This experimental study was carried out to determine the feasibility of utilization of alcohol–diesel microemulsions as diesel fuel in compression ignition (CI) engines. The fuel properties of 12 ethanol–ethyl acetate–diesel microemulsions designated as 200°-10/9/81, 200°-15/9.5/75.5, 200°-20/10/70, 190°-10/22/68, 190°-15/25/60, 190°-20/29/51, 180°-10/35/55, 180°-15/39/46, 180°-20/40/40, 170°-10/43/47, 170°-15/45/40, and 170°-20/50/30 have been determined in accordance with the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) and Institute of Petroleum (IP). When compared to diesel, the microemulsion prepared from 200° and 190° proof ethanol were found to have relative density variations from −0.78% to 0.87% and kinematic viscosity and gross heat of combustion variations from 9.8% to 17.7% lower and 2.5% to 21.5% lower than that of the diesel. The flash points, fire points, and pour points of the microemulsions were found in the range of 8.3 to 16.7 °C, 11.5 to 20.5 °C, and 6.7 to –2.3 °C, respectively. The performance of a 3.73 kW diesel engine on microemulsion fuels of 200° and 190° proof ethanol with respect to brake power, brake specific fuel consumption, brake thermal efficiency, and emission of CO, UBHC, and NOx revealed that these fuels have almost similar power-producing capability with reduced exhaust emission. Thus, the stable microemulsions of 200° and 190° proof ethanol were found to be compatible with the diesel and can be used as an alternative to diesel in CI engines. The use of the above microemulsions replaced 19–49% of the diesel in low brake horse power (bhp) constant speed CI engines.
Microalgal lipids can be enhanced through varying nitrogen (N) content, and limited supply of nitrogen source seems to be valuable approach for increased lipid accumulation in microalgae. In this study, Chlorella sp. IM-02 was observed under fluorescence microscope for increased number of lipid bodies under nitrogen scarcity. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy was used to determine spectral changes due to varying lipid content under nitrogen-starved (N 0 , without sodium nitrate), nitrogen-limited (N 0.1 , N 0.25 , N 0.5 and N 1.0 representing 0.1, 0.25, 0.5 and 1.0 g/L of sodium nitrate, respectively) and nitrogen-sufficient (N 1.5 , i.e., 1.5 g/L sodium nitrate) setting. Chlorophyll content was also monitored under these conditions as growth indicator. Various biochemical components viz. total carbohydrates, total proteins and total lipids were also estimated under varying nitrogen levels spectrophotometrically. On fourth day itself, maximum lipid productivity was observed in case of N 0.5 , which is having one-third of nitrogen concentration present in original growth media, BG-11. This concludes N 0.5 as suitable nitrogen provision for better production of lipids in Chlorella sp. IM-02 without much compromising the biomass production as both growth and lipid quantity are key parameters affecting the lipid productivity of any microalgal strain.
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