrogen engine: NOx and GWP potential for marine applications

Emissions of nitrogen oxides (NOx) from marine propulsion systems have gained public interest resulting in emission limits as defined by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) with IMO Tier III, especially for vessels operating in Emission Control Areas (ECA). The reduction of greenhouse gas emissions is also increasingly important for marine propulsion. Minimizing NOx while reducing climate impact calls for technologies such as the gas engine with aftertreatment systems, preferably with the ability to run on alternative fuels. A proven technology for reducing NOx in marine engines is the Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) aftertreatment system. It is also possible to avoid engine raw emissions by shifting the combustion process to lower temperature levels. Hydrogen is an alternative fuel with combustion properties enabling premixed operation at significantly higher air-fuel ratio than natural gas (NG) and thus, reducing raw NOx emissions. The study uses a systematic approach to compare emissions and efficiency of a lean-burn gas engine with a natural gas and a mild conversion hydrogen setup, utilizing two different strategies: combustion of NG with the assumption of an SCR catalyst and high raw NOx emissions and combustion of pure hydrogen using the NOx reduction potential of higher excess air. The scope of the study makes it possible to illustrate engine concepts for future applications in the displacement class of 4.8 L per cylinder. The highest efficiency of 45.3% was achieved with the natural gas engine and SCR. The concept with the lowest Global Warming Potential (GWP) was the hydrogen fueled engine under the prerequisite of using green hydrogen, accompanied by a reduction in efficiency of 0.6% compared to the efficiency optimum of NG with SCR. Assuming the use of gray hydrogen, the GWP was 48% and 52% higher than with NG and NG with SCR, respectively, at the efficiency-optimal operating points.

Experimental and parametric studies on the effect of waste cooking oil methyl ester with diesel fuel in compression ignition engine

Diesel engine discharge characteristics are primarily influenced by fuel qualities, combustion chamber type, and injection settings. This study used combinations of biodiesel, waste cooking oil, and diesel fuel to do a parametric investigation on a diesel engine (DF80-WCOB20, DF70-WCOB30, DF60-WCOB40, and DF50-WCOB50). Using a complete factorial design L75 orthogonal array (O.A.), the experimental and parametric investigations were carried out. According to the experimental findings, DF80-WCOB20, DF70-WCOB30, DF60-WCOB40, and DF50-WCOB50 increase specific energy consumption while reducing engine efficiency, carbon monoxide emissions, and hydrocarbon discharges. At all engine loads, DF80-WCOB20′s brake thermal efficiency (BTE) was higher than that of DF70-WCOB30, DF60-WCOB40, and DF50-WCOB50 for respective compression ratios of 16.5, 17.5, and 18.5. Additionally, the BSFC for C.R. increases (16.5, 17.5, and 18.5) at all engine loads when waste cooking oil biodiesel is mixed with diesel fuel compared to diesel fuel. The findings indicate that while adding biodiesel made from used cooking oil to diesel fuel greatly reduces carbon monoxide and hydrocarbon emissions, it also results in higher nitrogen oxide emissions than diesel fuel.

Effect of high compression ratio on improving thermal efficiency and NOx formation in jet plume controlled direct-injection near-zero emission hydrogen engines

The Plume Ignition and Combustion Concept (PCC) developed by the authors significantly reduced nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions in a direct-injection hydrogen engine under high-load operation. With PCC, a rich fuel plume is ignited immediately after completion of injection in the latter half of the compression stroke to reduce NOx formation. Simultaneously, high thermal efficiency was also achieved by mitigating cooling losses through optimization of the jet configuration in the combustion chamber. This basic combustion concept was applied to burn lean mixture in combination with the optimized hydrogen jet configuration and the application of supercharging to recover the power output decline due to the use of a diluted mixture. As a result, a near-zero-emission-level engine has been achieved that simultaneously provides high thermal efficiency, high power output and low NOx emissions at a single-digit ppm level [1]. In this study, a high compression ratio was applied to improve thermal efficiency further by taking advantage of the characteristics of hydrogen fuel, especially its diluted mixture with a high anti-knock property. As a result, NOx emissions at a single-digit ppm level and gross indicated thermal efficiency of 52.5% were achieved while suppressing knocking at a compression ratio of 20:1 by optimizing the excess air ratio and injection timing, and increasing power output by supercharging.

CFD Study of Dual Fuel Combustion in a Research Diesel Engine Fueled by Hydrogen

Superior fuel economy, higher torque and durability have led to the diesel engine being widely used in a variety of fields of application, such as road transport, agricultural vehicles, earth moving machines and marine propulsion, as well as fixed installations for electrical power generation. However, diesel engines are plagued by high emissions of nitrogen oxides (NOx), particulate matter (PM) and carbon dioxide when conventional fuel is used. One possible solution is to use low-carbon gaseous fuel alongside diesel fuel by operating in a dual-fuel (DF) configuration, as this system provides a low implementation cost alternative for the improvement of combustion efficiency in the conventional diesel engine. An initial step in this direction involved the replacement of diesel fuel with natural gas. However, the consequent high levels of unburned hydrocarbons produced due to non-optimized engines led to a shift to carbon-free fuels, such as hydrogen. Hydrogen can be injected into the intake manifold, where it premixes with air, then the addition of a small amount of diesel fuel, auto-igniting easily, provides multiple ignition sources for the gas. To evaluate the efficiency and pollutant emissions in dual-fuel diesel-hydrogen combustion, a numerical CFD analysis was conducted and validated with the aid of experimental measurements on a research engine acquired at the test bench. The process of ignition of diesel fuel and flame propagation through a premixed air-hydrogen charge was represented the Autoignition-Induced Flame Propagation model included ANSYS-Forte software. Because of the inefficient operating conditions associated with the combustion, the methodology was significantly improved by evaluating the laminar flame speed as a function of pressure, temperature and equivalence ratio using Chemkin-Pro software. A numerical comparison was carried out among full hydrogen, full methane and different hydrogen-methane mixtures with the same energy input in each case. The use of full hydrogen was characterized by enhanced combustion, higher thermal efficiency and lower carbon emissions. However, the higher temperatures that occurred for hydrogen combustion led to higher NOx emissions.

Changes in the Relative Importance of Biogenic Isoprene and Soil NOx Emissions on Ozone Concentrations in Nonattainment Areas of the United States

AbstractReductions in anthropogenic emissions have drawn increasing attention to the role of the biosphere in O3 production chemistry in U.S. cities. We report the results of chemical transport model sensitivity simulations exploring the relative impacts of biogenic isoprene and soil nitrogen oxides (NOx) emissions on O3 and its temporal variability. We compare scenarios with high and low anthropogenic NOx emissions representing the reductions that have occurred in recent decades. As expected, summertime O3 concentrations become less sensitive to perturbations in biogenic isoprene emissions as anthropogenic NOx emissions decline. However, we demonstrate for the first time that across policy relevant O3 nonattainment areas of the United States, O3 becomes more sensitive to perturbations in soil NOx emissions than to identical perturbations in isoprene emissions. We show that interannual variability in soil NOx emissions may now have larger impacts on interannual O3 variability than isoprene emissions in many areas where the latter would have dominated in the recent past.

Effect of mixture formation mode on the combustion and emission characteristics in a hydrogen direct-injection engine under different load conditions

Significant efforts are currently underway to transform the transportation industry from a fossil fuel-based industry to a hydrogen-based industry to achieve the goal of zero carbon emissions. In this study, hydrogen direct injection (DI) is implemented using three mixture formation modes: homogeneous charge, lean-homogeneous charge, and lean-stratified charge (LSC). The main objective is understanding the effect of the hydrogen mixture mode on the efficiency and emission characteristics of the hydrogen DI engine. Accordingly, hydrogen was used as the fuel in a spray-guided single-cylinder research engine. The results revealed that owing to the high heat loss characteristics of hydrogen, the optimized combustion phasing angle was retarded. The LSC mode minimized heat transfer loss by reducing the high-temperature area near the cold cylinder wall. Furthermore, it had the highest indicated thermal efficiency (ITE) of 34.09 %, especially under low load conditions. However, the stratified rich hydrogen in the LSC mode resulted in high nitrogen oxide emissions (6.68 g/kWh). Heat management is vital to efficiently extract energy from hydrogen in an internal combustion engine. Heat loss reduction (13 %) contributes more to high ITE than pumping loss improvement (2 %) in the LSC mode.

Characteristics of biogenic volatile organic compounds emitted from major species of street trees and urban forests

Emission characteristics of biogenic volatile organic compounds (BVOCs) (such as isoprene and monoterpenes) emitted from major species of street trees and urban forests by variations in temperature and photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) were investigated. The isoprene and monoterpene emission rates from Prunus sargentii, Ginkgo biloba, Zelkova serrata and Taxus cuspidata were meager. In contrast, the isoprene and monoterpene emission rates from Metasequoia glyptostroboides were very high. In particular, the emission of α-pinene from Metasequoia glyptostroboides was over 10,000 times higher than that from Ginkgo biloba. The patterns of isoprene emissions from the four tree species except for Metasequoia glyptostroboides concerning temperature and PAR were difficult to determine because the emission rate is very low. However, monoterpene emissions from all five tree species were clearly affected by temperature and PAR. These results showed that the characteristics of isoprene and monoterpene emissions differed depending on the tree species. Regarding monoterpene composition, α-pinene (81.3%) accounts for the majority of total monoterpenes from Metasequoia glyptostroboides. This could be a critical consideration when planting trees in an urban forest because BVOC emissions (e.g., α-pinene) have been well known to affect ground-level ozone formation rate via photochemical reaction with NOX. Since Metasequoia glyptostroboides showed relatively high BVOC emissions, the use of this type of tree in an urban forest with relatively high nitrogen oxide emissions should be carefully considered.