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Existing studies indicate that future global carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) removal (CDR) efforts could largely be concentrated in Asia. However, there is limited understanding of how individual Asian countries and regions will respond to varying and uncertain scales of future CDR concerning their energy-land-water system. We address this gap by modeling various levels of CDR-reliant pathways under climate change ambitions in Asia. We find that high CDR reliance leads to residual fossil fuel and industry emissions of about 8 Gigatonnes CO 2 yr -1 (GtCO 2 yr -1 ) by 2050, compared to less than 1 GtCO 2 yr -1 under moderate-to-low CDR reliance. Moreover, expectations of multi-gigatonne CDR could delay the achievement of domestic net zero CO 2 emissions for several Asian countries and regions, and lead to higher land allocation and fertilizer demand for bioenergy crop cultivation. Here, we show that Asian countries and regions should prioritize emission reduction strategies while capitalizing on the advantages of carbon removal when it is most viable., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Gasoline compression ignition characterized by partially premixed and long ignition delays typically features complex flame structures such as deflagration or spontaneous ignition fronts. In this study, the flame structure and propagation characteristics of PRF90/air mixtures under compression ignition engine-relevant conditions are investigated numerically. Similar to other types of fuels, under such conditions, the propagation speed of PRF90 laminar premixed flames depends not only on the unburnt mixture properties but also on the residence time, and the transition of the flame regime depends only on the residence time. Nevertheless, due to the temperature-dependent autoignition chemistry of PRF90, flames with excessively high unburnt temperatures show different combustion behaviors after the transition from deflagration to autoignition-assisted flames. Sensitivity analysis showed that, the dominant chain branching reactions in the deflagration mode are H + O 2 = OH + O and CO + OH = CO 2 + H, and that in the autoignition-assisted flames with lower unburnt temperature are H 2 O 2 (+M) = 2OH(+M) and IC 8 H 18 + HO 2 = AC 8 H 17 + H 2 O 2 , while for higher unburnt temperatures, the reactions C 3 H 5 + HO 2 = C 2 H 3 + CH 2 O + OH and IC 8 H 18 = IC 4 H 9 + TC 4 H 9 are more important than the fuel low-temperature oxidation reactions. In addition, a criterion based on chemical explosive mode analysis is used to analyze the local combustion mode. The results show that the difference in diffusion/chemical structure at the crossover progress variables C 0 and to be used as a flame location for distinguishing propagation modes in premixed flame. However, the effects of the equivalence ratio on C are different from that on , which means that the selection of 0 and may lead to different discriminant results for stratified mixtures. Comparing the applicability of C -based and -based locations in three-dimensional gasoline compression ignition flame, it is found that the flame location based on the value of 0 are different from that on , which means that the selection of C 0 and may lead to different discriminant results for stratified mixtures. Comparing the applicability of C 0 -based and -based locations in three-dimensional gasoline compression ignition flame, it is found that the flame location based on the value of C 0 at ϕ = 1.0 can more completely reflect the flame development characteristics in stratified premixed combustion., Competing Interests: The authors declare no competing financial interest., (© 2024 The Authors. Published by American Chemical Society.)

Microstructures and mechanical properties of Mg-12Gd-0.8Zn-0.4Zr (GZ1208K, wt.%) alloy under different treatments (as-cast: signed as nonHIP-GZ1208K, hot isostatic pressing (HIP): signed as HIP-GZ1208K) were characterized. Based on microstructure characterization, two prismatic precipitates, β' and β 1 precipitates, and one basal precipitate, γ' precipitate, formed in both of nonHIP-GZ1208K and HIP-GZ1208K alloy. According to analysis, the area number density and the size of β' precipitate could be adjusted through HIP treatment. The area number density of β' precipitate increased after HIP treatment when aged at 32 h, and the size of β' precipitate refined in both of the HIP-GZ1208K alloy aged at 8 h and 32 h. Except the influence of HIP treatment on microstructures, the ultimate tensile strength (UTS) and elongation of nonHIP-GZ1208K alloy also improved after HIP treatment. The UTS of the GZ1208K alloy aged at 8 h increased from 348 MPa (nonHIP-) to 371 MPa (HIP-) and the elongation increased from 2.6% to 4.7%. The density of the nonHIP-GZ1208K alloy increased after HIP treatment, that is to say the casting defects could be eliminated and the compactness of microstructures could be increased under the high pressure of HIP treatment., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Fault diagnosis can improve the safety and reliability of diesel engines. An end-to-end method based on a multi-attention convolutional neural network (MACNN) is proposed for accurate and efficient diesel engine fault diagnosis. By optimizing the arrangement and kernel size of the channel and spatial attention modules, the feature extraction capability is improved, and an improved convolutional block attention module (ICBAM) is obtained. Vibration signal features are acquired using a feature extraction model alternating between the convolutional neural network (CNN) and ICBAM. The feature map is recombined to reconstruct the sequence order information. Next, the self-attention mechanism (SAM) is applied to learn the recombined sequence features directly. A Swish activation function is introduced to solve "Dead ReLU" and improve the accuracy. A dynamic learning rate curve is designed to improve the convergence ability of the model. The diesel engine fault simulation experiment is carried out to simulate three kinds of fault types (abnormal valve clearance, abnormal rail pressure, and insufficient fuel supply), and each kind of fault varies in different degrees. The comparison results show that the accuracy of MACNN on the eight-class fault dataset at different speeds is more than 97%. The testing time of the MACNN is much less than the machine running time (for one work cycle). Therefore, the proposed end-to-end fault diagnosis method has a good application prospect.

Hypothesis: Droplet coalescence process is important in many applications and has been studied extensively when two droplets are surrounded by gas. However, the coalescence dynamics would be different when the two droplets are surrounded by an external viscous liquid. The coalescence of immiscible droplets in liquids has not been explored., Experiments: In the present research, the coalescence of two immiscible droplets in low- and high-viscosity liquids is investigated and compared with their miscible counterparts experimentally. The coalescence dynamics is investigated via high-speed imaging, and theoretical models are proposed to analyze the growth of the liquid bridge., Findings: We find that, the liquid bridge r evolves differently due to the constraint from the triple line in the bridge region, which follows r∝t 2/3 for low-viscosity surroundings. While for high-viscosity surroundings, the liquid bridge grows at a constant velocity u r which varies with the surrounding viscosity μ s as [Formula: see text] . In the later stage of the bridge growth, the bridge evolution again merges with the well-established power-law regime r∝t 1/2 , being either in low or high-viscosity liquids. Moreover, a new inertia-viscous-capillary timescale is proposed, which unifies the combined influence of inertia, viscous, and capillary forces on the evolution of the liquid bridge in liquid environments, highlighting the joint role of inertia and viscous resistance in the coalescence process., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Hypothesis: The coalescence of droplets with liquid-gas interfaces of different surface tensions is common in nature and industrial applications, where the Marangoni-driven film spreading is an essential process. Unlike immiscible fluids governed by triple contact line dynamics, the mixing between two miscible fluids strongly couples with the film spreading process, which are expected to manifest distinct power-law relations for the temporal increase in the film radius., Experiments: We experimentally investigate the Marangoni-driven film spreading phenomenon for a droplet with lower surface tension dropping onto a miscible, thin liquid layer. The temporal growth of the film radius was detected by using a novel deep convolutional neural network, the U 2 -net method. Scaling analysis was performed to interpret the spreading dynamics of the film., Findings: We find that the film radius exhibits a three-stage power-law relation over time, with the exponent varying from 1/2 to 1/8, and back to 1/2. The diffusion-affected Marangoni stresses in these three stages were derived, and two estimations of viscous stress were considered. Through estimating and balancing the viscous stress with the Marangoni stress, the three-stage power-law relation was derived and validated., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Hypothesis: Immiscible liquids are commonly used to achieve unique functions in many applications, where the breakup of compound droplets in airflow is an important process. Due to the existence of the liquid-liquid interface, compound droplets are expected to form different deformation and breakup morphologies compared with single-component droplets., Experiments: We investigate experimentally the deformation and breakup of compound droplets in airflow. The deformation characteristics of compound droplets are quantitatively analyzed and compared with single-component droplets. Theoretical models are proposed to analyze the transition between breakup morphologies., Findings: The breakup modes of compound droplets are classified into shell retraction, shell breakup, and core-shell breakup based on the location where the breakup occurs. The comparison with single-component droplets reveals that the compound droplet is stretched more in the flow direction and expands less in the cross-flow direction, and these differences occur when the core of the compound droplet protrudes into the airflow. The transition conditions between different breakup modes are obtained theoretically. In addition, the eccentricity of the compound droplet can lead to the formation of the thick ligament or the two stamens in the droplet middle., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Hypothesis: The impact of droplets is prevalent in numerous applications, and jetting during droplet impact is a critical process controlling the dispersal and transport of liquid. New jetting dynamics are expected in different conditions of droplet impact on super-hydrophobic surfaces, such as new jetting phenomena, mechanisms, and regimes., Experiments: In this experimental study of droplet impact on super-hydrophobic surfaces, the Weber number and the Ohnesorge number are varied in a wide range, and the impact process is analyzed theoretically., Findings: We identify a new type of singular jets, i.e., singular jets induced by horizontal inertia (HI singular jets), besides the previously studied singular jets induced by capillary deformation (CD singular jets). For CD singular jets, the formation of the cavity is due to the propagation of capillary waves on the droplet surface; while for HI singular jets, the cavity formation is due to the large horizontal inertia of the toroidal edge during the retraction of the droplet after the maximum spreading. Key steps of the impact process are analyzed quantitatively, including the spreading of the droplet, the formation and the collapse of the spire, the formation and retraction of the cavity, and finally the formation of singular jets. A regime map for the formation of singular jets is obtained, and scaling relationships for the transition conditions between different regimes are analyzed., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

The kinetics of intermolecular chain transfer to polymer (CTP) and chain transfer to monomer (CTM), as well as backbiting in solution copolymerization of ethylene and vinyl acetate (VAc), are calculated by density functional theory. An intrinsic rate coefficient for each reaction type, whose Arrhenius parameters are expressed as functions of unreacted monomer composition, is extracted from calculated elementary reactions, and hence it applies to a wide range of fragment compositions of EVA. Backbiting controls the generation of midchain radicals (MCRs) on the backbone, and its rate maximizes at a medium fraction of VAc in the unreacted monomers. CTP plays an insignificant role in MCR generation even at high conversion rates due to its low pre-exponential factor. The concentration of MCRs is quantified and is close to that of ECRs at high conversions and high fractions of VAc in monomers. Additionally, branching characteristics are explored; concentrations of short-chain branching (SCB) and long-chain branching (LCB) are about 0.7-2.5 and 0.1-0.4%, respectively, and drop with VAc fraction rapidly. The role of the migration of MCRs is highlighted, which transforms about 10% of SCB points into LCB points. Disagreeing with insights from laboratory experiments, it is the migration, rather than CTP, which increases the LCB concentration at high conversions.

By the fine manipulation of the exceptional long-range germanium-telluride (Ge─Te) bonding through charge transfer engineering, we have achieved exceptional thermoelectric (TE) and mechanical properties in lead-free GeTe. This chemical bonding mechanism along with a semiordered zigzag nanostructure generates a notable increase of the average zT to a record value of ~1.73 in the temperature range of 323 to 773 K with ultrahigh maximum zT  ~ 2.7. In addition, we significantly enhanced the Vickers microhardness numbers ( H ) to an extraordinarily high value of 247 v and effectively eliminated the thermal expansion fluctuation at the phase transition, which was problematic for application, by the present charge transfer engineering process and concomitant formation of microstructures. We further fabricated a single-leg TE generator and obtained a conversion efficiency of ~13.4% at the temperature difference of 463 K on a commercial instrument, which is located at the pinnacle of TE conversion.H v and effectively eliminated the thermal expansion fluctuation at the phase transition, which was problematic for application, by the present charge transfer engineering process and concomitant formation of microstructures. We further fabricated a single-leg TE generator and obtained a conversion efficiency of ~13.4% at the temperature difference of 463 K on a commercial instrument, which is located at the pinnacle of TE conversion.

Engine fault detection is conducive to improving equipment reliability and reducing maintenance costs. In practical scenarios, high-quality data is difficult to obtain. Usually, only single-sensor data is available. This paper proposes a fault detection method combining Variational Mode Decomposition (VMD) and Random Forest (RF). At first, the spectral energy distribution is obtained by decomposing and statistic the engine data of multiple working conditions. Based on the spectral energy distribution, the overall optimal mode number was identified, and the quadratic penalty term was optimized using SNR. The improved VMD (IVMD) improves mode aliasing and iterative efficiency and unifies feature dimensions. Decomposition of real signals demonstrates the effectiveness. The paper designs a feature vector composed of seven types of attributes, including unit bandwidth energy, center frequency, maximum singular value and so on. The feature vector is then fed to RF for classification. Features are selected in order of importance to classification to improve the training efficiency. By comparing with various algorithms, the proposed method has higher accuracy and faster training efficiency in single-speed, multi-speed and cross-speed single-sensor data diagnosis. The results show that the method has application prospects with little training data and low hardware requirements.

The flow field structure of a proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) is a determining factor for improving the cell power density. In this study, a universal alternating flow field design for the first time is proposed, which arranges structural units with different flow resistances in an alternating way to significantly improve the gas transfer rate into the electrode, with the advantages of easy machining and low pumping loss. Based on the design, it is proposed and tested large-scale fuel cells with three novel flow fields by combining a parallel channel, baffled channel, serpentine channel, and narrowed channel. The results show that the design can significantly enhance the gas supply efficiency and that the novel baffled flow field improves the PEMFC performance by 23% with low pumping loss. The design employed in the study offers additional options for flow field optimization and contributes to the early achievement of next-generation ultrahigh power density fuel cells., (© 2022 The Authors. Advanced Science published by Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

The purpose of the present study is to better understand the reaction kinetics of diesel exhaust soot during oxidation process. A thermogravimetric analyzer was used to oxidize real diesel exhaust soot generated from a Euro VI diesel engine under non-isothermal conditions. The Friedman-Reich-Levi method and the Sestak-Berggren model were used to determine the oxidation kinetics. Raman spectroscopy and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy were employed to follow the changes of the soot structure during oxidation. The activation energy gradually increased with increasing conversion level during soot oxidation. The oxidation process of diesel exhaust soot could be described as three-step kinetics, and the calculated conversions fitted the experimental results very well. The kinetic predictions of diesel soot oxidation that were obtained using the proposed kinetic models were more accurate and precise than those with the common first-order model. The structural order increased as oxidation progressed, which was responsible for the increased activation energy. The structural ordering was principally caused by the preferential oxidation of the disordered fraction in the diesel soot, especially for the amorphous carbon, which was oxidized in the initial stage of the oxidation reaction., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Hypothesis: Droplet coalescence is a common phenomenon and plays an important role in many applications. When two liquid droplets are brought into contact, a liquid bridge forms and expands quickly. Different from miscible droplets, an extra immiscible interface exists throughout the coalescence of immiscible droplets and is expected to affect the evolution of the liquid bridge, which has not been investigated. We hypothesized that the liquid bridge of immiscible droplets exhibits a different growth dynamics., Experiments: We experimentally study the coalescence dynamics of immiscible droplets. The evolution of the liquid bridge is measured and compared with miscible droplets. We also propose a theoretical model to analyze the effects of immiscibility., Findings: We find that immiscibility plays different roles in the viscous-dominated and inertia-dominated regimes. In the initial viscous-dominated regime, the coalescence of immiscible droplets follows the linear evolution of the bridge radius as that of miscible droplets. However, in the later inertia-dominated regime, the coalescence of immiscible droplets is slower than that of miscible droplets due to the water-oil interface. By developing a theoretical model based on the force balance, we show that this slower motion is due to the immiscible interface and the extra interfacial tension. In addition, a modified Ohnesorge number is proposed to characterize the transition from the viscous-dominated regime to the inertia-dominated regime., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

This paper investigates the impact of metallic lubricant additives on the morphology, nanostructure, graphitization degree, and oxidation reactivity of diesel exhaust particles. The experiments were conducted on a turbocharged heavy-duty diesel engine. Four typical lubricant oil additives, including Ca-based, Zn-based, Mo-based and ashless additives, were mixed into diesel at 0.5% and 1.0% by mass. Analytical characterization equipment used in this study includes a high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), a Raman spectroscopy, and a Thermogravimetric analyzer (TGA). Results showed that the lubricant additives significantly changed the soot properties. Diesel fuels blended with ashless and Zn-based additives led to a more disordered nanostructure of diesel particles, thereby improving their oxidation reactivity. When Ca and Mo additives participated in combustion, the oxidation mass loss curve of soot particles shifted to a higher temperature range due to the combined effect of the physical and chemical characteristics of soot particles and the catalytic oxidation of metallic ash. Although Ca, Mo, and other metals in lubricant additives could promote the soot oxidation, the changes in the physicochemical properties of soot particles (including increased fringe length, reduced fringe tortuosity, and higher graphitization degree) rendered it more difficult to oxidize., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Two kinds of C 8 isomers, di-n-butyl ether (DNBE) and 1-octanol, as potential oxygen-containing alternative fuels, show important value in the trade-off between efficiency and emission. In the present work, the effects of DNBE/1-octanol with different proportions (0, 10%, and 20%) blended into diesel on the combustion characteristics, fuel economy, and emission characteristics in a six-cylinder heavy-duty diesel engine were studied at low, medium, and high loads. 1-Octanol with a 20% blending ratio showed different combustion characteristics in the cylinder compared with the other fuels. The economic analysis showed that the brake specific fuel consumption of DNBE-diesel blend fuels was higher than that of 1-octanol-diesel blend fuels, while brake thermal efficiency was the opposite tendency. The emissions of nitrogen oxides (NOx), hydrocarbons (HC), and carbon monoxide (CO) were affected by the types of blend fuels, blending ratios, and loads. In comparison with 1-octanol-diesel blend fuels, the addition of DNBE in diesel promoted the emission of nitrogen oxides, but inhibited the emissions of soot, HC, and CO. DNBE- and 1-octanol-diesel blend fuels increased the weighted brake specific fuel consumption but decreased the weighted brake thermal efficiency compared with diesel in the World Harmonized Stationary Cycle test cycle of Euro VI regulation. The weighted NOx, HC, soot, and CO emissions of blend fuels depended on the types of blend fuels and blend ratios. The weighted NOx, HC, and soot emissions were reduced by blending 1-octanol into diesel, while the weighted CO emission was increased. The weighted CO and soot emissions of diesel blended with DNBE were reduced than that of diesel., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

The storage and reduction of NOx on a series of Fe-modified hydrotalcite-based lean NOx trap catalysts were assessed, together with the product selectivity. The crystal structures and micromorphologies of these materials were characterized using X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy, while in situ diffuse reflectance Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy was used to evaluate the evolution of transition state species. The introduction of Fe was found to improve the synergistic interaction between the Mg and Fe in the hydrotalcite structure, allowing these catalysts to work efficiently at low temperatures. In addition, both Pt/BaO/MgAlO and Pt/BaO/MgFeO catalysts exhibited better NOx adsorption and reduction performance compared with Pt/BaO/Al 2 O 3 . The superior performance of the former two materials was attributed to the enhanced adsorption of NOx in the form of nitrates and nitrites by Fe and Mg and to the ready decomposition of these nitrates at low temperatures. A Pt/BaO/MgFeO catalyst showed excellent low temperature activity and high selectivity for N 2 together with superior sulfur resistance compared with Pt/BaO/Al 2 O 3 ., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

In this paper, the mechanism of neutron absorption and common reinforced particles is introduced, and recent research progress on different types of neutron-shielding materials (borated stainless steels, B/Al Alloy, B 4 C/Al composites, polymer-based composites, and shielding concrete) for transportation and wet or dry storage of spent fuel is elaborated, and critical performance is summarized and compared. In particular, the most widely studied and used borated stainless steel and B 4 C/Al composite neutron-absorption materials in the field of spent fuel are discussed at length. The problems and solutions in the preparation and application of different types of neutron-shielding materials for spent fuel transportation and storage are discussed, and their research priorities and development trends are proposed.

The first part of the current review highlights the evolutionary nuances and research hotspots in the field of nanoparticles in low carbon fuels. Our findings reveal that contribution to the field is largely driven by researchers from Asia, mainly India. Of the three biofuels under review, biodiesel seems to be well studied and developed, whereas studies regarding vegetable oils and alcohols remain relatively scarce. The second part also reviews the application of nanoparticles in biodiesel/vegetable oil/alcohol-based fuels holistically, emphasizing fuel properties and engine characteristics. The current review reveals that the overall characteristics of the low carbon fuel-diesel blends improve under the influence of nanoparticles during combustion in diesel engines. The most important aspect of nanoparticles is that they act as an oxygen buffer that provides additional oxygen molecules in the combustion chamber, promoting complete combustion and lowering unburnt emissions. Moreover, the nanoparticles used for these purposes exhibit excellent catalytic behaviour as a result of their high surface area-to-volume ratio-this leads to a reduction in exhaust pollutants and ensures an efficient and complete combustion. Beyond energy-based indicators, the exergy, economic, environmental, and sustainability aspects of the blends in diesel engines are discussed. It is observed that the performance of the diesel engine fuelled with low carbon fuels according to the second law of efficiency improves under the influence of the nano-additives. Our final part shows that despite the benefits of nanoparticles, humans and animals are under serious threats from the highly toxic nature of nanoparticles.

Nowadays, to mitigate the global warming problem, the requirement of carbon neutrality has become more urgent. Oxy-fuel combustion (OFC) has been proposed as a promising way of carbon capture and storage (CCS) to eliminate carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) emissions. This article explores the implementation of OFC technology in a practical gasoline direct injection (GDI) engine fueled with gasoline-ethanol blends, including E0 (gasoline), E25 (25% ethanol, 75% is gasoline in mass fraction), and E50 (50% ethanol, 50% is gasoline in mass fraction). The results show that with a fixed spark timing, φ CA50 (where 50% fuel is burned), of E50 and E25 is about 4.5 and 1.9° later than that of E0, respectively. Ignition delay (θ F ) and combustion duration (θ C ) can be extended with the increase of the ethanol fraction in the blended fuel. With the increase of the oxygen mass fraction (OMF) from 23.3 to 29%, equivalent brake-specific fuel consumption (BSFC E ) has a benefit of 2.12, 1.65, and 1.51% for E0, E25, and E50, respectively. The corresponding increase in brake-specific oxygen consumption (BSOC) is 21.83, 22.42, and 22.58%, respectively. Meanwhile, θ F , θ C , and the heat release rate (HRR) are not strongly affected by the OMF. With the increase of the OMF, the increment of θ F is 0.7, 1.8, and 2.2° for E0, E25, and E50, respectively. θ C is only extended by 1, 1.1, and 1.4°, respectively. Besides, by increasing the intake temperature ( T ) from 298 to 358 K under all of the fuel conditions, BSFC I ) from 298 to 358 K under all of the fuel conditions, BSFC E and BSOC present slight growth trends; θ F and θ C are slightly reduced; in the meantime, φ CA50 (crank angle of peak cylinder pressure), and the position of the HRR peak are advanced by nearly 1°.Pmax (crank angle of peak cylinder pressure), and the position of the HRR peak are advanced by nearly 1°., Competing Interests: The authors declare no competing financial interest., (© 2021 The Authors. Published by American Chemical Society.)

This study compared the NOx emissions of a nonroad compression ignition engine using pilot injection and a NH 3 -SCR system and revealed their effects on NOx reduction. Furthermore, the interaction of pilot injection and the NH 3 -SCR system on NOx reduction was also studied by simultaneously using the two technologies under broad engine operating conditions. The pilot-main interval and the rate of pilot-to-main injection used in this study are in the range of 2∼8 CA and 9.5∼58.5%, respectively. Results showed that alteration in the pilot-main injection interval and the pilot-injection fuel amount under low load conditions was prone to lead to more variation in NOx emissions in comparison with that under high-load conditions. Relative to the pilot-main injection interval, the pilot-injection fuel amount played a more important role in the NOx emission. Lower NOx emissions could be achieved when using a smaller pilot-injection amount. However, excessively advanced pilot injection and a larger pilot-injection amount would increase the NOx emissions. Under a lower engine load, the effect of pilot injection on NOx reduction enhanced, whereas the effect of the NH 3 -SCR system diminished. Over broad operating conditions, the NOx reduction percentage by pilot injection coupled with the SCR system was lower than the total reduction degree when separately using pilot injection and the SCR system., Competing Interests: The authors declare no competing financial interest., (© 2021 The Authors. Published by American Chemical Society.)

With the rapid growth and development of proton-exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) technology, there has been increasing demand for clean and sustainable global energy applications. Of the many device-level and infrastructure challenges that need to be overcome before wide commercialization can be realized, one of the most critical ones is increasing the PEMFC power density, and ambitious goals have been proposed globally. For example, the short- and long-term power density goals of Japan's New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization are 6 kilowatts per litre by 2030 and 9 kilowatts per litre by 2040, respectively. To this end, here we propose technical development directions for next-generation high-power-density PEMFCs. We present the latest ideas for improvements in the membrane electrode assembly and its components with regard to water and thermal management and materials. These concepts are expected to be implemented in next-generation PEMFCs to achieve high power density., (© 2021. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Limited.)

A key research area in autonomous driving is how to model the driver's decision-making behavior, due to the fact it is significant for a self-driving vehicles considering their traffic safety and efficiency. However, the uncertain characteristics of vehicle and pedestrian trajectories affect urban roads, which poses severe challenges to the cognitive understanding and decision-making of autonomous vehicle systems in terms of accuracy and robustness. To overcome the abovementioned problems, this paper proposes a Bayesian driver agent (BDA) model which is a vision-based autonomous vehicle system with learning and inference methods inspired by human driver's cognitive psychology. Different from the end-to-end learning method and traditional rule-based methods, our approach breaks the driving system up into a scene recognition module and a decision inference module. The perception module, which is based on a multi-task learning neural network (CNN), takes a driver's-view image as its input and predicts the traffic scene's feature values. The decision module based on dynamic Bayesian network (DBN) then makes an inferred decision using the traffic scene's feature values. To explore the validity of the Bayesian driver agent model, we performed experiments on a driving simulation platform. The BDA model can extract the scene feature values effectively and predict the probability distribution of the human driver's decision-making process accurately based on inference. We take the lane changing scenario as an example to verify the model, the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) correlation between the BDA model and human driver's decision process reached 0.984. This work suggests a research in scene perception and autonomous decision-making that may apply to autonomous vehicle system.

The mean stress effect in fatigue life varies by material and loading conditions. Therefore, a classical low cycle fatigue (LCF) model based on mean stress correction shows limits in asymmetric loading cases in both accuracy and applicability. In this paper, the effect of strain ratio (R) on LCF life is analyzed and a strain ratio-based model is presented for asymmetric loading cases. Two correction factors are introduced to express correlations between strain ratio and fatigue strength coefficient and between strain ratio and fatigue ductility coefficient. Verifications are conducted through four materials under different strain ratios: high-pressure tubing steel (HPTS), 2124-T851 aluminum alloy, epoxy resin and AZ61A magnesium alloy. Compared with current widely used LCF models, the proposed model shows a better life prediction accuracy and higher potential in implementation in symmetric and asymmetric loading cases for different materials. It is also found that the strain ratio-based correction is able to consider the damage of ratcheting strain that the mean stress-based models cannot.

Hierarchical Co 3 O 4 @MnOx material has been synthesized by in-suit growth of MnOx on the Co 3 O 4 and applied in catalytic oxidation of volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Results revealed that T 90 of acetone on the Co 3 O 4 @MnOx was 195 °C, which was 36 °C and 32 °C lower than that on the Co 3 O 4 and MnOx/Co 3 O 4 , respectively. The universality experiments demonstrated that T 90 of ethyl acetate and toluene on the Co 3 O 4 @MnOx were 200 °C and 222 °C, respectively. The above results indicated that Co 3 O 4 @MnOx catalyst presented a robust catalytic performance. Characterization results showed that high catalytic activity of the Co 3 O 4 @MnOx catalyst could be attributed to the improvement of low temperature reducibility, the enhancement of Co 3+ and adsorbed oxygen species resulted from the sufficient reaction between MnO 4 - and Co 2+ during secondary hydrothermal process. Furthermore, stability and water-resistance experiments showed the Co 3 O 4 @MnOx catalyst with high cycle and long-term stability, satisfied endurability to 5.5-10 vol. % water vapor at 210 °C., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Proton exchange membrane fuel cells have been regarded as the most promising candidate for fuel cell vehicles and tools. Their broader adaption, however, has been impeded by cost and lifetime. By integrating a thin layer of tungsten oxide within the anode, which serves as a rapid-response hydrogen reservoir, oxygen scavenger, sensor for power demand, and regulator for hydrogen-disassociation reaction, we herein report proton exchange membrane fuel cells with significantly enhanced power performance for transient operation and low humidified conditions, as well as improved durability against adverse operating conditions. Meanwhile, the enhanced power performance minimizes the use of auxiliary energy-storage systems and reduces costs. Scale fabrication of such devices can be readily achieved based on the current fabrication techniques with negligible extra expense. This work provides proton exchange membrane fuel cells with enhanced power performance, improved durability, prolonged lifetime, and reduced cost for automotive and other applications.

2,5-Dimethylfuran (DMF) is a type of attractive sustainable green energy for diesel engines that is designed to reduce soot emission. This study investigated the effect of fuel properties on the macroscopic and microscopic spray characteristics of four test blends under injection pressures of 90, 120 and 150 MPa and ambient pressure of 5 MPa in a common diesel rail injection system. The macroscopic results indicate that with higher density, lower viscosity and lower latent heating of DMF20, the spray tip penetration and spray area are increased and the average spray angle is slightly increased. Interestingly, the effect of latent heating on the average spray angle is more obvious than that of kinematic viscosity. The microscopic results suggest that higher density, lower viscosity and lower latent heating of DMF20 have an adverse effect on the breakup of small droplets. The results of comparative analysis show that the change rules of the spray parameters remain nearly unchanged with increased injection pressure, and the influence of DMF20 properties produces a different change in different spray parameters with increasing injection pressure. The meaningful conclusion is that the properties of DMF are favourable to improvement of the spray and atomization parameters under high injection pressure.

SSZ-13 zeolite has been widely used in catalysis and adsorption because of good hydrothermal stability and pore structure. However, long crystallization time is the main challenge limiting its industry application. As increased emissions and ineffective treatment, coal gangue not only occupies land, but also pollutes the waterbody and farmland. Using coal gangue as raw material to synthetize zeolite has been considered as an environmentally friendly and effective alternative to solve the issues of accumulation and pollution, which also improves the added value of coal gangue. The ultrasonic assistance has been proven to be one of the potential pretreatment methods to promote the dissolution of crystalline silicon aluminum and reduce the crystallization time of molecular sieve. In this work, SSZ-13 was synthesized by coal gangue via ultrasonic pretreatment combined with hydrothermal growth method. The ultrasonic frequency and power were 20 kHz and 120 W, respectively. The synthesized samples were characterized by XRD, SEM, EDS, BET. The results showed that the crystallization time was shorten to 18 h, which was about 12 h lower than the same conditions of conventional chemicals synthesis. Furthermore, the specific surface area of the synthesized sample was more than 620 m 2 /g, which also indicated over 95% NO x conversion across a broad range from 180 to 400 °C and over 94% NO x conversion at 200-400 °C after hydrothermal treatment 6 h. This study provides a reference for the environmentally friendly utilization of coal gangue and the low-cost rapid synthesis and application of SSZ-13., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Surface nanobubbles (NBs) are stable gaseous phases in liquids that form at the interface with solid substrates. They have been particularly intriguing for their high stability that contradicts theoretical expectations and their potential relevance for many technological applications. Here, we present the current state of the art in this research area by discussing and contrasting main results obtained from theory, simulation and experiment, and presenting their limitations. We also provide future perspectives anticipating that this review will stimulate further studies in the research area of surface NBs., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

The kinetic study of the reaction of 1-hydroxyethyl radicals (CH 3 CHOH) with nitric oxide (NO) was performed over the temperature range of 200-1100 K and the pressure range of 1.0 × 10 -5 to 10.0 bar. The geometries of all of the stationary points were optimized at the B3LYP/6-311++G(df,pd) level of theory, and the energetics were refined at the CCSD(T)/cc-pVTZ level of theory. Eight reaction pathways were explored, and they all consisted of a common first step involving the formation of a deep potential well. Three favorable pathways were confirmed, and they were the channels producing the adducts CH 3 CO(NHOH) and CH 3 NOHCHO and the products H 2 O and CH 3 CNO. The Rice-Ramsperger-Kassel -Marcus-canonical variational transition state theory method with Eckart tunneling correction was used to calculate the rate coefficients of the system. The predicted total rate coefficients agree well with the available literature data and show negative temperature dependence and positive pressure dependence. The reaction producing the adduct CH 3 CHOHNO in the entrance channel is dominant at 1.0 bar, and its branching ratio is almost 100% at a temperature less than 670 K. At 3.0 Torr, it is only dominant at a temperature less than 600 K.

Despite the maximized metal dispersion offered by single-atom catalysts, further improvement of intrinsic activity can be hindered by the lack of neighboring metal atoms in these systems. Here we report the use of isolated Pt 1 atoms on ceria as "seeds" to develop a Pt-O-Pt ensemble, which is well-represented by a Pt 8 O 14 model cluster that retains 100% metal dispersion. The Pt atom in the ensemble is 100-1000 times more active than their single-atom Pt 1 /CeO 2 parent in catalyzing the low-temperature CO oxidation under oxygen-rich conditions. Rather than the Pt-O-Ce interfacial catalysis, the stable catalytic unit is the Pt-O-Pt site itself without participation of oxygen from the 10-30 nm-size ceria support. Similar Pt-O-Pt sites can be built on various ceria and even alumina, distinguishable by facile activation of oxygen through the paired Pt-O-Pt atoms. Extending this design to other reaction systems is a likely outcome of the findings reported here.

: The majority of NO x is exhausted during the cold-start period for the low temperature of vehicle emissions, which can be solved by using Pd/zeolite catalysts to trap NO x at low temperature and release NO x at a high temperature that must be higher than the operating temperature of selective catalytic reduction catalysts (SCR). In this work, several Pd/Beta catalysts were prepared to identify the influence of Si/Al ratios on NO and C₃H₆ adsorption and desorption characterizations. The physicochemical properties were identified using N₂ physical adsorption, Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FT-IR), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray photo electron spectroscopy (XPS), and Na⁺ titration, while the adsorption and desorption characterizations were investigated by catalyst evaluation. The results indicated that the amount of dispersed Pd ions, the main active sites for NO and C₃H₆ adsorption, decreased with the increase of Si/Al ratios. Besides this, the intensity of Brønsted and Lewis acid decreased with the increase of Si/Al ratios, which also led to the decrease of NO and C₃H 6 adsorption amounts. Therefore, Pd dispersion and the acidic properties of Pd/Beta together determined the adsorption ability of NO and C₃H₆. Moreover, lower Si/Al ratios resulted in the formation of an additional dispersed Pd cationic species, Pd(OH)⁺, from which adsorbed NO released at a much lower temperature. Finally, an optimum Si/Al ratio of Pd/Beta was found at around 55 due to the balanced performance between the adsorption amounts and desorption temperature., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest.

The MnO x was immobilized on the CoAl mixed oxides (CoAlO) derived from hydrotalcites with various anions (CO 3 2- , Cl - , NO 3 - and SO 4 and 30 h of hydration time (CoAlO-C-Mn-30) exhibited a promising catalytic activity (T 2- ) using the hydration and impregnation methods. The CoAlO oxides modified by KMnO 4 were calcined in air at 300 °C to obtain stable oxides, which could be used as catalysts for VOCs (acetone and ethyl acetate) oxidation. CoAlO with CO 3 2- and surface adsorbed oxygen species. The increase of Co 90 in the CoAlO-C-Mn-30 oxide thanked to the self-decomposition of KMnO 90 and reducibility of Co 4 in the CoAlO oxide during the hydration process. This was also confirmed by XRD and XPS characterization, which showed that Mn cations were enriched on the catalyst surface in the valences of +3 and +4. The catalytic activity of the catalyst remained unchanged in four cycles in the presence of 5.5 vol.% water vapor, which indicated a great potential for industrial application.3+ and surface adsorbed oxygen species. The increase of Co 3+ in the CoAlO-C-Mn-30 oxide thanked to the self-decomposition of KMnO 4 and reducibility of Co 2+ in the CoAlO oxide during the hydration process. This was also confirmed by XRD and XPS characterization, which showed that Mn cations were enriched on the catalyst surface in the valences of +3 and +4. The catalytic activity of the catalyst remained unchanged in four cycles in the presence of 5.5 vol.% water vapor, which indicated a great potential for industrial application., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

The reaction of nitric oxide (NO) with propargyl radical (C 3 H 3 ) was investigated at the CCSD(T)/cc-pVTZ//B3LYP/6-311++G(df, pd) level of theory. The rate coefficients of the system were determined by using the RRKM-CVT method with Eckart tunneling correction over a temperature range of 200-800 K and a pressure range of 1.0 × 10 -4 to 10.0 bar. Eight channels proceeding via the barrierless formation of excited intermediate ONCH 2 CCH or CH 2 CCHNO at the first step were explored. Three favorable channels (i.e., channels producing adduct of ONCH 2 CCH and CH 2 CCHNO and products of HCN and H 2 CCO) were confirmed. The rate coefficients of channels producing adduct of ONCH 2 CCH and CH 2 CCHNO are comparable and have weak negative temperature dependence and positive pressure dependence. Channel producing products of HCN and H 2 CCO is more important at low pressure and high temperature and less important after pressure greater than 1.0 × 10 -2 bar (with a branching ratio less than 6% at 0.1 bar).

Most fatigue theories neglect the loads below fatigue limit in damage accumulation, which leads to inconsistency between the predicted and the actual fatigue lives. In this study, a novel damage model is proposed to take into account the loads below fatigue limit from two aspects: the strengthening effect and the cumulative damage. The strengthening effect is introduced by an exponential function and the cumulative damage is calculated by fuzzy method with membership functions (MFs). The proposed model is verified against the experimental data under variable amplitude loading conditions. It is found the modified model with Cauchy MF significantly reduces the relative error of predicted life from 35.18% (linear model) and 16.09% (original Chaboche model) to 8.38% (proposed model). As a case study, the proposed damage model is implemented to evaluate the service life of a compressor blade under variable amplitude loading spectrum containing small loads below the fatigue limit.

In order to enhance catalytic performance for acetone, Co-based catalysts prepared under different Co/Al molar ratios and calcination temperatures have been studied in this work. The results indicated that the catalytic activities of the catalysts firstly increased and then decreased with the increase of the Co/Al molar ratio and decreased with the increase of the calcination temperature. Based on the catalytic activities, TG/DTA, XRD, TPR and XPS characterization results, it can be found that catalytic activities of the catalysts with various Co/Al molar ratios were effected by the good crystallization structure of catalyst precursor, surface Co 3+ /Co 2+ molar ratio, low temperature reducibility, and O ads /O latt molar ratio of the catalysts. Meanwhile, the catalytic activities of the catalysts with different calcination temperatures depended on the low temperature reducibility, surface Co 3+ /Co 2+ molar ratio, porous structure and crystallization structure of the catalyst. Among different synthetic composition, 5:1 CoAlO-300 catalyst (T 90%  = 225 °C) and 5:1 CoAlO-200 catalyst (T 90%  = 222 °C) exhibited the efficient acetone oxidation., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

In the coupled Diesel Oxidation Catalyst (DOC) and Diesel Particular Filter (DPF) system, soot cannot be completely removed by only using the passive regeneration. And DPF active regeneration is necessary. The research method in this paper is to spray different kinds of combustion-supporting agents to the DOC in the front of the DPF. Therefore, the low temperature combustion mechanism of different kinds of combustion-supporting agents in DOC was studied, in order to grasp the law of combustion in DOC, and the influence of follow-up emission on DPF removal of soot. During the study, CH 4 H 2 mixture and diesel (n-heptane + toluene) were used as combustion-supporting agents respectively. The simplified mechanisms of two kinds of gas mixtures used as the combustion-supporting agents in DPF have been constructed and testified in the paper. In this paper, the combustion and emission conditions of the two combustion-supporting agents were analyzed so as to meet the practical requirements of different working conditions., (Copyright © 2017 ISA. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

An ab initio and direct dynamic study of the reactions of CH 3 O 2 + CH 3 OH and CH 3 O 2 + CH 2 OH has been carried out over the temperature range of 300-1500 K. All stationary points were calculated at the MP2/aug-cc-pVTZ level of theory for CH 3 O 2 + CH 3 OH or at the M06-2X/MG3S level of theory for CH 3 O 2 + CH 2 OH and identified for the local minimum. The energetic parameters were refined at the QCISD(T)/cc-pVTZ and CCSD(T)/aug-cc-pVTZ levels of theory. For the reaction of CH 3 OO + CH 3 OH, two hydrogen abstraction channels producing CH 3 OOH + CH 2 OH (R1) and CH 3 OOH + CH 3 O (R2) were confirmed. These two channels consist of the same reversible first step involving the formation of a prereactive complex in the entrance channel. The rate constants of these two channels have been calculated by canonical transition station theory (TST) and canonical variational transition station theory (VTST) with Eckart tunneling correction and compared with the available literature data. The positive temperature dependence of the rate constants was observed. The tunneling effect is important at low temperature and decreases with an increase of the temperature. The contribution of R1 to the total rate constant is dominant, with branching ratios of 0.93 at 500 K and 0.67 at 1000 K, although the branching ratio for R2 increases dramatically with the increase of the temperature from 500 K. For the reaction of CH 3 OO + CH 2 OH, eight channels were explored on the lowest singlet and triplet surfaces, and an excited intermediate was found to be formed on the singlet surface. A channel proceeding through the formation of an excited intermediate followed by its impulsive dissociation was confirmed as the dominant channels with a branching ratio more than 0.99 in the temperature range of 300-1500 K, where products of CH 3 O and OCH 2 OH were given. The rate constant of the dominant channel calculated by multichannel RRKM-VTST is comparable with the available literature data.

A wide range of hydroperoxides (C 1 -C 3 alkyl hydroperoxides, C 3 -C 7 alkenyl hydroperoxides, C 7 ketohydroperoxides, and hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 )), as well as ketene and diones, have been quantified during the gas-phase oxidation of n-heptane. Some of these species, as well as C 10 alkenyl hydroperoxides and ketohydroperoxides, were also measured during the oxidation of n-decane. These experiments were performed using an atmospheric-pressure jet-stirred reactor at temperatures from 500 to 1100 K and one of three analytical methods, time-of-flight mass spectrometry combined with tunable synchrotron photoionization with a molecular beam sampling: time-of-flight mass spectrometry combined with laser photoionization with a capillary tube sampling, continuous wave cavity ring-down spectroscopy with sonic probe sampling. The experimental temperature at which the maximum mole fraction is observed increases significantly for alkyl hydroperoxides, alkenyl hydroperoxides, and then more so again for hydrogen peroxide, compared to ketohydroperoxides. The influence of the equivalence ratio from 0.25 to 4 on the formation of these peroxides has been studied during n-heptane oxidation. The up-to-date detailed kinetic oxidation models for n-heptane and for n-decane found in the literature have been used to discuss the possible pathways by which these peroxides, ketene, and diones are formed. In general, the model predicts well the reactivity of the two fuels, as well as the formation of major intermediates.

Surface nanobubbles are stable gaseous phases in liquids that form on solid substrates. While their existence has been confirmed, there are many open questions related to their formation and dissolution processes along with their structures and properties, which are difficult to investigate experimentally. To address these issues, we carried out molecular dynamics simulations based on atomistic force fields for systems comprised of water, air (N 2 and O 2 ), and a Highly Oriented Pyrolytic Graphite (HOPG) substrate. Our results provide insights into the formation/dissolution mechanisms of nanobubbles and estimates for their density, contact angle, and surface tension. We found that the formation of nanobubbles is driven by an initial nucleation process of air molecules and the subsequent coalescence of the formed air clusters. The clusters form favorably on the substrate, which provides an enhanced stability to the clusters. In contrast, nanobubbles formed in the bulk either move randomly to the substrate and spread or move to the water-air surface and pop immediately. Moreover, nanobubbles consist of a condensed gaseous phase with a surface tension smaller than that of an equivalent system under atmospheric conditions, and contact angles larger than those in the equivalent nanodroplet case. We anticipate that this study will provide useful insights into the physics of nanobubbles and will stimulate further research in the field by using all-atom simulations., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

In this paper, a simulation method based on an orthogonal anisotropic material is proposed. A numerical example using a simple plate is presented to show the difference in the static performance between the orthogonal anisotropic and the isotropic models. Comparing with the tested modal data of a diesel engine oil cooler cover made by glass fiber reinforced polyamide 66 (PA66), the proposed simulation method was confirmed to be much closer to reality than the general isotropic model. After that, a comprehensive performance comparison between the plastic oil cooler covers with the orthogonal anisotropic and the isotropic fiber orientations was carried out including a static deformation and stress analysis under a pressure-temperature coupled load, a forced response analysis, and an acoustic analysis under real operating conditions. The results show that the stress, the deformation, the peak vibration velocity, and the overall sound power level of the orthogonal anisotropic model are different from that obtained with the isotropic model. More importantly, the proposed method can provide a much more detailed frequency content compared to the isotropic model.

The regulation of water content in polymeric membranes is important in a number of applications, such as reverse electrodialysis and proton-exchange fuel-cell membranes. External thermal and water management systems add both mass and size to systems, and so intrinsic mechanisms of retaining water and maintaining ionic transport in such membranes are particularly important for applications where small system size is important. For example, in proton-exchange membrane fuel cells, where water retention in the membrane is crucial for efficient transport of hydrated ions, by operating the cells at higher temperatures without external humidification, the membrane is self-humidified with water generated by electrochemical reactions. Here we report an alternative solution that does not rely on external regulation of water supply or high temperatures. Water content in hydrocarbon polymer membranes is regulated through nanometre-scale cracks ('nanocracks') in a hydrophobic surface coating. These cracks work as nanoscale valves to retard water desorption and to maintain ion conductivity in the membrane on dehumidification. Hydrocarbon fuel-cell membranes with surface nanocrack coatings operated at intermediate temperatures show improved electrochemical performance, and coated reverse-electrodialysis membranes show enhanced ionic selectivity with low bulk resistance.

Objective: To avoid lipase deactivation by methanol in the enzymatic transesterification process, a two-step biocatalytic process for biodiesel production from unrefined jatropha oil was developed., Results: Unrefined jatropha oil was first hydrolyzed to free fatty acids (FFAs) by the commercial enzyme Candida rugosa lipase. The maximum yield achieved of FFAs 90.3% at 40 °C, water/oil ratio 0.75:1 (v/v), lipase content 2% (w/w) after 8 h reaction. After hydrolysis, the FFAs were separated and converted to biodiesel by using Rhizopus oryzae IFO4697 cells immobilized within biomass support particles as a whole-cell biocatalyst. Molecular sieves (3 Å) were added to the esterification reaction mixture to remove the byproduct water. The maximum fatty acid methyl ester yield reached 88.6% at 35 °C, molar ratio of methanol to FFAs 1.2:1, molecular sieves (3 Å) content 60% (w/w) after 42 h. In addition, both C. rugosa lipase and R. oryzae whole cell catalyst in the process showed excellent reusability, retaining 89 and 79% yields, respectively, even after six batches of reactions., Conclusion: This novel process, combining the advantages of enzyme and whole cell catalysts, saved the consumption of commercial enzyme and avoid enzyme deactivation by methanol.

This paper presents an investigation of the carbonyl emissions from a direct injection heavy-duty diesel engine fueled with pure diesel fuel (DF) and blended fuel containing 15% by volume of ethanol (E/DF). The tests have been conducted under steady-state operating conditions at 1200, 1800, 2600 rpm and idle speed. The experimental results show that acetaldehyde is the most predominant carbonyl, followed by formaldehyde, acrolein, acetone, propionaldehyde and crotonaldehyde, produced from both fuels. The emission factors of total carbonyls vary in the range 13.8-295.9 mg(kWh)(-1) for DF and 17.8-380.2mg(kWh)(-1) for E/DF, respectively. The introduction of ethanol into diesel fuel results in a decrease in acrolein emissions, while the other carbonyls show general increases: at low engine speed (1200 rpm), 0-55% for formaldehyde, 4-44% for acetaldehyde, 38-224% for acetone, and 5-52% for crotonaldehyde; at medium engine speed (1800 rpm), 106-413% for formaldehyde, 4-143% for acetaldehyde, 74-113% for acetone, 114-1216% for propionaldehyde, and 15-163% for crotonaldehyde; at high engine speed (2600 rpm), 36-431% for formaldehyde, 18-61% for acetaldehyde, 22-241% for acetone, and 6-61% for propionaldehyde. A gradual reduction in the brake specific emissions of each carbonyl compound from both fuels is observed with increase in engine load. Among three levels of engine speed employed, both DF and E/DF emit most CBC emissions at high engine speed. On the whole, the presence of ethanol in diesel fuel leads to an increase in aldehyde emissions., (Copyright (c) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Synchrotron radiation offers important advantages with the use of tunable vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) lasers for molecular beam sampling mass spectrometry (MBMS). These advantages include superior signal-to-noise, soft ionization, and access to photon energies outside the limited tuning ranges of current VUV laser sources. Combining MBMS with tunable synchrotron radiation photoionization, two similar types of fuels, gasoline/oxygen and gasoline/MTBE/oxygen in low-pressure premixed laminar flame were investigated. Photoionization efficiency (PIE) measurements were used to identify the intermediates isomers within flame. The two combustion processes are discussed by comparing the intermediates and their spatial profiles within the two kinds of flame mentioned above.