Volume Basis Research Articles

Experimental assessment of Al2O3 and Cu nanofluids on the performance and heat leak of double pipe heat exchanger

The aim of the study is to experimentally investigate and compare the influence of two different nanofluids (Cu/water and Al2O3/water) on the performance of a double pipe heat exchanger at different volume concentrations and flow rates. Effect of varying hot-side inlet temperature is also tested for the selected concentrations. The nanofluid, pumped on the shell-side of the heat exchanger, has a Reynolds number ranging from 7000 to 15,000 while, for each Reynolds number, the concentration of the nanoparticles ranges from 0.26% - 0.83% on volume basis. Results indicated that presence of nanoparticles within the base fluid can offer a great potential for energy transfer. Observation of experimental outcomes shows notable enhancement in the Nusselt number when increasing the mass-flow of the nanofluid. The enhancement registered for the above mentioned range of Re and concentration are up to 13% for Al2O3 and 23% for Cu. Experimental results show a considerable improvement in the effectiveness (up to 7% for aluminum oxide and 10% for copper). Also, the performance enhances with the augmentation of the hot-side inlet temperature. Heat leak from the shell-side (cold fluid) to atmosphere is observed to be enlarged when nanoparticle is employed and is proportionally related to the concentration. It is also monitored that the heat leak within aluminum oxide nanofluid is greater than the copper nanofluid.

Guest Editorial: Permian Shale Water Management: The Hidden Costs

Guest editorial Water management in shale plays is an extremely competitive business. Every cent counts. This is most evident in the Permian Basin where companies work tirelessly to minimize operating costs in order to contract new capacities and fill their capital-rich infrastructure. These players are under enormous pressure to evaluate every component of costs and wring out excesses. While traditional operating expenses (OPEX) are heavily scrutinized, a full picture of profitability in water management is gained only after comprehensively examining the unique aspects of their overall business model. Traditional OPEX components in produced water management include labor, chemicals, consumables, infrastructure maintenance, transportation, disposal, solids handling, and power and other utilities. Capital expenses (CAPEX) must also be considered in light of tradeoffs between CAPEX and OPEX. Water CAPEX is generally composed of infrastructure, including pipelines, disposal wells, ponds/storage treatment facilities, and associated utilities infrastructure; equipment; engineering, project management, and permitting costs; and land. While all companies focus on these key expenses, another very significant cost driver emerges when the business model is more closely examined. Midstream companies’ revenues originate from three primary sources: Handling fees. Operators pay companies to collect and dispose of their produced water/flowback on a volume basis, and disposal is usually to a saltwater disposal (SWD) well. Gathering fees are charged for pipeline collection and disposal fees are charged for volumes disposed into SWDs. Commodity-based margins. Companies separate skim oil from disposed volumes and sell oil. In some cases, ownership of the skim oil remains with the operator. Royalties and accounting costs must be considered as a component of the profitability of skim oil sales. Treatment fees. Instead of disposing to a SWD, companies can treat produced water/flowback and sell recycled water to operators on a volume basis. The fact that recycling in the Permian is gaining in popularity due to local water scarcity, transportation costs, environmental stewardship, and/or SWD limitations creates additional opportunities for generating new revenue by increasing the volumes of water treated and associated water disposal/delivery fees. Revenue Bottlenecks As recycling is more readily adopted, revenues are becoming constricted by a number of factors including: pipeline capacity, treatment facility capacity, water quality fluctuations that cause upsets in facility operations, and transportation distances/location to fracturing sites.

Numerical Study of Hydrogen Addition Fuel on Soot Formation in Axisymmetric Laminar Methane/Air Diffusion Flames

This article employs the CoFlame Code to investigate the effects of hydrogen addition to fuel on soot formation characteristics in laminar coflow methane/air diffusion flames at atmospheric pressure. Numerical calculations were carried out using a detailed C1-C2 gas phase reaction mechanism and a soot model consisting of two pyrene molecules colliding into a dimer as soot nucleation, hydrogen abstraction acetylene addition (HACA) and pyrene condensation as surface growth, and soot oxidation by O2, O and OH radicals. Calculations were conducted for five levels of hydrogen addition on volume basis. To quantify the chemical effect of hydrogen, additional calculations are performed for addition of inert pseudo-hydrogen (FH2). The addition of H2 or FH2 does not have a strong influence on flame temperature. The results confirm that hydrogen addition can inhibit soot formation in the methane/air diffusion flame by reducing both the nucleation and surface growth steps of soot formation process. The effect of FH2 addition on soot formation suppression is more remarkable than H2, indicating that the chemical effect of hydrogen added to methane prompts soot formation. The dilution effect of hydrogen addition on soot formation suppression is stronger than its chemical effect on soot formation enhancement the present findings are consistent with those of previous numerical studies.

Performance and emission characteristics of engine using Naviculla Sp. algae oil methyl ester with MgO nanoparticles

Standard diesel fuels have developed the application in several domains like agriculture, transportation as well as commercial sectors performing due to its reduced specific fuel consumption and hydrocarbon emissions. In the present research, the biodiesel from Naviculla Sp. algae oil was prepared by transesterification process, and essential material and chemical properties were measured. The performance and emission characteristics of single cylinder Diesel engine fueled with Naviculla Sp. algae oil methyl ester and its diesel blends with MgO nano additives of B20, B20 + 25 ppm, B20 + 50 ppm B20 + 100 ppm on a volume basis were evaluated with the variation of load and compression ratio. The chemical as well as physical properties of NAME [Naviculla algae methyl ester] blends with MgO nano additives are determined and compared to fulfill the ASTM standards. The empirical outcomes expose that the use of biodiesel with nano-additives in compression ignition engine has revealed the improve in engine performance and reduction in exhaust emissions.

Vertical pullout tests of orchard trees for bio-inspired engineering of anchorage and foundation systems

Application of bio-inspired design in geotechnical engineering shows promise for improving the energy and material efficiency of several processes in infrastructure construction and site characterization. This project examines tree root systems for use in future bio-inspired design to improve the capacity of foundations used to support, for example, buildings and bridges. Foundation and anchorage elements used in industry are comprised almost solely of linear elements with a constant cross-sectional geometry. This functional form has remained the same for more than a century, primarily due to material availability and installation simplicity. Knowledge and understanding of the mechanisms that contribute to capacity development of natural nonlinear or branched foundation systems, such as tree root systems, could make foundation design more sustainable. The experiments described herein show that the root systems studied are 6–10 times as efficient as a conventional micropile system in developing tensile capacity on a per volume basis, with some systems displaying nearly 100 times efficiency in comparison to a conventional shallow footings. This paper explores the relationship between root system architecture and force–displacement behavior of tree root systems to better understand how to improve foundation capacity and demonstrates the potential for a more efficient use of materials and energy as compared to conventional pile and footing approaches.

Tolerance of peanut (Arachis hypogea) genotypes to salt stress in the initial phase

ABSTRACT This study aimed to evaluate the emergence, growth, biomass accumulation and tolerance of peanut genotypes under salt stress. The experiment was conducted in a protected environment (greenhouse), evaluating six peanut genotypes (Tatuí, L7151, Caiapó, IAC8112, IAC881 and Havana), which were subjected to two levels of irrigation water salinity (0.5 [control] and 3.5 dS m-1), arranged in a 6 x 2 factorial scheme, in a randomized block design, with five repetitions, with two plants per plot. Plants were cultivated for 30 days after sowing in lysimeters with capacity for 0.5 dm3, filled with a mixture of non-saline, non-sodic soil and commercial substrate in 1:1 proportion on volume basis. During this period, plants were evaluated for emergence, growth, biomass accumulation, tolerance to salinity and dissimilarity. The genotypes Tatuí and L7151 are the most sensitive to salt stress in the emergence stage. Irrigation with high-salinity water reduced the growth and biomass accumulation of the peanut genotypes, and Caiapó and IAC8112 were the least affected. The classification of salinity tolerance had the following sequence: Caiapó > IAC8112 > Havana > Tatuí > IAC881 > L7151.

Ammonia decomposition over 3D-printed CeO2 structures loaded with Ni

Binder-free ceria pastes have been formulated and used to prepare ceria structures with a woodpile arrangement of microchannels through 3D printing. After loading them with nickel, these catalytic structures have been tested for ammonia decomposition to obtain hydrogen, and their performance has been compared with those of conventional Ni/CeO2 powder catalysts and with that of a conventional cordierite honeycomb washcoated with Ni/CeO2. Samples have been characterized by N2 physisorption, inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES), X-Ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and Raman spectroscopy. At the same reaction temperature and flow rate to catalyst weight ratio (F/W), the 3D-printed ceria structures show a catalytic activity much higher than that of the cordierite honeycomb on a reactor volume basis. Additive manufacturing represents a valuable tool to prepare customized ceria-based catalytic structures for practical application with a variety of geometries not attainable with conventional methods.

Comparison of fuel characteristics of hydrotreated waste cooking oil with its biodiesel and fossil diesel

Compression ignition engines powered by diesel are the work horses of developing countries like India. However, burning fossil fuel causes a lot of air pollution and the depletion of fuel at an alarming rate. Fuels produced from biomass or wastes can partially substitute fossil diesel to decrease its consumption. One such feedstock is waste cooking oil (WCO) which can be easily converted into fuel for diesel engines. The hydrotreating process stands out among the methods available for converting WCO into fuel, since its properties are almost similar to fossil diesel with little or no oxygen content. In this study, the physico-chemical properties of the hydrotreated waste cooking oil (HVO), biodiesel of waste cooking oil, diesel and blends of HVO and diesel are compared. The blends were prepared by mixing 10%, 20%, 30%, 40% and 50% of HVO on volume basis in diesel. The evaporation rate and ignition probability of the fuel samples were found by using a hot-plate test setup. HVO had higher ignition probability than all the test sample. As the percentage of HVO increased in the test samples, the ignition probability increased. The Sauter mean diameter (SMD) of the samples was also found using Malvern Spraytec. The SMD of HVO was larger than diesel but smaller than biodiesel. The study shows that blends of HVO up to 30% are feasible for present use in diesel engines, as the viscosity (2.54, 2.59 and 2.62cSt) and calorific value (42.41, 42.29, 42.08MJ/kg) of the three blends (10%, 20% and 30%) is close to diesel (2.51cSt and 42.58MJ/kg). Also, due to high cetane index, neat HVO or blends having higher HVO content (> 30%) cannot be used in the existing engines as the engine power output may be affected. Therefore, to use these fuels, the engine needs to be modified which is not feasible for existing engines. The FTIR and GC-MS analysis shows that the HVO has low oxygen content and high amount of paraffins, whereas biodiesel of waste cooking oil has high unsaturation and high oxygen content.

Detailed study of performance and emission characteristics of diesel engine fuelled with biodiesel and additive

The use of biofuels, namely alcohols and biodiesel, leads to lower efficiency and higher nitric oxide (NO) emissions compared with the use of diesel. The objective of this study was to reduce the emissions and enhance the performance from neat coconut oil biodiesel. To begin, the diethyl ether (oxygenated additive, OA) was blended with transesterified coconut oil biodiesel (CBD100). The OA was varied in CBD at 5% and 10% on a volume basis. The results revealed that the addition of the OA to CBD resulted in no phase separation in all working conditions. Further, adding 10% OA to CBD resulted in lower carbon monoxide (1.7%), smoke (2.1%), NO (2.7%), and hydrocarbon (1.9%) emissions than neat CBD. In addition, efficiency increased (1.2%) and fuel consumption lowered (1.3%) by blending the OA with CBD at all loads.

Experimental assessment of various fuel additives on the performance and emission characteristics of the spark ignition engine

ABSTRACT The aim of this experimental investigation is to analyse the performance and emission characteristics of spark ignition engine running on petrol doped with various additives. Additives used in this research work are toluene, benzene and ethanol at 20% concentrations on volume basis. The engine test set-up consists of a single-cylinder, four-stroke and stationary petrol engine. The engine performance with petrol doped with ethanol was found to be better than pure petrol, while the performance with toluene as additive was found to be slightly poorer than that of petrol at low loads. However, at higher loads, engine performance with toluene-doped petrol was better than that with pure petrol. For all values of loads, the engine performance with benzene was found to be poor. The short-term experimental results showed that petrol, containing 20% toluene and 20% benzene as additives, can be successfully substituted without any alteration in engine design.

Experimental and empirical study of diesel and biodiesel produced from blend of fresh vegetable and waste vegetable oil on density, viscosity, sulphur content and acid value

Not quite long, researchers are motivated to explore the mixture of edible and inedible oils to improve fuel properties and reduce the cost of biodiesel production. Even though the tropics are renowned for abundant waste vegetable oil (WVO) generated from restaurant and food processing and frying shops, the fresh vegetable oil (FVO) seems to cause competition between food and fuel utilization if explored for biodiesel production. The current study attempted to derive one-dimensional models to determine key fuel characteristic of hybrid biodiesel-diesel fuel blends.Hybrid vegetable oil methyl ester (HVOME), which has been produced through alkaline transesterification was analyzed for important fuel properties and blended with diesel fuel (DF)) at 10, 20 and 40 on a volume basis. Standard methods as specified by (ASTM D6751) standards and the European standards (EN 14214) used. The effects of temperature and biodiesel content were investigated on viscosity were. Statistical regression technique was employed to derive one-dimensional models. The models were further adopted to correlate basic fuel properties with biodiesel blends. The kinematic viscosity, flash point and acid value increased while sulphur content decreased with increasing biodiesel fraction in HVOME-diesel blends. The kinematic viscosity of fuel blends decreased with the increasing temperature. The empirical models show high regression value (R2) between properties and HOVME-DF blend. In conclusion, the results of this study can be adopted for thermophysical property collection for hybrid feedstocks’ utilization and guide for regression modelling in biodiesel fuel industry.

Performance and Emission Characteristic of Algae Bio-Diesel as an Alternative Fuel

The Industrial revolution started in 1760, since then the hunt for conventional resources started. The demand always increased and the rate at which it increased now we see our resources at the edge of extinction. The other alarming aspect of conventional energy was pollution. The need of sustainable and least harmful alternate sources of energy has gained attentionin the 21st century. Till date Bio-diesel is the onlyproven option because of its properties like non-Sulphur emissions and low toxicity. Bio-fuel can be obtained in many forms and by many methods. I chose Algae oil or algal bio-fuel for my experiment. In the present work engine test are conducted on diesel direct injection engine by using algae as biodiesel, with A-10 (10 percent algae oil blended with 90% diesel on volume basis), A-20 (20 percent algae oil blended with 90% diesel on volume basis), A-30 (30 percent algae oil blended with 90% diesel on volume basis) and their effect on the performance and characteristic emissions are studied.

Emission reduction technique on existing diesel engines using renewable fuels

In this study, the impact of blending alcohol (cyclo-octanol) with palm biodiesel on its emission patterns is carried out in a constant diesel engine. The study is intended to lessen the CO, HC, NOX and Smoke emissions when fuelled with neat palm biodiesel and the alcohol blends. Palm biodiesel is processed via transesterification from raw palm oil. Alcohol having a purity of 98.2% is employed in this study. Neat palm biodiesel (BD100), alcohol mixed with palm biodiesel on 10% volume basis (A10BD90), and alcohol mixed with palm biodiesel on 20% volume basis (A20BD80). No base and modified fuels require any slight modifications while combusted in the engine. It was noticed that by adding 10 and 20% of alcohol to palm biodiesel resulted in a significant reduction in HC, CO, Smoke and NOX emissions. Hence, the addition of alcohol helped to improve the emission characteristics of palm biodiesel.

Emission study on the outcome of DMC on neem bio-diesel-ignited diesel engine

ABSTRACT This work aims to reduce the emissions of neem biodiesel in a single-cylinder CI engine. Ignition enhancement by blending di-methyl carbonate (DMC) at 5% to 10% (volumetric basis) with neem biodiesel is tested at different conditions at ambient conditions. DMC is blended at 5% and 10% on volume basis to neem biodiesel (BD100) and represented as DMC5BD95 and DMC10BD90. The complete emissions results were compared with diesel. Study revealed that the HC emissions from BD100, DMC5BD95, and DMC10BD90 are 7.3%, 8.1%, and 12.5% lower than diesel. Further, NO emissions from BD100, DMC5BD95, and DMC10BD90 are 9.81%, 8.43%, and 6.43% higher than diesel. However, upon adding DMC in DMC/BD blends result in better combustion and lower NO emission. Adding DMC (5-10%) to BD100 reduces the CO emissions by 4.1–12.7%. Additionally, the presence of DMC in DMC/BD blends produces an oxygen entertainment during combustion which lowers smoke opacity by 2.1–6.8%.

Pine oil-soapnut oil methyl ester blends: A hybrid biofuel approach to completely eliminate the use of diesel in a twin cylinder off-road tractor diesel engine

Off-road vehicles used for construction and agricultural activities are one among the major source of exhaust emission. In order to reduce the environmental impact caused by these vehicles, it is encouraged to use biofuels which are renewable and locally available throughout the year. In the present work, a light biofuel- pine oil was introduced to blend with a methyl ester derived from soapnut oil. This paper details the experimental investigations of the performance, combustion and emission characteristics of an agricultural tractor engine using the combination of biofuels as a complete replacement of conventional diesel fuel. The methyl esters of soapnut oil was blended with pine oil at different proportions. The blends P100SNB0, P75SNB25, P50SNB50, P25SNB75 and P0SNB100 were prepared on volume basis and complied with ASTM D-6751 specifications. The experiments were conducted in a Simpson S217, Twin cylinder tractor diesel engine to study the performance, combustion and emission characteristics of the prepared biofuel. The results showed that the specific fuel consumption of P100SNB0 and biofuel blends decreases up to 4% with the increased engine load. The brake thermal efficiency of the blend P50SNB50 and P75SNB25 were increased by 8% and 10% respectively at full load condition compared with diesel. The biofuel blends outperformed conventional Petro-diesel in terms of smoke, unburnt hydrocarbon (HC) and carbon monoxide (CO) with a slight penalty on NOx emissions. Up to 50% pine oil blended biodiesel (P75SNB25, P50SNB50) fuel can be used in diesel engines without affecting its performance, emission and combustion characteristics.

Effect of Water Content in Methanol on The Performance and Exhaust Emissions of Direct Injection Diesel Engines Fueled by Diesel Fuel and Jatropha Oil Blends with EGR System

Diesel engines are usually used because of their durability and high efficiency. Therefore the number of diesel engine uses is increasing. This results in an increase in the amount of diesel fuel consumption and air pollution from diesel engine exhaust gases, especially soot emissions. To reduce this soot emission, methanol which is rich in oxygen is added to diesel. The substitution of alcohol into diesel has an impact on the performance of the diesel engine. Therefore, this study is focused on investigating the effect of water content in methanol on diesel engine performance and soot emissions. The study was conducted using an Isuzu 4JB1 diesel engine equipped with a cold EGR system. The ratio of the diesel-jatropha-methanol mixture used is 55/30/15% on a volume basis. While the water content in methanol used is 0 to 25% at a 5% interval. The test is carried out at a stationary 2500 rpm and given a load of 25% to 100% at a 25% interval. A dynamite Land & Sea dynamometer and stages 898 smoke meter were used to measure performance and soot emissions. The experimental data shows that the higher water content in methanol in the mixture of diesel-jatropha-methanol fuel causes a reduction in performance and an increase in soot emissions of diesel engines.

Composting of tomato plant residues: improvement of composting process and compost quality by integration of sheep manure

In Morocco, greenhouse tomato production is a source of organic waste. This biomass constitutes an important source of carbon, macronutrients (NPK), and microelements (Mn, Zn, Cu, and Fe). This research aims to investigate the composting process of tomato plant residues by sheep manure integration at different proportions and its effect on organic matter mineralization and humification, nitrogen dynamics, and agronomic value of the final compost. The composting process was run in an experimental conditions using two different mixing ratios set up on volume basis: R1 (2:3 tomato plant residues “TPR” + 1:3 sheep manure “SM”) and R2 (1:3 tomato plant residues “TPR” + 2:3 sheep manure “SM”) and two controls TRP (1:1 tomato plant residues “TPR”) and SM (1:1 sheep manure). Parameters such as temperature, pH, EC, C:N ratio, mineral nitrogen, and macroelements (phosphorus and potassium) were measured for a period of 60 days. At the end of the experiment, compost humification ratio and compost quality were assessed. Results showed that when TPR is composted alone, nitrogen loss and lack of aeration were observed due to a lower C:N ratio and higher moisture content. The addition of sheep manure in treatment R2 not only resulted in reaching rapidly thermophile phase and maintaining it for longer periods, but also it reduced N loss, decreased electrical conductivity, and increased concentrations of humic acid and macroelements. The present results provide opportunities to improve composting of TPR as well as the agronomic quality of the produced compost by sheep manure integration.

Effect of 1-butanol on the characteristics of diesel engine powered with novel tamarind biodiesel for the future sustainable energy source

ABSTRACT The depletion of petroleum resources, rise in fuel prices and stringent emission norms over diesel engines play a vital role in economic development of country like India, which attracts the researchers to search for novel alternate fuel for diesel. The present experimental work explores the effect of 1-butanol with rich potential of tamarind seed biodiesel for diesel engine applications. This investigation focuses on the effect of butanol as an oxygenated fuel additive to tamarind biodiesel at different concentrations like 5%, 10%, and 15% on volume basis to examine engine characteristics. The test results indicate the addition of 5% butanol to biodiesel blend had shown considerable enhancement in brake thermal efficiency, which is 3.21% over the tamarind biodiesel blend. It is also found marginal reductions in exhaust emissions such as carbon monoxide, hydrocarbon, and smoke opacity by 7.25%, 6.52%, and 6.2% respectively when contrasted with tamarind biodiesel blend at peak load operation. However, marginal increment found for nitrogen oxide emissions at all load conditions. Hence, the use of oxygenate additive to tamarind biodiesel blend could be critically considered as a prospective renewable fuel source.

Improvement of Pelletability of Woody Biomass by Torrefaction under Pressurized Steam

The combination of torrefaction and pelletization offers the potential to produce fuels with high energy densities on both mass and volume bases as well as excellent storage and transportation char...

Characteristics of microalgae spirulina biodiesel with the impact of n-butanol addition on a CI engine

The aim of the present study is to investigate the effect of ternary blends of n-butanol-spirulina microalgae biodiesel and diesel fuel on compression ignition engine characteristics. Investigation was performed comparing n-butanol blended with microalgae spirulina biodiesel (MSB), low sulphur diesel and pure biodiesel at different engine loads. The MSB (40, 30 and 20%) – n butanol (10, 20 and 30%) blends were 50% with low sulphur diesel fuel in volume basis as B1 (LSD50-MSB40-nB10), B2 (LSD50-MSB30-nB20) and B3 (LSD50-MSB20-nB30). The comparison was made with diesel, biodiesel and n-butanol blended fuels which shows a reduction in exhaust gas temperature, Bosch smoke number (BSN), and brake specific particulate matter (BSPM) emission while showing higher specific fuel consumption (SFC), carbon dioxide, and nitrogen oxides emissions. The B20 blend led to a slight reduction in BTE (0.75%), NOX emission (12.58%), BSN (8.95%), and BSPM emission (31.88%) while increasing SFC as compared to diesel fuel. With the addition of the n-butanol in the diesel - microalgae spirulina biodiesel blends, brake thermal efficiency (BTE) has significantly improved during higher heat release rate and cylinder pressure while reduction in smoke and BSPM emissions at all engine loads for B1, B2 and B3 blends.