Combustion and Application of Carbon Neutral Fuel in Internal Combustion Engine

Topic Information

Dear Colleagues,

With increasing global attention being paid to climate change, the development of carbon-neutral fuels represents an important means of reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Carbon-neutral fuel refers to fuels that have no impact on the climate, as they produce the same levels of carbon recovery and greenhouse gas emissions. Carbon-neutral fuels can be used in the transportation and energy sectors to replace traditional fossil fuels. In the former, carbon-neutral fuels can be used for the power systems of vehicles, such as private cars, trucks, and airplanes; in the latter, they can be used for power generation. Therefore, promoting the application of carbon-neutral fuels in internal combustion engines is of great significance, and governments, enterprises, and scholars around the world are actively researching and promoting this Topic in an effort to reduce carbon emissions and promote sustainable development.

This Topic aims to showcase and disseminate the latest developments in technology related to the application of carbon-neutral fuels in internal combustion engines.

Topics of interest include, but are not limited to, the following:

• All aspects of carbon-neutral fuel internal combustion engines, such as hydrogen in internal combustion engines, ammonia in internal combustion engines, alcohol in internal combustion engines, dimethyl ether in internal combustion engines, natural gas in internal combustion engines, etc.;
• Structural design of carbon-neutral fuel for internal combustion engines;
• Combustion technology for carbon-neutral fuel in internal combustion engines;
• Combustion mechanisms;
• Model establishment;
• Numerical simulation research;
• Emission control and purification;
• Engine control.

Dr. Zezhou Guo
Dr. Cheng Shi
Topic Editors

Keywords

Participating Journals

Journal Name	Impact Factor	CiteScore	Launched Year	First Decision (median)	APC
Energies energies	3.9	8.3	2008	16.7 Days	CHF 2600	Submit
Fire fire	3.2	5.1	2018	20.3 Days	CHF 2400	Submit
Fuels fuels	4.0	5.1	2020	22.1 Days	CHF 1200	Submit
Processes processes	3.4	5.7	2013	14.7 Days	CHF 2400	Submit
Sustainability sustainability	4.1	8.9	2009	16.9 Days	CHF 2400	Submit

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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All Energies Fire Fuels Processes Sustainability

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18 pages, 10417 KB  

Open AccessArticle

Peak-Aligned Spatiotemporal Evolution and Local Thermal Contrast of High-KL Regions in a Marine Diesel Engine

by Aoyu Hu, Yue Li, Bingbing Liu, Chenyang Xue and Quan Dong

Energies 2026, 19(19), 4537; https://doi.org/10.3390/en19194537 - 24 Sep 2026

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Abstract

High-soot optical-loading structures in a large-bore marine diesel engine were investigated using endoscopic flame images acquired under four operating conditions. Apparent temperature and soot optical thickness, represented by the KL factor (the product of extinction coefficient K and optical path length L), were [...] Read more.

High-soot optical-loading structures in a large-bore marine diesel engine were investigated using endoscopic flame images acquired under four operating conditions. Apparent temperature and soot optical thickness, represented by the KL factor (the product of extinction coefficient K and optical path length L), were reconstructed by two-color pyrometry from the experimental images. A peak-aligned image-analysis framework was then used to separate high-KL formation extent from post-peak persistence, quantify peripheral and azimuthal organization, and evaluate local thermal contrast after radial–azimuthal spatial matching. The 25% nominal load condition produced the highest peak high-KL coverage (17.24%), whereas the 50% condition exhibited the longest coverage half-decay interval (8.20 °CA). The peak of azimuthal nonuniformity shifted from 4 and 3 °CA before the coverage peak at the 10% and 15% conditions to 4 and 11 °CA after the peak at the 25% and 50% conditions, respectively. After spatial matching, the pre-to-post-peak thermal-contrast transition remained negative at 10% and 15%, positive at 50%, and close to zero with greater grid sensitivity at 25%. These results show that high-KL coverage, spatial reorganization, and local thermal response evolve on distinct timescales and cannot be represented adequately by a single field-averaged KL metric. Full article

(This article belongs to the Topic Combustion and Application of Carbon Neutral Fuel in Internal Combustion Engine)

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19 pages, 9952 KB  

Open AccessArticle

Effects of Methane Addition on Combustion Flow Field and Combustion Characteristics of Ethanol

by Hong-Tao Tang, Zi-Hao Zhang, Zhe Yang, Fa-Rui Zhao and Yu-Liang Liu

Fuels 2026, 7(3), 52; https://doi.org/10.3390/fuels7030052 - 6 Aug 2026

Viewed by 349

Abstract

This study employs numerical simulations to systematically investigate the combustion characteristics of methane/ethanol blended fuel–air mixtures under non-premixed turbulent conditions. The effects of the methane blending ratio on the flow-field structure, flame morphology, NO emissions, and combustion efficiency are analyzed. The results show [...] Read more.

This study employs numerical simulations to systematically investigate the combustion characteristics of methane/ethanol blended fuel–air mixtures under non-premixed turbulent conditions. The effects of the methane blending ratio on the flow-field structure, flame morphology, NO emissions, and combustion efficiency are analyzed. The results show that, with increasing methane blending ratio, the recirculation mechanism gradually shifts from near-field local entrainment to far-field transport, accompanied by a reduction in local shear intensity. Methane addition enhances flame intensity, accelerates combustion, shortens flame length, mitigates heat transfer limitations, and reduces combustion delay. At the initial 10% and the final 20% of the methane blending range, the combustion process exhibits pronounced instability. Methane addition significantly suppresses NO formation, with temperature being the dominant controlling factor, while fuel composition also plays an important role. The overall combustion efficiency is improved. However, a slight decrease is observed at low blending ratios (0–0.1), and the enhancement becomes marginal when the methane blending ratio exceeds 0.6. Full article

(This article belongs to the Topic Combustion and Application of Carbon Neutral Fuel in Internal Combustion Engine)

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22 pages, 7790 KB  

Open AccessArticle

Effect of Isopropanol–Butanol–Ethanol (IBE) Direct Injection Strategy on Combustion and Emission Characteristics of a Gasoline Port Injection SI Dual-Fuel Engine

by Huili Dou, Yongjia Wang, Qingwei Cao, Zezhou Guo, Guiling Liu and Zhengquan Xue

Energies 2026, 19(9), 2081; https://doi.org/10.3390/en19092081 - 25 Apr 2026

Viewed by 777

Abstract

Under the dual-carbon goals, adopting renewable alternative fuels in transportation is crucial. Alcohol-based fuels, produced via biomass fermentation or green electricity-powered CO₂ hydrogenation, offer benefits like renewability, engine compatibility, and long driving range. Bio-butanol, with an energy density close to gasoline, can [...] Read more.

Under the dual-carbon goals, adopting renewable alternative fuels in transportation is crucial. Alcohol-based fuels, produced via biomass fermentation or green electricity-powered CO₂ hydrogenation, offer benefits like renewability, engine compatibility, and long driving range. Bio-butanol, with an energy density close to gasoline, can power SI engines directly, but its high production costs due to low fermentation efficiency limit its viability. In contrast, IBE (a butanol fermentation intermediate) avoids costly separation steps, making it more competitive than pure butanol. Existing research on IBE in spark ignition engines mainly focuses on fixed-ratio IBE-gasoline blends, restricting real-time fuel adjustment. Building on prior findings that IBE outperforms ABE and butanol, this study examines the combustion and emission characteristics of a gasoline port injection + IBE direct injection engine under varying direct injection timings, IBE ratios, and excess air ratios. Research indicates that early direct injection timings with pure IBE provide optimal performance at stoichiometric conditions. As the excess air ratio rises, an 80% IBE direct injection ratio becomes more advantageous. IBE shows great promise as an alternative fuel, enhancing combustion performance and reducing gaseous and particulate emissions. Full article

(This article belongs to the Topic Combustion and Application of Carbon Neutral Fuel in Internal Combustion Engine)

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