Promising Bioalcohols for Low-Emission Vehicles

Abstract

In recent decades, many kinds of research have been conducted on alternative fuels for compression ignition (CI) engines. Low/zero-carbon fuels, such as bioalcohols and hydrogen, are the most promising alternative fuels and are extensively studied because of their availability, ease of manufacturing, and environmental benefits. Using these promising fuels in CI engines is environmentally and economically beneficial. The most common alcohols are methanol, ethanol, isopropanol, propanol, butanol, n-butanol, tert-butanol, iso-butanol, and pentanol. The primary objective of this review paper is to examine the impact of bioalcohols and their blends with conventional diesel fuel in CI engines since these fuels possess characteristic properties that impact overall engine performance and exhaust emissions. This research also indicated that alcohols and blended fuels could be used as fuels in compression ignition engines. Chemical and physical properties of alcohols were examined, such as lubricity, viscosity, calorific value, and cetane number, and their combustion characteristics in compression ignition engines provide a comprehensive review of their potential biofuels as alternative fuels.