Cold flow properties are the main issue to regular usage of Palm biodiesel as alternative fuel to diesel. The inferior cold flow property of biodiesel causes gum formation and crystallization of fuel particles which can be enhanced by winterization, blending and addition of cold flow improvers. The objective of this study is to improve cold flow properties of biodiesel obtained from palm oil. Blending and using of cold flow improver were adopted among various methods to enhance the cold flow properties. Results of the study show that with B20 blend of biodiesel using petroleum diesel and kerosene has significant improvement of the cold flow properties. Diesel improves CP and PP by 57.61% and 78.57% whereas kerosene improves CP and PP by 62.94% and 85.78% respectively for B20 blend. Ethanol had remarkable impact as 20% addition improves CP and PP by 60.48% and 63.96% respectively. The investigation concludes that PE80 is recommended as a fuel for engine operation under low temperature regions. For improving the cold flow properties, addition of cold flow improver is best method to attain the desired values of cold flow properties for biodiesel
The transportation sector of the world is in the transformation stage, shifting from conventional fossil fuel-powered vehicles to zero or ultra-low tailpipe emission vehicles. To support this transformation, a proper charging station (CS) infrastructure in combination with information technology, smart distributed energy generating units, and favorable government policies are required. The motive of this paper is to address the key aspects to be taken care of while planning for the charging station infrastructure for electric vehicles. The paper also provides major indagation and developments in planning and technological aspects that are going on for the enhancement of the design and efficient management of charging station infrastructure. The paper addresses the present scenario of India related to electric vehicle charging station developments. The paper specially provides a critical review on the research and developments in the charging station infrastructure, the problems associated with it, and the efforts that are going on for its standardization to help the researchers address the problems.
Rising pollution levels resulting from vehicular emissions and the depletion of petroleum-based fuels have left mankind in pursuit of alternatives. There are stringent regulations around the world to control the particulate matter (PM) emissions from internal combustion engines. To this end, researchers have been exploring different measures to reduce PM emissions such as using modern combustion techniques, after-treatment systems such as diesel particulate filter (DPF) and gasoline particulate filter (GPF), and alternative fuels. Alternative fuels such as biodiesel (derived from edible, nonedible, and waste resources), alcohol fuels (ethanol, n-butanol, and n-pentanol), and fuel additives have been investigated over the last decade. PM characterization and toxicity analysis is still growing as researchers are developing methodologies to reduce particle emissions using various approaches such as fuel modification and after-treatment devices. To address these aspects, this review paper studies the PM characteristics, health issues, PM physical and chemical properties, and the effect of alternative fuels such as biodiesel, alcohol fuels, and oxygenated additives on PM emissions from diesel engines. In addition, the correlation between physical and chemical properties of alternate fuels and the characteristics of PM emissions is explored.