Composite Liquid Biofuels for Power Plants and Engines: Review

Abstract

The problems of environmental pollution caused by the operation of power plants and engines motivate researchers to develop new biofuels. The environmental aspect of composite biofuels appears to have great potential because of the carbon neutrality of plant raw materials. This study analyzes recent advances in the production of biofuels and their application. The research findings on the properties of promising plant raw materials and their derivatives have been systematized. The most important stages (spraying, ignition, and combustion) of using biofuels and mixtures based on them in internal combustion engines have been analyzed. A separate section reviews the findings on the environmental aspect of using new fuel compositions. Most studies show great prospects for involving bio-components in the development of composite fuels. The real issue is to adjust existing engines and plants to non-conventional fuel mixtures. Another big problem is the increased viscosity and density of biofuels and oils, as well as the ambiguous effect of additives on burnout completeness and emissions. The impact of the new kinds of fuels on the condition of components and parts of engines, corrosion, and wear remains understudied. The interrelation of industrial process stages (from feedstock to an engine and a plant) has not been closely examined for composite liquid fuels. It is important to organize the available data and develop unified and adaptive technologies. Within the framework of this review work, scientific approaches to solving the above problems were considered and systematized.