Alcohols as a Sustainable Alternative Fuel for Combustion Engines: A Review

Abstract

In recent decades, alcohols have emerged as an important alternative fuel for internal combustion (IC) engines. Because of its suitability for storage, ease of production, good vaporization characteristics, transportation, and other factors, alcohols have gained popularity as are liable fuel among other liquid alternatives of gasoline and mineral diesel. In this review, fuel properties of methanol, ethanol, and but anol have been discussed in the context of their use as are placement for gasoline/diesel. Alcohols can be produced using either non-renewable or renewable sources of biomass. Furthermore, the production methodologies of various alcohols have been discussed and presented here. The review goes on to discuss the use of alcohols in both spark ignition (SI) and compression ignition (CI) engines separately. The effect of alcohols on combustion, performance, and emission parameters has been thoroughly discussed for SI and CI engines. SI engines are known to be able to use a higher alcohol blend (up to 85 percent v/v). This review shows that the alcohols can be used in CI engines up to a 15% blend v/v without requiring major engine modifications.