Search

Rapid industrialization and growth in population have resulted in a rapid increase in energy demand. Pollutant emissions from diesel engines have caused major impacts in disturbing the ecological system. The Malaysian government implemented the B10 biodiesel program for the transportation sector and B7 for the industrial sector in 2019 to drive the demand for palm oil and increase the sustainability of energy resources. For future implementation, the government is looking toward for higher percentage of blended biodiesel, such as B30 and above. This paper presented the effect of engine overhaul on the performance and emissions of a vehicle fuelled with blended biodiesel (B10, B20 & B30) by comparing before and after the engine overhaul. By using a vehicle Toyota Hilux 2.5L, the vehicle was attached to a chassis dynamometer for determining its performance such as brake power and brake specific fuel consumption (BSFC) at 45% and 90% of Acceleration Pedal Position (APP), respectively. The exhaust gas emissions were measured using a 5-channel analyser for determining the carbon dioxide (CO2), carbon monoxide (CO) and nitrogen oxide (NOx). The experiment was conducted in a steady-state condition with a constant speed of 30, 60, 90, and 110 km/h simulating rural, urban, and motorway speeds. The performance results revealed that blended biodiesel B10, B20 and B30, produced higher brake power, and lower brake-specific fuel consumption after engine overhaul. Emissions results showed that CO was increased at 45% APP but decreased at a higher 90% APP, and in most cases, NOx and CO2 emissions were decreased with an increase in speed for both APP.

Polluted river water treatment utilizes a mix of physical, chemical, and biological processes and activities. Conventional systems, including coagulation, flocculation, sedimentation, filtration, and disinfection, have several limitations. Hence, the Membrane Photocatalytic Reactor (MPR) is one of the most promising methods for polluted river water treatment. ZnO-Kaolin nanoparticles served as great photocatalysts for MPR performance. This study focuses on the pilot-scale hybrid MPR treatment of polluted river water under different light intensities (100, 125, and 225 watts) and irradiation times (20, 30, and 40 minutes). The treated water quality analysis is based on the Environmental Quality Act 1974 (EQA 1974). The kinetic rate was also investigated using pseudo-first-order and pseudo-second-order models. It was found that 225 watts and 30 minutes were the optimum values. The pilot scale hybrid MPR proved to fit well with the pseudo-second-order kinetic models, suggesting that the degradation follows a chemisorption mechanism. In conclusion, we believe the hybrid MPR pilot-scale system will enhance efficiency in cleaning dirty river water, all while meeting the standards of the EQA 1974.