Renewable biofuels are needed to displace petroleum-derived transport fuels, which contribute to global warming and are of limited availability. Biodiesel and bioethanol are the two potential renewable fuels that have attracted the most attention. As demonstrated here, biodiesel and bioethanol produced from agricultural crops using existing methods cannot sustainably replace fossil-based transp...

OBJECTIVE To investigate differences in clinical features between tobacco smoke-induced and biomass fuel-induced chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). METHODS We retrospectively analyzed 206 patients with COPD caused by exposure to tobacco smoke and 81 cases of COPD caused by exposure to biomass fuels who received treatment in our hospital between 2011 March and 2014 March. Difference...

New chemical kinetic reaction mechanisms are developed for two of the five major components of biodiesel fuel, methyl stearate and methyl oleate. The mechanisms are produced using existing reaction classes and rules for reaction rates, with additional reaction classes to describe other reactions unique to methyl ester species. Mechanism capabilities were examined by computing fuel/air autoignit...

Nanocrystalline complex oxides have been synthesized by combination of sol–gel auto combustion and ultrasonic irradiation techniques using copper nitrate, zinc nitrate as metallic nitrates and glycine, urea and thiourea as fuels. Sol-gel combustion (combination of the chemical sol–gel process and the combustion process) as a proper synthesized technique is used to synthesize ZnO/CuO nanocomposi...

The objective of this research is an in-depth exploration of semiconductor photo-catalysts that are able to convert CO2 and H2O and sunlight to energy rich and transportable fuels, such as CH4, CH3OH and HCO2H. The main focus is on the synthesis, structure determination, physical property characterization and photocatalytic testing of different classes of semiconductor photo-catalysts, with and...

The characteristics of plasmatron reformers for the generation of hydrogen rich gas using renewable fuels is discussed. Biodiesel and ethanol have been investigated. Operating as a function of the air/fuel ratio is evaluated, as well as the impact of the plasma.

The Paris Agreement set policy scenarios to address mitigating against the climate emergency, by reducing greenhouse gas emissions limit temperature increase 1.5°C. There has been a drive toward electrifying transport, with battery electric vehicles (BEVs) at forefront. Reliance on single-technology development can lead consequential impacts, often not considered, or dismissed. Energy cannot be...

Land managers need cost-effective methods for mapping and characterizing fire fuels quickly and accurately. The advent of sensors with increased spatial resolution may improve the accuracy and reduce the cost of fuels mapping. The objective of this research is to evaluate the accuracy and utility of imagery from the Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER) satellit...