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Advanced and Improved Biofuels for Enhanced Engines Performance

A special issue of Energies (ISSN 1996-1073). This special issue belongs to the section "A4: Bio-Energy".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 September 2026 | Viewed by 1527

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Faculty of Engineering, Latvia University of Life Sciences and Technologies, J. Cakstes Blvd. 5, LV3001 Jelgava, Latvia
Interests: biofuels; engine research; combustion; emissions; hydrogen
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

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Guest Editor
Laboratory of Energy Systems, Department of Industrial Engineering and Management, International Hellenic University, Alexander University Campus, 57400 Sindos, Greece
Interests: automotive engineering; measurement and metrology; internal combustion engines

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The world is increasingly moving towards reducing emissions, with an emphasis on renewable energy sources. As passenger cars are responsible for a significant amount of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions worldwide each year, substantial improvements are needed in the fuels used daily in trucks, public transportation, aviation, and the industry itself. Despite the rapid growth of the number of electric vehicles, the internal combustion engine maintains a stable position in the market, especially with the application in sectors (aviation, shipping, and parts of heavy-duty transport) where a high energy density is required. Although some well-known biofuels are already actively used today in a low-admixture, due to the ecological situation and changing conditions in the energy market, their use is still relevant. In order to improve the efficiency of the internal combustion engine maintaining high ecological performance, the researchers' research scope includes a wide variety of fuel combinations, with special emphasis on studies of the physicochemical properties of fuels and its modeling to obtain better engine performance. Various liquid and gaseous biofuels are still being studied, paying attention not only to the ecological, but also to the dynamic and economic indicators of the engines. Studies show a significant contribution to the use of these fuels not only in pure form or in various mixtures, but also as low-level additives to fossil fuels. Therefore, there remains a significant need for further research into this type of relationship.

This Special Issue aims to introduce and disseminate the latest achievements in the use of advanced and improved biofuels in engines, with applications in various sectors, emphasizing efficiency, ecology, and sustainable mobility. Topics of interest for publication include, but are not limited to:

  • Analysis of combustion process in internal combustion (IC) engines;
  • Fuel suitability for IC engines;
  • Fuel properties modeling;
  • Fuel quality improvement;
  • Modeling of emissions and energy use from biofuel-fueled vehicles;
  • Emissions from IC engines;
  • Performance of IC engines with biofuels;
  • Biofuel vehicle compatibility;
  • Identification of sources of wasted energy;
  • modifications to the fuel used;
  • reducing CO2 emissions;
  • Impact of biofuel application in urban cities;
  • Various applications of biofuels, including off-road applications.

Prof. Dr. Ruslans Smigins
Dr. Dimitrios Tziourtzioumis
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Energies is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • engines
  • vehicles
  • biofuels
  • efficiency
  • emissions
  • combustion
  • performance
  • toxicity
  • renewable

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

18 pages, 5350 KB  
Article
A Well-to-Wheel Comparative Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) of First- and Second-Generation Bioethanol as Alternatives to Gasoline in Motorsport Races
by Daniela Summa, Stefano Raimondi, Valerio Mangeruga, Matteo Giacopini, Elena Tamburini and Alberto Amaretti
Energies 2026, 19(9), 2155; https://doi.org/10.3390/en19092155 - 29 Apr 2026
Viewed by 244
Abstract
Emissions from transportation are rapidly increasing, representing the second-largest source within the energy sector. Switching to biofuels is a promising strategy to mitigate these environmental impacts. The main aim of this study is to evaluate and compare the environmental performance of fossil gasoline [...] Read more.
Emissions from transportation are rapidly increasing, representing the second-largest source within the energy sector. Switching to biofuels is a promising strategy to mitigate these environmental impacts. The main aim of this study is to evaluate and compare the environmental performance of fossil gasoline and bioethanol blends in a high-performance Formula SAE race car using a comprehensive well-to-wheel (WTW) life cycle assessment (LCA) approach. The vehicle was tested under three fuel scenarios: (i) 100% fossil gasoline, (ii) a blend of 85% first-generation bioethanol (1G-pure bioethanol) derived from corn and 15% fossil gasoline (E85-1G), and (iii) a blend of 85% second-generation bioethanol (2G-pure bioethanol) derived from grape pomace, a winemaking waste product, and 15% fossil gasoline (E85-2G). The novelty of this work lies in the combined experimental and LCA-based comparison of crop-based and waste-derived bioethanol under identical high-performance operating conditions, enabling a direct assessment of feedstock influence on environmental impacts. The well-to-tank (WTT) results show that 2G bioethanol achieves the lowest environmental burdens across all impact categories, while 1G-pure bioethanol is significantly affected by emissions from corn cultivation. Fossil gasoline exhibits the highest impacts in terms of global warming potential (GWP) and Abiotic Resource Depletion (ARD). The tank-to-wheel (TTW) analysis confirms the superior environmental performance of the E85-2G blend. Despite requiring 6–16% more fuel to complete the race, E85-2G maintains its environmental advantage, and both biofuel blends produce lower air emissions than conventional gasoline. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced and Improved Biofuels for Enhanced Engines Performance)
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20 pages, 1731 KB  
Article
Experimental Investigation on the Combustion and Emission Characteristics of CR Diesel Engine Fuelled with Al2O3 and CeO2 Nanoparticles Added to Diesel and Biodiesel Fuels
by Stasys Slavinskas and Vida Jokubynienė
Energies 2026, 19(7), 1596; https://doi.org/10.3390/en19071596 - 24 Mar 2026
Viewed by 469
Abstract
This study evaluates the effects of Al2O3 and CeO2 nanoparticles as additives to standard diesel and biodiesel fuels on the combustion and emissions characteristics of a CR diesel engine with split injection (pilot and main injections). Three nanoparticle dosing [...] Read more.
This study evaluates the effects of Al2O3 and CeO2 nanoparticles as additives to standard diesel and biodiesel fuels on the combustion and emissions characteristics of a CR diesel engine with split injection (pilot and main injections). Three nanoparticle dosing levels (50 ppm, 100 ppm, and 150 ppm) were compared with undoped standard diesel and biodiesel fuels. The results showed that the presence of both Al2O3 and CeO2 in biodiesel increased the ignition delay of the pilot fuel by about 8.0% at low load and about 3.5% at high load. The addition of both nanoparticles to diesel and biodiesel fuels had an insignificant effect on the main injection fuel’s ignition delay, MBF50 position and combustion duration. The thermal efficiency was up to 1.0% lower. Al2O3 additive in diesel had no significant effect on NOx emissions. CO emissions were higher by 4.4–7.5% in most cases. The Al2O3 additive in biodiesel reduced NOx emissions by an average of 38%, 17.1%, and 9.4% at low, medium, and high engine loads, respectively. The reduction in CO emissions averaged 15%. The addition of CeO2 nanoparticles to diesel fuel reduced NOx emissions by 22.5%, 8.5%, and 3.1% on average across the corresponding load ranges. When the engine was operated on CeO2-doped biodiesel, NOx emissions were lower by an average of 25.7%, 9.6%, and 2.5% at low, medium, and high loads, respectively. Adding CeO2 nanoparticles to diesel fuel increased CO emissions, whereas adding them to biodiesel significantly reduced CO emissions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced and Improved Biofuels for Enhanced Engines Performance)
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22 pages, 2567 KB  
Article
Simulation of Diesel Engine Properties Using Different Mixtures of Fuels by Means of a Feed-Forward Neural Network: 1. Validation and Prediction of Energetical Parameters
by Jonas Matijošius, Alfredas Rimkus, Alytis Gruodis, Ornella Chiavola and Erasmo Recco
Energies 2026, 19(4), 888; https://doi.org/10.3390/en19040888 - 9 Feb 2026
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 453
Abstract
This research examines the feasibility of using waste cooking oil (WCO) as a substitute for traditional diesel fuel in internal combustion engines, with a focus on biodiesel production. The aim of this research is to evaluate the effects of WCO–diesel blends on engine [...] Read more.
This research examines the feasibility of using waste cooking oil (WCO) as a substitute for traditional diesel fuel in internal combustion engines, with a focus on biodiesel production. The aim of this research is to evaluate the effects of WCO–diesel blends on engine performance, with particular emphasis on critical metrics including brake specific fuel consumption (BSFC) and brake thermal efficiency (BTE). The study utilizes artificial neural networks (ANNs) to model and forecast the performance and emission characteristics of engines operating with different fuel combinations. The study employs a methodology that involves conducting experiments to evaluate the mixtures of waste cooking oil (WCO) and diesel fuel in diesel engines. Furthermore, artificial neural networks (ANNs) are employed to develop models for predicting engine performance. The analysis focuses on critical metrics, including BSFC and BTE, under various operating conditions. This research aims to improve sustainable energy solutions by demonstrating the benefits of alternative fuels and advanced artificial intelligence (AI) prediction models in automotive applications. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced and Improved Biofuels for Enhanced Engines Performance)
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