Off-highway Vehicle Research Articles

Comparative Analysis of Spiral Bevel Gear Pressure Angle for Off-Highway Vehicle Applications: Optimization of Performance and Durability

Comparative Analysis of Spiral Bevel Gear Pressure Angle for Off-Highway Vehicle Applications: Optimization of Performance and Durability

A novel electro-hydraulic unit design based on a shaftless integration of an internal gear machine and a permanent magnet electric machine

In recent years, increasingly stringent emission regulations have spurred an electrification trend in off-highway vehicle technology. To address challenges such as the high cost of power electronics components, limited battery capacity, and the substantial modifications required for the vehicles, there is a pressing need to develop high-speed, cost-effective, compact, and efficient electro-hydraulic units capable of powering vehicle functions. In response to these demands, this paper introduces an innovative morphology for an electro-hydraulic unit and outlines the integration method for a crescent-type internal gear machine with a permanent magnet synchronous electric machine. The proposed morphology aims to minimize component count through a shaftless solution while incorporating a cooling system that utilizes the same working fluid as the hydraulic machine. The design approach utilizes a genetic algorithm optimization process to maximize overall energy efficiency and compactness. Insights gained from the optimization results shed light on the relationship between key design parameters and unit performance, enhancing the understanding of this electro-hydraulic unit. A prototype of the unit was manufactured and tested, demonstrating a volumetric efficiency ranging from 81 % to 97 % at a maximum rotational velocity of the pinion of 6000 rpm. These results validate both the morphology and the design approach, indicating the feasibility of designing compact electro-hydraulic units that leverage hydraulic machines with higher maximum rotational velocities than commercially available counterparts as a mean to enhance efficiency and compactness.

Mitigating Frame Cracks in Off-Highway Vehicle: A Combined Approach of Finite Element Analysis and IoT-based Chassis Health Monitoring System

A Heavy-duty cargo truck manufactured by the Chinese company SHACMAN X3000 is designed and analyzed in this paper. Here, this paper developed a Chassis Health Monitoring System (CHMS). The objective of the system is improving the safety measures by combining computational techniques using FEA on static structural and Modal analysis followed by experimental work by implementation of IoT for monitoring and validation purposes. In this paper, for analysis purpose, we selected four critical points based on the survey and underwent the analysis by computational tool. The CHMS consists of a Force sensor, a Flux sensor, and RGB with Arduino, which is to collect and analyze to monitor the frame. The analyzed results give the optimal value in the frame near the critical areas, which results the crack. The CHMS, it a pre-alert system and safe guard the chassis.

Evaluation of Torque-Dense Electric Machine Technology for Off-Highway Vehicle Electrification

Evaluation of Torque-Dense Electric Machine Technology for Off-Highway Vehicle Electrification

Vegetation type and trail use interact to affect the magnitude and extent of recreational trail impacts on plant communities

Protected areas may prohibit large-scale deforestation and development, but still allow recreation via networks of roads and trails. Managers need to understand how the type of trail usage and the habitat the trail traverses influence the nature and extent of the trail impact. We measured the effect of trails on plant communities in a large, protected area in the southern Rocky Mountains of Alberta, Canada. We surveyed 118 transects adjacent to trails and 24 control transects at least 100 m from trails, recording the presence and abundance of all vascular plant species. We modelled changes in species richness, community composition, and the presence of exotic species as a function of trail type, vegetation type, and the distance from the trail edge. Overall, species richness increased with proximity to trails and community composition shifted significantly, with a greater likelihood of exotic species presence closer to trails. Heightened species richness and greater probability of exotic species presence extended a greater distance from off-highway vehicle trails than from footpaths, but only in shrubland and mixed forest vegetation. In addition, exotic species at higher elevations were most often associated with off-highway vehicle trails. Our study shows that the magnitude and extent of trail impacts on plant communities varies depending on trail type, vegetation type, and sometimes interactions between the two. The high frequency and intensity of off-highway vehicle trail use likely increases both propagule pressure and the severity of disturbance, while vegetation type determines light availability and hence invasibility. Managers can use this information to prioritize trail areas for exotic species monitoring and restrict high-intensity off-highway vehicle trails to less sensitive vegetation types at lower elevations.

Risk of Exposure to Coccidioides spp. in the Temblor Special Recreation Management Area (SRMA), Kern County, CA

The Temblor Mountain Special Recreation Area (SRMA) on the western flank of the San Joaquin Valley, CA, is located in the endemic area of Coccidioides, a fungal pathogen responsible for the increasing incidence of coccidioidomycosis (Valley fever). Recreationists in the SRMA, such as off-highway vehicle (OHV) drivers and mountain bikers who disturb the soils, are at risk of being exposed to airborne arthroconidia (asexual spores) of the pathogen. To reduce the risk of pathogen exposure for visitors, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) plans to limit recreational activities to areas with a reduced pathogen presence. They envision an official OHV park in the future, by also restricting access to areas with ongoing restoration efforts and by limiting soil erosion in sensitive areas. To investigate which soils in the Temblor SRMA are most likely to support the growth of Coccidioides spp., soil samples were collected over a 3-year period from dominant soil types in a northern and a southern sampling area and analyzed for the pathogen using a culture-independent PCR-based method. In addition, soil pH and electrical conductivity were determined. The results of this study revealed slight genetic variance in the Coccidioides sequences obtained from the soils of the Temblor SRMA. An analysis of variance (ANOVA) could not confirm differences in soil pH and electrical conductivity (EC) between the different soil types investigated and between sites where the pathogen was detected compared to sites where it could not be found. However, the year of sampling appeared to have an influence on observed soil pH and EC, and the presence of the pathogen. Of all dominant soil types investigated, those belonging to the Littlesignal-Cochora association were the least likely to contain the pathogen, whereas soils of the Beam-Panoza-Hillbrick association appeared more supportive. In addition to pointing out OHV areas with lower pathogen exposure risk in the Temblor SRMA, recommendations were made to educate visitors and BLM workers about the risk of contracting Valley fever.

The Greater San Rafael Swell: Honoring Tradition and Preserving Storied Lands. By Stephen E. Strom and Jonathan T. Bailey

When surveyed among the celebrated landscapes of the Colorado Plateau, Utah’s San Rafael Swell is often overlooked. This land of hardened sandstone and sculpted badlands neither has the familiarity nor designations of nearby parks and monuments. Stephen E. Strom and Jonathan T. Bailey urge readers to take notice of it. For over two decades now, locals, officials, and conservationists quietly brokered compromises avoiding the sticky political mire that usually characterize public lands politics. Hoping to get out in front of public lands issues before executive action resulted in a monument designation or legislative measures imposed wilderness areas without local input, county citizens and officials began actively meeting in the 1990s to consider solutions to public lands issues in their county. Conversations between conservation and recreation groups, off-highway vehicle (OHV) enthusiasts, tribal communities, and other individuals and groups eventually led to a major piece of federal legislation, the Emery County Public Land Management Act. Signed into law in 2019, the act created three wilderness areas, a recreation area, and an enlarged state park. The authors outline in briefer detail similar conservation successes in Washington County, Utah, and in Custer and Owyhee Counties, Idaho.

Travel Management Planning for Wildlife with a Case Study on the Mojave Desert Tortoise

Abstract Roads are important drivers of habitat loss, degradation, and fragmentation that affect global biodiversity. Detrimental effects of roads include direct mortality of individual animals, spread of habitat-altering invasive plants, and loss of demographic and genetic connectivity of wildlife populations. Various measures address the negative effects of roads on wildlife. However, most strategies for minimizing or mitigating the effects of roads are focused on the actual roads themselves rather than on the collective travel network across landscapes. We summarized a growing body of literature that has documented the effects of road density on wildlife populations and the benefits associated with lower densities. This literature supports the application of limits on road density as a viable tool for managing cumulative effects. Based on these examples, we recommend road densities, including all linear features used for travel, of less than 0.6 km/km2 as a general target for travel management in areas where wildlife conservation is a priority. Lower densities may be necessary in particularly sensitive areas, whereas higher densities may be appropriate in areas less important to landscape-level conservation and wildlife connectivity. Public policy and funding also are needed to address challenges of enforcing off-highway vehicle regulations. In applying this general overview to a case study of the Mojave desert tortoise Gopherus agassizii, we found that all management plans across the species' range lack considerations of road density and that tortoise populations declined within all conservation areas with road densities of more than 0.75 km/km2. From this, we provide several travel management recommendations specific to Mojave desert tortoise conservation beginning with identifying the entire travel network within management areas. Specific actions for managing or setting limits for road density depend on the site-specific biological or management context, for instance relative to habitat quality or proximity to designated tortoise conservation areas. In addition, increasing law enforcement and public outreach will improve enforcement and compliance of travel regulations, and installing tortoise-exclusion fencing along highways will reduce road kills and allow tortoise populations to reoccupy depleted areas adjacent to highways. Implementation of these recommendations would improve the prospects of reversing desert tortoise population declines.

Recreational off-highway vehicle exposure, safety behaviors and crash experiences among adolescents

BackgroundRecreational off-highway vehicles (ROVs), often called utility task vehicles (UTVs), are designed to be driven by those ≥ 16 years and manufacturers recommend passengers be at least 12 years old. This study’s objective was to determine Iowa adolescents’ exposure to ROVs, riders’ use of restraint devices, and crash prevalence.MethodsAdolescents participating in the Safety Tips for ATV Riders (STARs) program at their schools were anonymously surveyed by the Iowa Off-Road Vehicle Safety Task Force from Fall 2014-Fall 2019. Frequency, bivariate (chi square and Fisher’s exact test) and logistic regression analyses were performed using SAS software, V.9.4.ResultsA total of 4,023 students (9–18 years) from 18 school districts participated. Overall, 68% reported having ridden in an ROV. The proportions having ridden an ROV by where participants lived were farm (85%) > country/not farm (73%) > town (60%), p < 0.0001. Of those asked additional ROV questions (n = 2152), 39% of ROV riders reported riding at least weekly in the previous 12 months. Of those riding ROVs in the past year, 29% reported having at least one crash. Males and respondents living on farms had higher percentages reporting crashes, as compared to females (31% vs. 24%, p = 0.005) and those living elsewhere (35% vs. 24%, p = 0.0003). Thirty-seven percent of ROV riders never or almost never wore their seatbelt. Seatbelt use was inversely proportional to age, p < 0.001. A higher proportion of females reported always or almost always wearing a seat belt (42% vs. 36%, p = 0.0016). Percentages never or almost never wearing seatbelts by residence were farm (47%) > country/not farm (38%) > town (32%), p = 0.0005. Almost daily riders and those reporting having been in a crash were both 1.7 times more likely to never or almost never wear a seatbelt as compared to infrequent riders and those without a crash, respectively.ConclusionsIowa adolescents frequently ride ROVs and often without a seatbelt, putting them at greater risk for serious injury or death in a crash. Almost 30% of riders reported an ROV-related crash in the past year. Our study identified a high-risk population that could be targeted for ROV safety education and other injury prevention efforts.

Predicting behavioral intentions for unsafe off-highway vehicle use

Introduction: Hundreds of adults are killed or injured each year while operating off-highway vehicles. Four common risk-taking behaviors were identified on off-highway vehicles in the literature and examined intention to engage in such behaviors within the context of the Theory of Planned Behavior. Method: One hundred and sixty-one adults completed measures of experience on off-highway vehicles and injury exposure followed by a self-report created according to the predictive structure of the Theory of Planned Behavior. Behavioral intentions to engage in the four common injury risk behaviors on off-highway vehicles were predicted. Results: Similar to research on other risk behaviors, perceived behavioral control and attitudes emerged as consistently significant predictors. Subjective norms, the number of vehicles operated, and injury exposure showed varying relationships to the four injury risk behaviors. Results are discussed in the context of similar studies, intrapersonal predictors of injury risk behaviors, and with regard to implications for injury prevention efforts.

CORR Insights®: Do All-terrain or Recreational Off-highway Vehicle Crashes Have a Higher Odds of Amputation?

CORR Insights®: Do All-terrain or Recreational Off-highway Vehicle Crashes Have a Higher Odds of Amputation?

Road impacts to sheetflow-dependent ecosystems in the Sonoran Desert

Roads affect ecological functioning at local to landscape scales, but little is known about the indirect effects on hydrology and vegetation outside road corridors. These impacts are of particular concern in arid landscapes such as the southwestern US, where road networks have rapidly expanded in recent decades. This study quantified impacts to vegetation where roads eliminated downslope sheetflow runon and identified how road and landscape characteristics affect the probability of sheetflow disruptions at Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument, in the Sonoran Desert of southern Arizona, USA.The abundance of perennial grasses, drought-deciduous subshrubs, and trees were significantly reduced in downslope plant communities where entrenched graded roads and above-grade paved roads diverted or impounded sheetflow. The remaining vegetation was dominated by annual herbaceous plants and the drought-resistant evergreen shrub creosotebush (Larrea tridentata [de Candolle] Coville), resulting in lower species and functional group richness. Sheetflow runon reductions also significantly decreased the growth, vigor, and survival of woody plants, particularly for the winter-deciduous tree velvet mesquite (Prosopis velutina Wooten).Hydrologic alterations affected the density and extent of nearby vegetation at 25% of 484 locations where roadways intersected sheetflow paths. Primitive roads such as off-highway vehicle routes produced the smallest topographic changes and were the least likely to disrupt runon, while graded roads had a 48% cumulative probability of ecohydrological impacts due to their tendency to become entrenched below ground. Paved roads were most likely to alter hydrologic connectivity due to embankments and roadside ditches and berms. Geologic substrate and soil type affected the probability of sheetflow impacts, which were most frequent on Quaternary alluvium and young soils lacking restrictive horizons. These results were used to map landscape sensitivity to sheetflow path disruption by roadways throughout Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument and to provide recommendations for sustainable management of existing and future roads.

Do All-terrain or Recreational Off-highway Vehicle Crashes Have a Higher Odds of Amputation?

Riding off-road vehicles is associated with the risk of injury to the extremities. There are two main types of four-wheel recreational off-road vehicles: quads or all-terrain vehicles (ATVs), which are essentially four-wheel off-road motorcycles, and recreational off-highway vehicles (ROVs), also colloquially referred to as utility terrain vehicles, which have side-by-side seating, higher maximum speeds, and a roll cage. There are multiple orthopaedic society position statements on ATVs, but none on ROVs. Perhaps this is because the injury patterns and differences between the two vehicles have not been elucidated. (1) What patient, vehicle (ROVs versus ATVs), and injury factors are associated with amputation? (2) What are the anatomic location distributions of fractures and amputations by vehicle type? Records of all patients in our hospital's billing system who had both a diagnostic code indicating an accident related to an off-road vehicle and one indicating an extremity or pelvic fracture between February 2014 and January 2020 were screened; this resulted in the identification of 328 patients with fractures resulting from off-road vehicle collisions. A total of 16% (51 of 328) of patients were excluded from the analysis because their injury did not involve either an ATV or an ROV; 277 patients were included in the final analysis. The following variables were collected: age at time of the injury, gender, BMI, vehicle type, Gustilo-Anderson type if applicable, amputation level if applicable, anatomic locations of injuries, ethanol level, and drug screen. ATV crashes accounted for 52% (145 of 277) of patients, and ROV crashes accounted for 48% (132 of 277). Patients from ATV crashes did not differ from those in ROV crashes in terms of mean age (24 ± 16 years versus 24 ± 13 years; p = 0.82), BMI (25 ± 7 kg/m 2 versus 26 ± 6 kg/m 2 ; p = 0.18), or gender (79% [114 of 145] men/boys versus 77% [102 of 132]; p = 0.79). Among patients who had a drug or ethanol screen, there was a higher percent of ATV riders who used marijuana (39% [19 of 49] versus 17% [7 of 42]; p = 0.04), but there were no differences in abnormal blood alcohol screen or abnormal nonmarijuana drug screen; however, these results were available in only about one-third of patients (99 of 277 for ethanol and 91 of 277 for drug screen). Statistical analysis was performed using logistic regression analysis for factors associated with amputation, with p values < 0.05 considered significant. After controlling for differences in demographic factors, the stepwise increase in Gustilo-Anderson grade of open fracture (OR 9.8 [95% CI 3.6 to 27.0]; p < 0.001) and ROV vehicle type (OR 15.7 [95% CI 3.6 to 68.5]; p < 0.001) were both associated with amputation. There was no increase in the odds of amputation associated with age (OR 1.0 [95% CI 0.9 to 1.1]; p = 0.81), gender (OR 1.4 [95% CI 0.3 to 5.8]; p = 0.68), or BMI (OR 1.1 [95% CI 0.9 to 1.2]; p = 0.37). The most frequent ATV fractures occurred in the forearm and wrist (22% [45 of 203]), whereas most ROV injuries occurred through the metacarpals (41% [107 of 262] of fractures and 58% [18 of 31] of amputations). ROV crashes are associated with a higher odds of amputation when compared with ATV crashes. Because most ROV injuries were in the forearm and below, this likely occurs when upper extremities are crushed and mangled under the roll cage in rollover ROV crashes. Because of this danger, we urge our orthopaedic societies to either update current ATV position statements to include ROVs or release separate statements on ROVs. Level III, prognostic study.

Factors Affecting Neurological Presentation and Severity in Pediatric Off-Highway Vehicle Accidents in Texas.

The purpose was to evaluate the characteristics of off-highway vehicle (OHV) crashes correlated with neurological injury and accident severity in the pediatric population in El Paso, Texas. A retrospective review of 213 patients who were victims of an OHV crash attended at a regional Level I trauma center from 2012 to 2020 was performed. OHVs were defined as vehicles designated for use outside public roads. Neurological outcomes included any traumatic brain injury (TBI) or a brain hemorrhage/hematoma. Severe injury was defined as a Glasgow Coma Scale less than 8, a length of stay longer than 7 days, a Pediatric Trauma Score lower than 8, and requiring pediatric intensive care unit admission. Bivariate and multivariate analyses by logistic regression models were conducted to determine the factors related to the neurological outcomes and accident severity. Of 213 OHV crash patients, 104 (48.8%) had TBI and 22 (10.3%) had brain hemorrhages or hematomas. Risk analyses demonstrated that children younger than age 6 years and occupants of recreational OHVs have a significantly higher risk of severe injuries. Off-highway motorcycles and all-terrain vehicles were risk factors for TBI, whereas helmets were a protective factor. OHVs are associated with both TBIs and severe injuries. Stricter laws requiring helmets and forbidding children younger than 6 to ride are required, as modifying these factors could reduce the incidence of OHV crashes and their complications.

Development of an Integrated Electro-Hydraulic Machine to Electrify Off-highway Vehicles

Electrification of off-highway vehicles is notoriously challenging due to extreme power density requirements. This article proposes and develops an axial flux machine integrated with a hydraulic pump to realize a single modular, electro-hydraulic machine to electrify off-highway vehicle implements. This integrated machine eliminates redundant bearings, couplings, and shaft seals, reuses surfaces, and enables direct cooling of the electric machine with the hydraulic fluid, to significantly increase power density. Three popular axial flux machine variants are first compared using a finite element analysis based design optimization approach. The single rotor, single stator variant is identified to be the most promising for integration with the hydraulic pump. Next, a multiphysics framework of the complete integrated hydraulic pump and axial flux machine is developed to characterize the design space. The results indicate promising potential for this concept to realize efficiency over 85% and power density over 5 kW/kg for the complete machine (electric machine, hydraulic pump, and thermal management system), while utilizing conventional materials (thin gauge silicon steel, N45 magnets, and enamelled copper wire). A prototype axial flux machine has been experimentally characterized and integrated with a hydraulic pump to demonstrate the integrated electro-hydraulic machine concept.

Supervisory control of the hybrid off-highway vehicle for fuel economy improvement using predictive double Q-learning with backup models

Supervisory control of the hybrid off-highway vehicle for fuel economy improvement using predictive double Q-learning with backup models

Graphene-based Nanocomposites for Automotive and Off-highway Vehicle Applications: A Review

Abstract: Abstract Abstract: Nanocomposites comprised of a polymer matrix and various types of nanosized fillers have remained one of the most important engineering materials and continue to draw great interest in the research community and industry. In particular, graphene in nanocomposites that possess high thermal conductivity and excellent mechanical, electrical, and optical properties have turned out to be promising fillers for making the next generation of advanced high-performance materials. Though large-scale production of graphene-based nanocomposites is a bit challenging due to the mechanical, functional, and interfacial properties of the graphene and polymer matrix under severe loading conditions, the automotive and off-highway machinery industries are expected to utilize the most modern composite materials, such as graphene-based nanocomposites, to create lighter, stronger, safer, and more energy-efficient cars in the future. Graphene-based material strategies have been investigated and demonstrated to be effective for structural applications in various industries, including electronics, electromechanical, and energy systems. However, currently, there is only limited research highlighting the specific knowledge available for design engineers and researchers involved in providing lightweight but strong solutions using graphene-based materials for automotive and off-highway vehicle applications. The present review presents an overview of the latest studies that utilize graphene-based nanomaterials and their composites in automotive and off-highway machinery applications. First, the paper describes the concept of traditional composites used presently in the engineering industries by considering its advantages and limitations. Then, it highlights the key benefits of using nanostructured carbon materials, such as graphene, through some recent studies available in the literature. Subsequently, it depicts the various mechanisms of integrating graphene as polymer reinforcements within the composite materials based on the survey and their related modelling, designing, and manufacturing capabilities suitable for the automotive and off-highway machinery industry. Finally, it outlines the available experimental evidence for graphene-based composites. To lay the groundwork for future work in this exciting area, the paper discusses the current challenges as well as future prospects in the field.

Strategically positioning Europe as a destination for off-highway vehicle recreationists: some initial findings

The popularity of off-highway vehicle (OHV) recreation has increased substantially in recent decades in the USA. The purpose of this study is to address the question of whether it might be a viable tourism strategy to position European destinations for such OHV recreationists. This study conducted a national survey of OHV recreationists in the U.S. The key finding is that 68.3 percent of those who have not previously ridden in Europe either strongly agree or somewhat agree that they would like to experience OHV riding in Europe if they had the time and money. Of those who had previously ridden in Europe, 100 percent either strongly agree or somewhat agree that they would like to return to Europe for more riding. Furthermore, this study finds that those with an interest in riding in Europe record an increased importance in the quantity of trail miles / large size of the OHV attraction in comparison to those with little or no interest in riding in Europe. These preliminary findings suggest that future research is warranted to further explore whether it could be worthwhile for European destinations to actively attract this large and growing segment of recreationists.

The role of off-highway vehicle activity in augmenting dust emissions at the Oceano Dunes State Vehicular Recreation Area, Oceano, CA

The Oceano Dunes State Vehicular Recreation Area (ODSVRA) allows off-highway vehicle (OHV) activity on this coastal dune system. Three sources of data were examined to determine if OHV activity increased wind-blown dust emissions originating from the ODSVRA. Measurements of emissivity (mg m −2 s −1 ) of particulate matter (PM) from dune sands were made using the PI-SWERL® instrument from 2013 through to 2020 in the area with OHV activity and in areas where OHV access is not permitted. These measurements indicated that the mean emissivity of the riding area was two to three times higher than the mean of the non-riding areas, for wind shear velocity ( u ∗ , m s −1 ) conditions well-above threshold ( u ∗ > 0.5 m s −1 ). Measurements of Wind Power Density (WPD, W m −2 ) and suspended particulate matter (PM, μg m −3 ) at monitoring stations in the riding areas and downwind of the riding areas made between May and September 2019 indicate that PM concentrations increased 12% per month for similar WPD conditions. In 2020, OHV activity was prohibited beginning in March due to the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. Network measurements of PM and WPD, April to August 2020 indicated a 12% decrease in PM concentrations per month for similar WPD conditions, suggesting the cessation of OHV activity resulted in the dunes becoming less emissive through time. Measurements of wind speed and suspended PM at a monitoring station downwind of a dune preserve area (no OHV activity allowed) for 2019 and 2020 indicate that PM and WPD measurements do not follow the same temporal trends for the in-Park and downwind of riding area influenced area stations, further suggesting that OHV activity influences dune emissivity. • Measurements of emissivity on areas without riding have significantly lower emissivity than areas with riding. • PM 10 decreased by 12% per month during COVID19 closure for similar values of wind power density. • These environmental measurements provide compelling evidence that OHV activity augments the amount of PM 10 mineral dust.

Assessment of performance and emission characteristics of an off-highway vehicle engine fuelled with renewable fuel blends

In this study, Chlorella vulgaris biofuel was selected for the testing of a twin-cylinder vertical in-line diesel engine with different blends of algae fuel with diesel such as B20 (20% algae biodiesel blend with 80% diesel), B40 and B60 by incorporating exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) and without EGR condition. With EGR, the brake thermal efficiency of B60, B40 and B20 shown a 15%, 11% and 19% increase, respectively, compared with that of without EGR operation. The NO x exhausts of a diesel engine with B60, B40 and B20 blends are observed to be more by 11.1%, 14.3% and 38.6%, respectively, than that of the diesel operation without EGR condition, whereas, when EGR was admitted by 25% by volume, the NO x emissions were observed to be reduced by 64.8%, 70.4% and 71.8% for B60, B40 and B20 blends in comparison to the diesel fuel operation.