Mineral Diesel Research Articles

Effect of Graphite Nanoadditives on the Behavior of a Diesel Engine Fueled with Pyrolysis Fuel Recovered from Used Plastics.

Plastic waste accumulation is a significant threat to the environment and humans. Pyrolysis is a promising method for recycling plastic waste since all of the yields are useful, reducing the associated environmental risks of plastic waste. Energy recovery from used plastic waste can help restore ecosystems by utilizing waste as fuel while addressing the environmental problem of plastic disposal. This study experimentally investigates the application of oil obtained by the pyrolysis of waste high-density polyethylene (HDPE) as a viable energy source for diesel engines, offering a unique solution to the issues of plastic waste and energy sustainability. The catalytic pyrolysis method was employed to convert used HDPE plastics into a fuel called used polymer pyrolysis oil (UPO). The UPO was blended at 20% and 40% on a volume basis with mineral diesel. The graphite nanoadditives of 50 and 100 ppm were doped to enhance the properties of the UPO20 blend. The results showed that UPO20n100 blends exhibited a 2.79% increase in brake thermal efficiency and an 11.6% reduction in specific fuel consumption compared to diesel. Utilizing the UPO20n100 blend as a diesel engine fuel resulted in reductions of hydrocarbon, carbon monoxide, and smoke emissions by 8.9%, 9.9%, and 8.9%, respectively, compared with diesel operation. These findings provide a pathway for reducing plastic pollution and reliance on fossil fuels, with significant implications for the development of sustainable energy solutions. Additionally, this study presents a novel application of graphite nanoadditives in fuel blends prepared from used plastics, highlighting their significant impact on enhancing engine efficiency and reducing emissions.

Life cycle assessment and biodegradability of biodiesel produced using different alcohols and heterogeneous catalysts

ABSTRACT The synthesis of fatty acid methyl (RME) and fatty acid butyl esters (RME) using heterogeneous catalysts (dolomite, eggshells, snail shells) is attractive as more and more legislations about global warming and energy security encourage to pay attention to renewable energy sources. In this study, the impact of six different RME and RBE production scenarios on the environment was investigated, also biodegradability research of RMEs and RBEs and mineral diesel were conducted. To assess life cycle, SimaPro9 software was used and impact to 11 environmental categories were evaluated. The environmental performance was determined based on their midpoint impacts, CML-IA baseline V3.06/EU25 method. Results of LCA showed that the production of RBE using eggshells and snail shells as heterogeneous catalysts had the most adverse impact on the global warming potential (2298.0 and 2266.1 kgCO2eq t−1 respectively). While the lowest impact to global warming potential was obtained for RME production using dolomite as a catalyst (1436.8 kgCO2eqt−1). The production of RME using dolomite had the lowest impact on almost all categories, while the synthesis of RBE using eggshells had the highest impact on the environment. However, conditions under which biodiesel is produced have a huge impact on life cycle assessment results. RMEs showed higher biodegradability compared with RBEs. HIGHLIGHTS LCA on six different biodiesel production scenarios was investigated. FAME production using dolomite has the lowest impact on the environment. Conditions under which biodiesel is produced have a huge impact on LCA results. Biodegradability of RMEs and RBEs was investigated. Biodegradability depends on the type of alcohol, not on the catalyst which was used.

The respiratory health effects of acute in vivo diesel and biodiesel exhaust in a mouse model

BackgroundBiodiesel, a renewable diesel fuel that can be created from almost any natural fat or oil, is promoted as a greener and healthier alternative to commercial mineral diesel without the supporting experimental data to back these claims. The aim of this research was to assess the health effects of acute exposure to two types of biodiesel exhaust, or mineral diesel exhaust or air as a control in mice. Male BALB/c mice were exposed for 2-hrs to diluted exhaust obtained from a diesel engine running on mineral diesel, Tallow biodiesel or Canola biodiesel. A room air exposure group was used as a control. Twenty-four hours after exposure, a variety of respiratory related end point measurements were assessed, including lung function, responsiveness to methacholine and airway and systemic immune responses. ResultsTallow biodiesel exhaust exposure resulted in the greatest number of significant effects compared to Air controls, including increased airway hyperresponsiveness (178.1 ± 31.3% increase from saline for Tallow biodiesel exhaust exposed mice compared to 155.8 ± 19.1 for Air control), increased airway inflammation (63463 ± 13497 cells/mL in the bronchoalveolar lavage of Tallow biodiesel exhaust exposed mice compared to 40561 ± 11800 for Air exposed controls) and indications of immune dysregulation. In contrast, exposure to Canola biodiesel exhaust resulted in fewer significant effects compared to Air controls with a slight increase in airway resistance at functional residual capacity and indications of immune dysregulation. Exposure to mineral diesel exhaust resulted in significant effects between that of the two biodiesels with increased airway hyperresponsiveness and indications of immune dysregulation. ConclusionThese data show that a single, brief exposure to biodiesel exhaust can result in negative health impacts in a mouse model, and that the biological effects of exposure change depending on the feedstock used to make the biodiesel.

A comprehensive combustion, performance, and environmental analyses of algae biofuel, hydrogen gas, and nano-sized particles (liquid-gas-solid mix) in agricultural CRDI engines

The present research encompasses the utilization of TiO2 nano particles with enrichment of H2 (10 lpm) with Chlorella Emersonii Methyl Ester (CEME) on an agricultural-based CRDI engine. CEME20 (20% chlorella emersonii methyl ester blended with 80% mineral diesel) is employed for the tests. The nanoparticle concentration is limited to 50 ppm which has been considered according to O2 concentration in biodiesel. Experimentation revealed that, with hydrogen gas and TiO2 nanoparticles, the BTE and BSFC were improved significantly. At full load conditions, BTE is enlarged by 7.3%. In addition, there is a simultaneous decrease in HC and CO emissions (by about 36.3 and 40.9% respectively) for algal biofuel blends, while NOx emissions increased by 27.3% with respect to mineral diesel. 5.1% and 6.5% increase in combustion characteristics (79.8 bar combustion pressure and 89.2 J/°CA heat release rate)were observed for the CEME/H2/TiO2 blend which could be attributed to effective combustion of hydrogen and catalytic combustion activity provided by TiO2 nano additives. CEME/H2/TiO2blend recorded maximum Mass Fraction burnt (MFB) (74.7%) as well as lowered PSD (Particle size Diameter) profile (34.8 nm @ 0.29 E+08 dN/dlogDp (#/cm3)) at full engine load condition indicating the presence of H2 and nano additives which has influence over the combustion.

Prospect of Biodiesel from Sludge Palm Oil in Malaysia

High feedstock costs make biodiesel production impractical and economically unfeasible, particularly as most feedstocks are unknown for performance. Waste oil, such as sludge palm oil (SPO), may be used to produce biodiesel. This study examined the efficiency and prospect of Sludge Palm Oil Biodiesel (SPOB) production from SPO through transesterification. One-step and two-step transesterification methods were performed for SPOB conversion. However, only a two-step method was effective in converting SPO into SPOB. SPO's high free fatty acid (FFA) content necessitated a two-step process to reduce FFAs to less than 4% before SPOB conversion. Step 1 yielded 78% SPOB at 2 hours, 0.03:1 acid catalyst–to–oil, and 8:1 alcohol–to–oil. The optimal SPOB yield for step 2 at 4 hours, 0.01:1 alkaline catalyst–to–oil, and 9:1 alcohol–to–oil was 78%. SPOB components were analyzed using FTIR with SPOB having a 1435.04 cm-1 methyl peak. The diesel engine performance test mixed SPOB with mineral diesel at different concentrations with 30% SPOB blends in mineral diesel offers the lowest fuel consumption (0.1089 ml/s), maximum braking horsepower (24.9266 rpm), and best mechanical efficiency. Density, flash point, and heating value were also tested to identify SPOB's physical characteristics and discussed in detail.

Improving environmental indicators of the wheeled tractor diesel engine by using biofuels

The object of this study is the process of operation of a diesel engine in a wheeled tractor on methyl ether of spent frying sunflower oil. The task being solved is to improve the environmental performance of a diesel engine in a wheeled tractor during the operation of its diesel on such biodiesel fuel and its mixtures with mineral diesel fuel. The characteristics of the diesel D-243 were determined by the experimental method with the measurement of the toxicity of the waste gases during its operation on the methyl ether of the spent sunflower oil, mineral fuel, and their mixtures. A decrease in the content of soot in diesel exhaust gases and a slight increase in the types of nitrogen oxides was registered. The theoretical method using a mathematical model determined the indicators of a wheeled tractor during its movement with a trailer for the accepted driving cycle and the operation of its diesel on different fuels. To that end, the characteristics of a specific diesel engine were described by polynomial models. The adequacy of the mathematical model of the movement of a tractor with a trailer over a driving cycle was tested. By means of a mathematical model, the total road emissions of harmful substances of a diesel engine were calculated when the tractor is running with a trailer over the accepted driving cycle. Calculations were performed for two types of fuel: mineral diesel fuel and biodiesel fuel. Biofuel consumption increases by almost 10 % compared to diesel fuel. The total emissions of harmful substances are 1.1 times lower in a diesel engine running on biofuel than when using mineral fuel. The results could be used in the operation of technological transport in the industry and agriculture provided there is a sufficient volume of raw materials for the production of biofuel

Application of simultaneous rapeseed oil extraction and interesterification with methyl formate using enzymatic catalyst

A novel method of interesterification of rapeseed oil utilising methyl fomate and an enzymatic catalyst to produce biodiesel without the need for glycerol separation was researched. Using the enzyme preparation Lipozyme TL IM as a catalyst, the simultaneous processes of oil extraction from rapeseed and interesterification in-situ were investigated. Three independent variables were assessed for their interaction and impact on the yield of rapeseed methyl esters: the mass ratio of methyl formate to rapeseed, the time, and the amount of catalyst. Utilising surface response methodology, process optimisation was performed, and a model explaining the impact of independent variables on the yield of rapeseed methyl esters was developed. Lab testing has verified that the optimal process parameters have been identified, resulting in a 94.24 % rapeseed methyl ester yield. Using a 48:1 mass ratio of methyl formate to rapeseed and 23.33 % of the enzymatic catalyst in 64.5 h produced the highest yield. The reaction product contained conventional biodiesel (rapeseed methyl esters) along with mono-, di-, and triformyl glycerides. The interesterification product's physical and chemical characteristics were identified, and the resulting quality indicators were compared with the specifications of standards for biodiesel and mineral diesel fuel.

Analysis of biodiesel and fatty acids using state-of-the-art methods from non-edible plants seed oil; Nicotiana tobaccum and Olea ferruginia

The long-term socioeconomic and environmental alternative to fossil fuels is biodiesel. Current biodiesel manufacturing research has developed competitive, sustainable methods. The study validates and explains biodiesel benefits while increasing output. Physicochemical characterizations, gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GCMS), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), elemental analysis (EA), inductively coupled plasma atomic emission (ICP-OES), and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) are studied. In this study, we discovered two inedible plant seeds, specifically Olea ferruginea (OF) and Nicotiana tobaccum (NT), which exhibited significant oil contents of 30–49% by weight; both seeds had minimal amounts of free fatty acids contents of 1.1% and 0.9%, and biodiesel yield 96.4–97.9% after an optimization process, i.e., methanol/ oil ratio (6:1), KOH concentration (0.32), temperature (65 °C), stirring rate (700 rpm), and time (60 mins). A comprehensive analysis was performed to investigate and contrast the physical, chemical, and compositional attributes of the FAMEs with those of mineral diesel. Gas chromatography determined biodiesel's chemical composition and detected various fatty acid methyl esters (FAMEs) i.e. palmitic (9.7–14.0), stearic (1.8–3.2), oleic (25.5–47.2), linoleic (8.5–32.2), α-Linolenic (3.6–1.1), arachidic (2.4–0.8), and gondoic acid was (48.5–0.5%), respectively. In novel biodiesel characterization, NMR spectroscopy defines and assigns sample chemical structures to identify and quantify unsaturated long-chain alkyl esters. NMR spectroscopic biodiesel methanol quantification is an alternative to official methods. 1H NMR revealed the molecular hydrogen nuclei. This study examines all biodiesel purity and transesterification performance parameters. Producing cost-effective and optimal biodiesel requires the intent of these properties. Inedible seeds can be cultivated in infertile terrain to improve biodiesel production and solve the energy dilemma.

Artificial intelligence based-prediction of energy efficiency and tailpipe emissions of soybean methyl ester fuelled CI engine under variable compression ratios

Biodiesel, a widely adopted substitute for conventional mineral diesel, is often derived from raw vegetable oils. The use of non-edible oils for the production of biodiesel has been favored for an extended period of time due to the potential impact on the availability of edible oil as a food source. The generation of soybean methyl ester biodiesel using the transesterification process. The primary objective of this study is to examine the potential use of soybean methyl ester biodiesel (referred to as "S") as a substitute for conventional diesel fuel in a standard light-duty compression ignition four-stroke, single-cylinder, water-cooled engine. The present study aimed to evaluate the impact of increased compression ratio (ranging from 14 to 18) on several combustion, performance, and emissions characteristics. This investigation was conducted using biodiesel blends consisting of 5%, 10%, 20%, and 40% soybean methyl ester, and the results were compared with those obtained using conventional diesel fuel. Additionally, in order to enhance the test results, a training process is being conducted on an artificial intelligence network (ANN). The analysis of the data indicated a positive correlation between the compression ratio (CR) and the in-cylinder pressure values at maximum load conditions. Additionally, a negative relationship was seen between the CR and the brake-specific fuel consumption (BSFC), suggesting a drop in BSFC as the CR rose. Upon evaluating the discharge numbers, it was seen that there was a notable reduction in other pollutants, a fall in NOx emissions, and an elevation in haze levels. Nevertheless, surpassing a sulphur content of 20% has an adverse impact on both emissions and the overall functioning of the engine. Based on the findings of the artificial neural network (ANN), the prediction results demonstrate a commendable capacity to accurately predict the experimental data with the R-value changing from 0.81919 to 0.95028 for all engine performance, combustion, and emission metrics.

Cobalt chromite nanoparticle effects on kapok diesel emulsion performance and emission characteristics at various injection pressures

AbstractAlternative fuels derived from vegetable oil have great potential as diesel fuel replacements in the transportation and manufacturing sectors. The aim of this study is to use cobalt chromite nanoparticles as a fuel additive with biodiesel in engine and to experimentally investigate the influence of injection pressure on combustion parameters. As an addition, cobalt chromite nanoparticles are used with biodiesel made from kapok oil, which is blended with mineral diesel at a ratio of 20:80. The engine is operated at various injection pressures (200–260 bar) and with an 80 ppm nanoparticle concentration. The results have shown that the increased injection pressure caused by the use of nanoparticles enhances engine combustion properties, such as the peak pressure and the rate of heat release. The main purpose of this research was to investigate the effects of a CoCr2O4 + KME20 mix on a CI engine, with the hope of improving engine performance characteristics. This investigation examines the effects of varying test fuel injection pressures. The increased injection pressure of CoCr2O4 + KME20 resulted in better performance and combustion. The 240‐bar IP was shown to be superior to lower IPs because of its greater penetration length and more uniform formation. The IP rating of 240 bar represented a significant improvement over competing products with respect to emission controls. In addition to reducing our reliance on fossil fuels, this also prevents harmful chemicals from being released into the air.

Pressing extraction and physico-chemical characterization of seed oil and cake of Jatropha curcas L.

Fuel from renewable sources has been an excellent alternative to mineral diesel fuel, either as a substitute or an additive, after the transformation process of oil into biodiesel. Jatropha (Jatropha curcas L.) is considered a good option since it produces high-quality oil. The aim of this study was to evaluate the quality parameters of samples of physic nut oil processed at different temperatures, as well as to characterize the byproduct press (seed and cake). For this purpose, we evaluated several properties of the oil including acid index, saponification, peroxides, humidity, index of impurities insoluble in ether, ash content, relative density, refractive index, Kreis reaction, color, and mineral content. We also evaluated several properties of the grains and press cake including humidity, ash content, protein content, lipids, fibers, carbohydrates, and minerals. A completely randomized design was used to achieve the results, with three extraction temperatures (70°C, 90°C, and 110°C). Descriptive analysis, normality, analysis of variance, and Tukey's means comparison test were employed at a 5% significance level. Pearson's linear correlation coefficient was also applied. The extraction temperature of 90°C resulted in significant changes in the physical-chemical properties of the oil and press cake.

Engine behavior analysis on a conventional diesel engine combustion mode powered by low viscous cedarwood oil/waste cooking oil biodiesel/diesel fuel mixture – An experimental study

Binary biofuel is the best alternative source that completely replaces petroleum-based fuel. In this study, we have experimented with the waste cooking oil and cedarwood oil as biofuel in a DI CI engine for various proportions and related its combustion, emission, and performance characteristics to those of base diesel. This study aims to eliminate the utilization of fossil fuel in a diesel engine by introducing green binary fuel (low viscous fuel resulting from the blending of cedarwood oil with WCO biodiesel) successfully. The objective of the study is to convert cedarwood – WCO into green binary fuel and investigate its performance, emission, and combustion properties. The transesterification process is utilized for the enhancement of WCO as biodiesel. It occasioned a reduction in brake thermal efficiency as the addition of waste cooking oil in the blend increased. At the same time, the maximum value of BTE of 27.8% was attained for B10C90 (10% transesterified waste cooking oil and 90% cedarwood oil in volume), whereas it was 28.1% for diesel at maximum load conditions. The BSEC was 15.4 MJ/kW-hr for B10C90 and 12.8 MJ/kWhr for diesel. The emission characteristics, CO, HC, NOx, CO2, and smoke for B10C90 were 17.93 g/kWhr, 0.55 g/kWhr., 20.09 g/kWhr, 2210.9 g/kWhr, and 25.55%. Combustion features such as NHRR, burn duration, MPRR, combustion efficiency, Ignition delay, and coefficient of variance for B10C90 were 53.74 bar, 29.38 CAD, 4.71 bar/CAD, 99.7%, 7.01 CAD, and 4.73% respectively. It showed that B10C90 had comparable performance (BTE) and combustion values to mineral diesel with better emission characteristics.

Experimental investigation on biodiesel–diesel blends in a single-cylinder DI diesel engine

The present study analyses the utilisation of biodiesel–diesel blends in a single-cylinder diesel engine. Biodiesel is prepared via conventional transesterification with standard conditions (60°C reaction temperature, 1% by wt. catalyst, 7.5:1 molar ratio and 120 min reaction time). The test engine utilised is a single-cylinder naturally aspirated direct injection diesel engine. The test engine is operated at 100% load with different engine speeds ranging from 1000 to 2400 rpm. Performance, combustion and emission characteristics were analysed at different engine speeds. The MB10 blend (10% biodiesel + 90% diesel) has resulted in higher brake power of 7.43%, lowered brake-specific fuel consumption and carbon dioxide by 7.49% and 7.6%, respectively. Also, it can be concluded that the MB10 blend lowered the smoke by 24% and hydrocarbon by 10.34% with respect to neat diesel. The MB20 blend resulted in a lowered CO profile than the CO profile of diesel fuel by about 0.84%. However, the MB10 blend’s average CO profile is improved by 1.97% than mineral diesel. These results are compromised with higher CO and NOx profiles of 2.4% and 8.9%, respectively.

Relationship between cetane number and calorific value of biodiesel from Tilapia visceral oil blends with mineral diesel

The calorific value indicates the energy available in the fuel. It is therefore an important parameter to compare the consumption of biodiesel compared to mineral diesel. Another important feature is the cetane number, which measures the ignition quality of diesel fuel. A high cetane number indicates that the fuel will ignite faster than those with a lower value of this parameter. This work aims to obtain experimentally and compare the cetane number and calorific value of different blends of biodiesel from Tilapia visceral oil with petroleum diesel (B5, B10, B15, B20 and B30). The results show that the B5 blend has the highest calorific value (∆H= 44488.0 J g-1) followed by B10 (∆H = 44275.0 J g-1), B15 (H = 44053.0 g J-1), B20 (∆H = 43829.0 J g-1) and B30 (∆H = 42895.0 g J-1). However, the B5 blend have the lowest cetane number (47.7% vol), followed by B10 blend (53.0 vol%), B15 (58.6 vol%), B20 (62.5 % vol) and B30 (73.1 % vol). The increase of the studied biodiesel in blends with petroleum diesel improves the ignition quality of these blends. However, it decreases the calorific value of this same fuel.

Comparative study of calorific value of rapeseed, soybean, jatropha curcas and crambe biodiesel

Biodiesel is a mixture of esters of short chain alcohols, produced as an alternative fuel for mineral diesel substitution. It is originated from renewable sources (fats and oils) and is less pollutants. But for its implementation, it is necessary to analyze some important quality parameters. A very important fuel`s feature is the calorific value, which represents the amount of heat transferred into the chamber during the combustion and indicates the available energy in fuel. The calorific value is obtained experimentally using a calorimetric bomb. The higher the calorific value, the higher is the yield of the fuel. The aim of this study is to determine the calorific value of rapeseed, soybean, jatropha curcas and crambe biodiesel using a calorimetric bomb. The results were associated with the ethyl ester composition of each biodiesel. The crambe biodiesel shows the highest calorific value (∆H= 40564 J g-1) influenced by the high amount of long chain ethyl ester originated from behenic acid (C22:0) that composes 57.2% of crambe oil. The rapeseed, soybean and jatropha curcas biodiesel that exhibit approximately the same amount of long chain ethyl ester showed calorific values near to ∆H= 39450 J g-1.

Comparative study of various renewable fuels blends to run a diesel power plant.

In this paper bioethanol/diesel and bioethanol/biodiesel blends, at several concentrations and temperatures, are studied to find its possible commercial usage as a fuel to run a diesel power plant. The tested fuels were: net mineral diesel fuel (D100) , 5 % bioethanol/diesel fuel blend (v/v) (E5D95), 10 % bioethanol/diesel fuel blend (v/v) (E10D90), 15 % bioethanol/diesel fuel blend (v/v) (E15D85), neat biodiesel (B100), 5 % bioethanol/biodiesel blend (v/v) (E5B95), 10 % bioethanol/biodiesel blend (v/v) (E10B90), and 15 % bioethanol/biodiesel blend (v/v) (E15B85). The fuels were tested at: 30, 25, 8 and -18 ºC. This paper shows the observations done in 8 samples during 5 weeks. After each week, each sample was overviewed, and changes related to stability, colour and aggregation were recorded. It has been proved that additives are not necessary to ensure stability of bioethanol/biodiesel blends under low temperature conditions, as the phase separation never happens. But in case of bioethanol/diesel blends some additives are necessary to keep stability under low temperature conditions. Based on this study, it can be concluded that blends of biodiesel fuel with bioethanol up to 15% can be used to fuel a diesel power plant if engine performance tests corroborate it. The same conclusion can be applied to blends of diesel fuel with bioethanol up to 15% blends if additives to keep stability are added.

Long-term storage and quality stability of biodiesel fuels

Abstract A special nano-composition of biodiesel was created that can increase the storage capacity and quality stability of the biodiesel fuel. The group compositions of pure nano-biodiesel and its blends with mineral diesel fuel were analyzed using a Fourier Infra Red (IR) spectrometer, and the individual hydrocarbons were identified by a gas chromatograph. The group compositions and physical and chemical parameters of the nano-biodiesel fuel fully met the standards and remained stable from 2018 through 2021, proving that this type of biodiesel can be stored for more than 4 years while maintaining physical and chemical properties and quality parameters.

Enzymatic In Situ Interesterification of Rapeseed Oil with Methyl Formate in Diesel Fuel Medium

The purpose of this research was to evaluate the process of enzymatic biodiesel synthesis by directly using rapeseed as a raw material, extracting the oil contained within and interesterifying with a mixture of methyl formate and mineral diesel, choosing the amount of mineral diesel so that the ratio between it and the rapeseed oil in the seeds was 9:1. As the final product of the interesterification process, a mixture of mineral diesel and biodiesel was obtained directly, which is conventionally produced by mixing the mineral diesel and biodiesel. The tests were performed using enzymatic catalysis using the lipase Lipozyme TL TIM. Process optimization was performed using the response surface methodology. A model describing the interaction of three independent variables and their influence on the yield of rapeseed oil methyl esters was developed. The physical and chemical indicators of the product obtained under optimal interesterification conditions were evaluated.

Exposure to biodiesel exhaust is less harmful than exposure to mineral diesel exhaust on blood-brain barrier integrity in a murine model.

Emerging data suggest that air pollution is a persistent source of neuroinflammation, reactive oxygen species (ROS), and neuropathology that contributes to central nervous system (CNS) disorders. Previous research using animal models has shown that exposure to diesel exhaust causes considerable disruption of the blood-brain barrier (BBB), leading to marked neuroinflammation. However, the effects of biodiesel exhaust on cerebrovascular integrity and neuroinflammation have not been explored previously. Therefore, in this study, 8-week-old BALB/c mice were exposed to biodiesel exhaust (derived from canola biodiesel or tallow biodiesel) and compared with control mice that were exposed to air or mineral diesel exhaust. Consistently with previous findings, the integrity of the BBB was significantly disrupted by exposure to mineral diesel exhaust. Tallow and canola biodiesel exhaust exposure resulted in no BBB disruption. Moreover, both tallow and canola biodiesels significantly attenuated oxidative stress in the brain. The data collectively suggest that biodiesel exhaust may exert significantly less detrimental effects on brain function, compared to mineral diesel.

Technical Feasibility of Dimethyl Ether-Fueled Mechanical Fuel Injection System-Equipped Multicylinder Compression Ignition Engine

Abstract This experimental study evaluated the combustion and performance characteristics of a 100% dimethyl ether (DME)-fueled multicylinder compression ignition engine equipped with a customized mechanical fuel injection system. The engine operating envelope covered different engine loads and speeds. The effect of DME's physicochemical properties, such as density, compressibility, and latent heat of vaporization, on the engine combustion and performance characteristics was analyzed under varying engine loads and speeds. The DME-fueled engine exhibited an average of >8% higher brake thermal efficiency than the baseline diesel-fueled engine. DME's lower brake-specific energy consumption indicated that the DME-fueled engine efficiently converted fuel's chemical energy into mechanical energy compared to the baseline diesel-fueled engine. The in-cylinder pressure of DME was higher than that of the mineral diesel engine at low loads and lower at higher engine loads. DME engine exhibited extensive and reliable operating range and consistent performance. The mixing-controlled phase dominated the DME combustion. DME's higher compressibility led to a few distinct effects with respect to baseline diesel: (1) lower fuel line pressure in high-pressure fuel lines, (2) higher residual pressure oscillations due to higher compression energy stored in the high-pressure fuel lines, and (3) retarded actual injection timing. The variations in the engine speed showed a similar effect on DME's combustion and performance characteristics as baseline diesel. The DME-fueled engine's lower in-cylinder pressure, lower rate of initial pressure rise, and lower exhaust gas temperature indicate a lower heat rejection engine, delivering higher thermal efficiency.