Fossil fuel energy resources are depleting rapidly and most importantly the liquid fossil fuel will be diminished by the middle of this century. In addition, the fossil fuel is directly related to air pollution, land and water degradation. In these circumstances, biofuel from renewable sources can be an alternative to reduce our dependency on fossil fuel and assist to maintain the healthy global environment and economic sustainability. Production of biofuel from food stock generally consumed by humans or animals can be problematic and the root cause of worldwide dissatisfaction. Biofuels production from microalgae can provide some distinctive advantages such as their rapid growth rate, greenhouse gas fixation ability and high production capacity of lipids. This paper reviews the current status of biofuel from algae as a renewable source

The primary objective of this study is to determine the aerodynamic impact of various fuel saving devices used in a commercial vehicle (i.e., semi-trailer truck). To measure the aerodynamic drag produced by the vehicle, a wind tunnel study was undertaken using a 1/10th scale model truck. The aerodynamic drags on the baseline vehicle including different external attachments (i.e., front faring, side skirting and gap filling) were measured for a range of vehicle operating speeds and yaw angles, and with different combinations. The results show that these external attachments (fairing and covering) have notable impact on aerodynamic drag as they can reduce up to around 26% aerodynamic drag over the baseline model depending on cross wind effects. The full-skirting (using the front fairing, side skirting and gap filling) has maximum impact whereas only front fairing has minimum impact on aerodynamic drag reduction

The consumption of energy for cooling is an important issue, especially in subtropical climates where there are high temperatures and dry weather in the summer; this climate forces homeowners to use mechanical-electric cooling and ventilation. The main advantage of passive cooling is to minimize energy demands which are required to achieve thermal comfort in buildings, especially with climates exhibiting high ambient temperatures. This paper presents a detailed literature review and concept breakdown for passive cooling and ventilation in building by offering the fundamental principles of the techniques of passive cooling and ventilation. Moreover, the status of passive cooling developments along with state-of-the-art research is critically reviewed in this paper. Furthermore, the article focuses on Buoyancy air-driven ventilation. Solar control techniques are explained and classified along with techniques for heat modification and dissipation. This paper offers insight into the design considerations of different passive ventilation systems and presents recommendations for future work to achieve cost-efficient, comfortable living. Moreover, novel systems are reviewed and discussed to better understand the role of Phase Change Material (PCM) in passive cooling systems.