Fuel efficiency improvement of a dual-fuel engine fuelled with Honge oil methyl ester (HOME)–bioethanol and producer gas

Renewable and alternative fuels have numerous advantages compared with fossil fuels as they are renewable and biodegradable and provide food and energy security and foreign exchange savings besides addressing environmental concerns and socio-economic issues (Yaliwal et al. 2013. International Journal of Sustainable Engineering, doi:10.1080/19397038.2013.801530. Zhu et al. 2011a, Applied Thermal Engineering 31 (14–15): 2271–2278; Zhu et al. 2011b, Fuel 90: 1743-1750; Banapurmath, Tewari, and Hosmath 2008, Renewable Energy 33: 2007-2018; Banapurmath 2009, “Performance, Combustion and Emission Characteristics of a Single Cylinder Direct Injection CI Engine Operated on Dual Fuel Mode Using Honge Oil and Producer Gas.” PhD thesis, 1–195; Banapurmath et al. 2011, Waste and Biomass Valorization 2: 1–11). In this context, the main objective of the present work is to study methods of biofuel production such as Honge oil methyl ester (HOME) using a conventional transesterification process and bioethanol from the Calliandra calothyrsus shrub using a new pretreatment method known as hydrothermal explosion. Further, experimental investigations were carried out on a single-cylinder, four-stroke, direct-injection stationary diesel engine operating in a dual-fuel mode using HOME, bioethanol and producer gas combinations to determine its performance, combustion and emission characteristics. The performance of the dual-fuel engine was analyzed at optimized engine conditions. HOME-Bioethanol (BE) blends such as HOME+ 5% bioethanol (BE5), HOME+ 10% bioethanol (BE10) and HOME+ 15% bioethanol (BE15) were prepared by adding bioethanol to HOME (on volume basis) in different proportions ranging from 5 to 15% with an increment of 5%. In this present work, the effect of different BE blends on the performance of producer gas fuelled dual fuel engine was studied. Experimental investigation on dual fuel engine using BE5-Producer gas operation resulted in up to 4–9% increased brake thermal efficiency with decreased hydrocarbon (HC), carbon monoxide (CO) and marginally increased nitric oxide (NOx) emission levels compared to HOME-Producer gas, BE10-producer gas and BE15-producer gas mode of operation. However, it was observed that, the overall performance of BE-producer gas operation was found to be lower compared to diesel-producer gas operation.     

Secondhand smoke exposure at home and public places among smokers and non-smokers in India: findings from the Global Adult Tobacco Survey 2016–17

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Secondhand smoke (SHS) accounts for 0.9 million deaths and 24 million disability adjusted life years (DALYs) annually. Nearly 30% of adults in India...     

Current scenario of CNG vehicular pollution and their possible abatement technologies: an overview

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Compressed natural gas is an alternative green fuel for automobile industry. Recently, the Indian government is targeting to replace all the...     

Purification of water contaminated with Hg using horizontal subsurface constructed wetlands

As a global pollutant, Hg (Hg) since the turn of the last century has received increased attention. Decreasing the emission of Hg into the food chain and the atmosphere is an effective way to reduce the Hg damage. The current study provided information about pilot-scale horizontal subsurface flow (HSSF) constructed wetlands (CWs) to remove different Hg species in polluted water. Synthetic wastewater was fed to two HSSF CWs, one was planted with Acorus calamus L and the other was unplanted as a control. The total Hg (THg), dissolved Hg (DHg), and particulate Hg (PHg) from five sites along the HSSF CWs were analyzed to describe the process of Hg removal. Results show that the CWs have high removal efficiency of Hg which is more than 90%. The removal efficiencies of THg and DHg from the unplanted CW were 92.1?±?3.6% and 72.4?±?13.1%, respectively. While, the removal efficiencies of THg and DHg in planted CW were 95.9?±?7.5% and 94.9?±?4.9%, which were higher than that in blank CW. The PHg was mainly removed in the first quarter of the CWs, which was also revealed by the partition coefficient K_d. To a certain extent, the effect of plants depends on the hydraulic retention time (HRT). The results in the current study show the potential of the HSSF-CWs for restoration from Hg-contaminated water.

     

A teratological assessment of four trihalomethanes in the rat

Four trihalomethanes were administered by gavage to Sprague-Dawley rats from day 6 to day 15 of gestation. Chloroform (Ch) was administered at levels of 100, 200 and 400 mg/kg and bromoform (Br), bromodichloromethane (BDCM) and chlorodibromomethane (CDBM) were administered at levels of 50, 100 or 200 mg/kg/day. A separate control was used for each compound. Maternal weight gain was depressed in all groups receiving Ch and at the highest dose levels of BDCM and CDBM. Ch administration caused decreased maternal hemoglobin and hematocrit values at all dose levels and also produced increased serum inorganic phosphorus and cholesterol at the highest dose. Liver enlargement was observed at all dose levels of Ch but in no other treatment groups. Evidence of a fetotoxic response was observed with Ch, CDBM and Br but not BDCM. No dose-related histopathological changes were observed in either mothers or fetuses as a result of treatment. None of the chemicals tested produced any teratogenic effects.     

Earthworm communities along a gradient of urbanization

Earthworms were studied at six sites along a gradient of urbanization and their relations with several soil abiotic factors were determined. Concentrations of heavy metals, calcium and magnesium in earthworms and in soils were measured by atomic absorption spectroscopy. Strong negative correlations were detected between earthworm density and soil concentrations of cadmium and magnesium. Earthworm biomass was negatively correlated with lead, copper and zinc, and positively correlated with the distance from the centre of the city. High concentrations of Cd and Zn (concentration factors 49 and 32) were accumulated by earthworms in contrast to those of Cu and Pb (2 and 1). Relations between worm and soil concentrations of heavy metals, Ca and Mg are discussed.