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Biofuel Production and its Applications, a Practice to the Sustainable Future Renewable Source of Energy

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A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Energy Sustainability".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (11 January 2022) | Viewed by 16836

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Special Issue Editors

Dr. Nazia Hossain

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Guest Editor

School of Engineering, Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT) University, Melbourne, VIC 3000, Australia
Interests: biochar; biofuel; biomass utilization; functionalized nanomaterial; machine learning; techno-economic analysis; life cycle assessment
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Dr. Sabzoi Nizamuddin

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Guest Editor

School of Engineering, Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT) University, Melbourne, VIC 3000, Australia
Interests: biomass utilization; bioenergy; hydrothermal processing; gasification
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Dr. Mubarak Mujawar

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Guest Editor

Department of Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Science, Curtin University, 98009 Sarawak, Malaysia
Interests: biochar; magnetic biochar; biofuel; CNT, CNFs; renewable energy; wastewater treatment
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Dr. Shaukat Ali Mazari

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Guest Editor

1. Department of Chemical Engineering, Dawood University of Engineering and Technology, Karachi 74800, Pakistan
2. Process Engineering Lab, Department of Chemical Engineering, Chungbuk National University, Cheongju, Korea
Interests: carbon capture and utilization; sustainable and renewable materials; thermodynamics, mass transfer and kinetics; process modelling and simulation; artificial intelligence
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Special Issue Information

Dear colleagues,

Biofuel generation from biomass and its various applications have produced a sustainable path for a greener environment worldwide. The concept of biofuel generation and its applications for the power sector as an alternative energy source have been welcomed on both the plant and commercial scale in the management of waste biomass, as a fuel substitute, and due to its low greenhouse gas emissions. Various studies have demonstrated biomass utilization for different forms of biofuel production, such as bioethanol, biodiesel, biobutanol, bio-oil, biochar, biogas, and others via various fuel processing technologies. Besides experimental studies, life cycle cost analyses, life cycle assessments, and policy implementations of bioenergy production and implementation in multiple sectors have triggered the use of renewable energy production mechanisms over the last few decades. Though the biofuel research and development sectors are well established in many countries, large-scale application and commercialization remains a challenge for multiple reasons. Therefore, the quest for novel techniques to enhance the efficiency of biofuel production and implementation, optimized conditions of application, and techno-economic and life cycle assessments are still deemed significant factors for biofuel commercialization. Therefore, this Special Issue is focused on enhancing the experimental outcome of various biofuel forms, case studies of biofuel applications, life cycle cost and life cycle assessments, policy implementations, and review studies. Original, review, and case studies within the scope of this Special Issue are welcome.

Dr. Sabzoi Nizamuddin
Dr. Mubarak Mujawar
Dr. Nazia Hossain
Dr. Shaukat Ali Mazari
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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Keywords

biofuel
microalgal fuel
energy storage
energy policy
energy optimization
life cycle cost analysis
life cycle assessment

Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

31 pages, 4450 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Comprehensive Techno-Economic Analysis of a Multi-Feedstock Biorefinery Plant in Oil-Rich Country: A Case Study of Iran

by Behrooz Ruhani, Parsa Movahedi, Sajad Saadi, Amir Ghasemi, Amanj Kheradmand, Mahdieh Dibaj and Mohammad Akrami

Sustainability 2022, 14(2), 1017; https://doi.org/10.3390/su14021017 - 17 Jan 2022

Cited by 32 | Viewed by 2717

Abstract

The high energy consumption in Iran, particularly in the transportation sector, has contaminated large cities and jeopardized the society health. Therefore, in this study technical and economic features of the production of biodiesel plant in Iran from various wastes are investigated. Based on the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) method’s findings, the southern area of Iran is selected for establishing the biodiesel plant in Iran. The biorefinery, which includes three units of sewage sludge, edible waste oil and microalgae. The results of the economic evaluation show that the lowest costs of investment and production of biodiesel are related to microalgae units ($0.375/kg) and edible waste oil ($0.53/kg), respectively. Also, among all units, the lowest break even prices are related to biodiesel production ($1.17/kg) and the highest ATROR rate (29.16%) belongs to the microalgae unit. This indicates that this unit is more profitable than other units and the invested cost is returned to the investor in a shorter period of time (3.43 years). On the other hand, the results of sensitivity analysis show that the highest sensitivity of changes in the selling price of biodiesel and the cost of raw materials to ATROR to the microalgae and sludge unit. Therefore, the construction of a biorefinery in Iran has an economic justification. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biofuel Production and its Applications, a Practice to the Sustainable Future Renewable Source of Energy)

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19 pages, 23118 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Combustion, Performance, and Emission Behaviors of Biodiesel Fueled Diesel Engine with the Impact of Alumina Nanoparticle as an Additive

by Srinivasan Senthil Kumar, K. Rajan, Vinayagam Mohanavel, Manickam Ravichandran, Parvathy Rajendran, Ahmad Rashedi, Abhishek Sharma, Sher Afghan Khan and Asif Afzal

Sustainability 2021, 13(21), 12103; https://doi.org/10.3390/su132112103 - 2 Nov 2021

Cited by 36 | Viewed by 2494

Abstract

The objective of this research work is to evaluate the performance, combustion, and exhaust emissions of a variable compression ratio diesel engine utilizing diesel 25% rubber seed biodiesel mixture (B25) blended with 25 ppm and 50 ppm of alumina nanoparticle running with different operating conditions. An ultrasonicator was used to make uniform dispersion of alumina (Al) nanoparticles in the diesel–biodiesel mixture. Biodiesel mixture blended with nanoparticles has physicochemical characteristics that are comparable to ASTM (American Society for Testing and Materials) D6751 limitations. The results revealed that the B25 exhibited a lower cylinder peak pressure and lower HRR (heat release rate) than diesel at maximum power. BTE (brake thermal efficiency) of B25 is 2.2% lower than diesel, whereas BSFC of B25 is increased by 6% in contrast to diesel. Emissions of HC (hydrocarbon), CO (carbon monoxide), and smoke for B25 were diminished, while emissions of NOx (nitrogen oxide) were higher at maximum power. Further, the combustion and performance of diesel engine were improved with the inclusion of alumina nanoparticles to biodiesel blends. In comparison to B25, BTE of B25 with 50% alumina nanoparticles (B25Al50) mixture was enhanced by 4.8%, and the BSFC was diminished by 8.5%, while HC, CO, and smoke were also diminished by 36%, 20%, and 44%, respectively. At peak load, the maximum cylinder pressure and HRR of B25 were improved by 4.2% and 6.7%, respectively, with the presence of 50% alumina nanoparticles in a biodiesel blend (B25Al50). Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biofuel Production and its Applications, a Practice to the Sustainable Future Renewable Source of Energy)

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17 pages, 4023 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Biodiesel Production Using Modified Direct Transesterification by Sequential Use of Acid-Base Catalysis and Performance Evaluation of Diesel Engine Using Various Blends

by T. M. Yunus Khan, Irfan Anjum Badruddin, Manzoore Elahi M. Soudagar, Sanjeev V. Khandal, Sarfaraz Kamangar, Imran Mokashi, M. A. Mujtaba and Nazia Hossain

Sustainability 2021, 13(17), 9731; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13179731 - 30 Aug 2021

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1520

Abstract

Biodiesel is a seemingly suitable alternative substitute for conventional fossil fuels to run a diesel engine. In the first part of the study, the production of biodiesel by modified direct transesterification (MDT) is reported. An enhancement in the biodiesel yield with a considerable reduction in reaction time with the MDT method was observed. The required duration for diesel and biodiesel blending was minimized including glycerol separation time from biodiesel in the MDT method. The development in the automotive sector mainly focuses on the design of an efficient, economical, and low emission greenhouse gas diesel engine. In the current experimental work Ceiba pentandra/Nigella sativa and diesel blends (CPB10 and NSB10) were used to run the diesel engine. A variety of approaches were implemented to improve the engine performance for these combinations of fuels. The fuel injector opening pressure (IOP) was set at 240 bar, the torriodal re-entrant combustion chamber (TRCC) having a six-hole injector with a 0.2 mm orifice diameter each, provided better brake thermal efficiency (BTE) with lower emissions compared with the hemispherical combustion chamber (HCC) and trapezoidal combustion chamber (TCC) for both CPB10 and NSB10. CPB10 showed better performance compared with NSB10. A maximum BTE of 29.1% and 28.6% were achieved with CPB10 and NSB10, respectively, at all optimized conditions. Diesel engine operation with CPB10 and NSB10 at 23° bTDC fuel injection timing, and 240 bar IOP with TRCC can yield better results, close to a diesel run engine at 23° bTDC fuel injection timing, and 205 bar IOP with HCC. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biofuel Production and its Applications, a Practice to the Sustainable Future Renewable Source of Energy)

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20 pages, 4272 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Thermal Performance of Compression Ignition Engine Using High Content Biodiesels: A Comparative Study with Diesel Fuel

by Asif Afzal, Manzoore Elahi M. Soudagar, Ali Belhocine, Mohammed Kareemullah, Nazia Hossain, Saad Alshahrani, Ahamed Saleel C., Ram Subbiah, Fazil Qureshi and M. A. Mujtaba

Sustainability 2021, 13(14), 7688; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13147688 - 9 Jul 2021

Cited by 62 | Viewed by 3362

Abstract

In this study, engine performance on thermal factors for different biodiesels has been studied and compared with diesel fuel. Biodiesels were produced from Pongamia pinnata (PP), Calophyllum inophyllum (CI), waste cooking oil (WCO), and acid oil. Depending on their free fatty acid content, they were subjected to the transesterification process to produce biodiesel. The main characterizations of density, calorific range, cloud, pour, flash and fire point followed by the viscosity of obtained biodiesels were conducted and compared with mineral diesel. The characterization results presented benefits near to standard diesel fuel. Then the proposed diesel engine was analyzed using four blends of higher concentrations of B50, B65, B80, and B100 to better substitute fuel for mineral diesel. For each blend, different biodiesels were compared, and the relative best performance of the biodiesel is concluded. This diesel engine was tested in terms of BSFC (brake-specific fuel consumption), BTE (brake thermal efficiency), and EGT (exhaust gas temperature) calculated with the obtained results. The B50 blend of acid oil provided the highest BTE compared to other biodiesels at all loads while B50 blend of WCO provided the lowest BSFC compared to other biodiesels, and B50 blends of all biodiesels provided a minimum % of the increase in EGT compared to diesel. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biofuel Production and its Applications, a Practice to the Sustainable Future Renewable Source of Energy)

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25 pages, 5571 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Combined Effect of Alcohols and Calophyllum inophyllum Biodiesel Using Response Surface Methodology Optimization

by Mohammed Aneeque, Saad Alshahrani, Mohammed Kareemullah, Asif Afzal, C. Ahamed Saleel, Manzoore Elahi M. Soudagar, Nazia Hossain, Ram Subbiah and Mohamed H. Ahmed

Sustainability 2021, 13(13), 7345; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13137345 - 30 Jun 2021

Cited by 21 | Viewed by 2005

Abstract

In this experimental study, the performance of the diesel engine was analyzed for biodiesel derived from Calophyllum inophyllum. The impact of the addition of additives such as N-octanol and N-butanol with Calophyllum inophyllum biodiesel has been assessed. Impact of the application of hybrid N-octanol and N-butanol with biodiesel on emission profile used for the engine performance has also been demonstrated. Response surface analysis of alcohol additives-biodiesel blend was performed separately in this study for the engine efficiency and emission profile. A combination of N-octanol and N-butanol presented the highest brake thermal efficiency (BTE) and lowest carbon monoxide (CO) emission among the ternary blends of octanol. N-butanol-biodiesel blend presented the lowest hydrocarbon (HC) emission among the blends of N-butanol. N-octanol with 5 and 10% addition with biodiesel showed the lowest HC emissions among the blends of octanol. The response surface methodology (RSM) optimization revealed that the optimized thermal efficiency and emission were obtained at full load and minimum load, respectively. The addition of N-octanol hindered the emission at all loads, while N-butanol reduced it at higher loads. A strong correlation between the load and alcohol additives on the engine performance and emission profile has been obtained using the RSM optimization approach. The R-squared value obtained from the RSM was 0.92 and emission profile has been characterized. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biofuel Production and its Applications, a Practice to the Sustainable Future Renewable Source of Energy)

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20 pages, 4671 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Effect of Micronutrient and Hormone on Microalgae Growth Assessment for Biofuel Feedstock

by Ayesha Aslam, Sumaira Rasul, Ali Bahadar, Nazia Hossain, Muhammad Saleem, Sabir Hussain, Lubna Rasool and Hamid Manzoor

Sustainability 2021, 13(9), 5035; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13095035 - 30 Apr 2021

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 3154

Abstract

The individual and combined effects of micronutrients and hormones on freshwater-borne microalgae growth were investigated for biofuel feedstock in this experimental study. Five algal strains of Chlorella sp., Chlorococcum sp., Phormidium sp., Chlorella sp. and Cosmarium sp., AZH, AZS, ZAA1, ZAA2, and ZAA3, respectively, have been investigated. These strains were treated using different concentrations of micronutrients (iron chloride, manganese chloride, and sodium molybdenum oxide) and hormone (salicylic acid). The different treatments’ growth effects were as follows: iron chloride > sodium molybdenum oxide ˃ manganese chloride > salicylic acid. The order of the increases in the number of microalgal strain cells achieved by the application of the micronutrients and hormone was AZH > AZS > ZAA3 > ZAA2 > ZAA1. The combined treatments produced higher growth rates than the individual treatments, with the order of their effects being micronutrients + hormone > all three micronutrients > hormone alone. The increase in the number of microalgal strain cells under combined treatment was ZAA3 > AZH > AZS > ZAA2 and assessed using one-way ANOVA. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biofuel Production and its Applications, a Practice to the Sustainable Future Renewable Source of Energy)

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