Biofuels have become an integral part of everyday life in modern society. Bioethanol and fatty acid methyl esters are a common part of both the production of gasoline and diesel fuels. Also, pressure on replacing fossil fuels with bio-components is constantly growing. Waste vegetable fats can replace biodiesel. Hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO) seems to be a better alternative. This fuel has a higher oxidation stability for storage purposes, a lower temperature of loss of filterability for the winter time, a lower boiling point for cold starts, and more. Viscosity, density, cold filter plugging point of fuel blend, and flash point have been measured to confirm that a fuel from HVO is so close to a fuel standard that it is possible to use it in engines without modification. The objective of this article is to show the properties of different fuels with and without HVO admixtures and to prove the suitability of using HVO compared to FAME. HVO can also be prepared from waste materials, and no major modifications of existing refinery facilities are required. No technology in either investment or engine adaptation of fuel oils is needed in fuel processing.
Biobutanol is a renewable, less polluting, and potentially viable alternative fuel to conventional gasoline. Biobutanol can be produced from same sources as bioethanol, and it has many advantages over the widespread bioethanol. This paper systematically analyzes biobutanol fuel as an alternative to bioethanol in alcohol–gasoline mixtures and the physicochemical properties. Based on the conducted analyses, it was found that biobutanol mixtures have a more suitable behavior of vapor pressure without the occurrence of azeotrope, do not form a separate phase in lower temperature, it has higher energy density, but slightly reduce the octane number and a have higher viscosity. However, in general, biobutanol has many advantageous properties that could allow its use in gasoline engines instead of the commonly used bioethanol.
Road transport is increasing all around the globe and biofuels have come to the forefront of public interest. According to Article 3, Directive 2009/28/EC, each member state has to ensure that an energy share from renewable sources in all forms of transportation reaches at least 10% of the final consumption of energy in transportation until 2020. The blending of biofuels is one of the methods available to member states to meet this target and it might even be expected to be a main contributor. This article analyses and compares selected biofuels, their chemical properties and their influence on engine operational parameters. The operational parameters of the diesel engine of the Skoda Roomster 1.4 TDI were measured on a chassis dynamometer according to the NEDC driving cycle, and pure diesel fuel, HVO and a blend of fuels (diesel fuel, HVO and butanol) were used for comparison. Operation on biofuels shows a slight decrease in performance parameters up to 10% and an increase in emission production (especially CO in the case of D50H30B20). Positive influences of biofuels were proven with a decrease in exhaust gas opacity and particulate matter production, up to 50% in the case of D50H30B20.
20 March 2025 in Research in Agricultural Engineering
Vehicle collisions with wild animals are a?common problem on?roads, having a?significant impact on?road safety and wildlife populations. Collisions with wild animals are one of?the most frequent road accidents. According to?police statistics, ...
1 November 2022 in Strojnícky časopis - Journal of Mechanical Engineering
Electric vehicles are growing in popularity and are reviving a much disused powertrain in the vehicle sector. This paper deals with the measurement of driving performance of electric vehicles. For twelve selected vehicles, the parameters given by the vehicle manufacturer and measured during individual runs were compared. The measurements were carried out on a predetermined route, divided into several parts. The data obtained here not only serve to compare the parameters, but also to determine the degree of dependence of the individual measured parameters on the range of the vehicles.