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.

Animals use to align their body axis with respect to different cues (e.g. sun position, wind direction, magnetic field lines) and signals (informing about source of interest) in diverse behavioural contexts. Existence of alignment indicates ability to sense such cues or signals and its study can enlighten the mechanism of their sensing. Global cues (sun position, magnetic field) might provide a directional reference (direction/heading indicator) for organization of the mental map and/or for coordinated take-off. The existence of a common direction indicator may be of importance especially in birds living in large colonies and having impeded maneuverability. We measured the direction of the body axis (alignment) in flamingos of four species at 18 localities in zoological gardens and in the wild in altogether eight countries during different seasons of the year and at different times of the day. The measurements were taken from photographs in a blinded way. Flamingos in Europe showed a significant...

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.

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, ...

Fatigue behind the wheel has been addressed repeatedly for at least 15 years. Various research projects, studies, and systems have been developed to prove the effect of fatigue on the number of accidents and possibly to inform drivers that thi...