PUBLICATION LIST

 B. M. Masum, S. M. Aminossadati, M. S. Kizil, and C. R. Leonardi. "Numerical and experimental

investigations of pressure-driven gas flow in hollow-core photonic crystal fibers." Applied
optics 58, no. 4 (2019): 963-972.
 B. M. Masum, S. M. Aminossadati, C. R. Leonardi, M. S. Kizil, and M. Amanzadeh. "Numerical
analysis of gas diffusion in drilled Hollow-Core Photonic Crystal fibres." Measurement 127 (2018):
283-291.
 B. M. Masum, S. M. Aminossadati, C. R. Leonardi, M. S. Kizil, and M. Amanzadeh. "New generation
of gas sensors for underground coal mining applications." Australian Mine Ventilation Conference,
2017.
 B. M. Masum, S. M. Aminossadati, C. R. Leonardi, and M. Amanzadeh. "Mathematical modelling
of gas flow in a hollow core optical fibre." In 2017 2nd International Conference for Fibre-optic and
Photonic Sensors for Industrial and Safety Applications (OFSIS), pp. 52-55. IEEE, 2017.
 B. M. Masum, H. H. Masjuki, M. A. Kalam, IM Rizwanul Fattah, S. M. Palash, and M. J. Abedin.
"Effect of ethanol–gasoline blend on NOx emission in SI engine." Renewable and Sustainable
Energy Reviews 24 (2013): 209-222.
 B. M. Masum, Haji Hassan Masjuki, M. A. Kalam, S. M. Palash, and M. Habibullah. "Effect of
alcohol–gasoline blends optimization on fuel properties, performance and emissions of a SI
engine." Journal of Cleaner Production 86 (2015): 230-237.
 B. M. Masum, M. A. Kalam, H. H. Masjuki, S. M. Palash, and IM Rizwanul Fattah. "Performance
and emission analysis of a multi cylinder gasoline engine operating at different alcohol–gasoline
blends." Rsc Advances 4, no. 53 (2014): 27898-27904.
 B. M. Masum, M. A. Kalam, H. H. Masjuki, SM Ashrafur Rahman, and E. E. Daggig. "Impact of
denatured anhydrous ethanol–gasoline fuel blends on a spark-ignition engine." Rsc Advances 4,
no. 93 (2014): 51220-51227.
 B. M. Masum, M. A. Kalam, H. H. Masjuki, and S. M. Palash. "Study on the effect of adiabatic flame
temperature on NOx formation using ethanol gasoline blend in SI engine." In Advanced Materials
Research, vol. 781, pp. 2471-2475. Trans Tech Publications Ltd, 2013.
 B. M. Masum, H. H. Masjuki, M. A. Kalam, S. M. Palash, M. A. Wakil, and S. Imtenan. "Tailoring
the key fuel properties using different alcohols (C2–C6) and their evaluation in gasoline
engine." Energy conversion and management 88 (2014): 382-390.
 Islam, Md Tariqul, Poo Balan Ganesan, Md Masum Billah, and Md Nasir Uddin. "A numerical study
of single air bubble formation comparison between in viscous liquid and in water." Asia‐Pacific
Journal of Chemical Engineering 14, no. 6 (2019): e2367.
 S. M. Palash, M. A. Kalam, H. H. Masjuki, M. I. Arbab, B. M. Masum, and A. Sanjid. "Impacts of NOx
reducing antioxidant additive on performance and emissions of a multi-cylinder diesel engine
fueled with Jatropha biodiesel blends." Energy Conversion and Management 77 (2014): 577-585.
 S. M. Palash, M. A. Kalam, H. H. Masjuki, B. M. Masum, IM Rizwanul Fattah, and M. Mofijur.
"Impacts of biodiesel combustion on NOx emissions and their reduction approaches." Renewable
and Sustainable Energy Reviews 23 (2013): 473-490.
 M. Mofijur, A. E. Atabani, HH al Masjuki, M. A. Kalam, and B. M. Masum. "A study on the effects
of promising edible and non-edible biodiesel feedstocks on engine performance and emissions
production: a comparative evaluation." Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews 23 (2013):
391-404.
 IM Rizwanul Fattah, H. H. Masjuki, M. A. Kalam, M. A. Hazrat, B. M. Masum, S. Imtenan, and A.
M. Ashraful. "Effect of antioxidants on oxidation stability of biodiesel derived from vegetable and
animal based feedstocks." Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews 30 (2014): 356-370.
 Abedin, M. J., H. H. Masjuki, M. A. Kalam, A. Sanjid, SM Ashrafur Rahman, and B. M. Masum.
"Energy balance of internal combustion engines using alternative fuels." Renewable and
Sustainable Energy Reviews 26 (2013): 20-33.

1
 Palash, S. M., H. H. Masjuki, M. A. Kalam, B. M. Masum, A. Sanjid, and M. J. Abedin. "State of the
art of NOx mitigation technologies and their effect on the performance and emission characteristics
of biodiesel-fueled Compression Ignition engines." Energy conversion and management 76 (2013):
400-420.
 Habibullah, M., Haji Hassan Masjuki, M. A. Kalam, N. W. M. Zulkifli, B. M. Masum, A. Arslan, and
M. Gulzar. "Friction and wear characteristics of Calophyllum inophyllum biodiesel." Industrial Crops
and Products 76 (2015): 188-197.
 Yusoff, M. N. A. M., N. W. M. Zulkifli, B. M. Masum, and H. H. Masjuki. "Feasibility of bioethanol
and biobutanol as transportation fuel in spark-ignition engine: a review." RSC Advances 5, no. 121
(2015): 100184-100211.
 Mostofa Kamal Nasir, Rafidah Md Noor, M. A. Kalam, and B. M. Masum. "Reduction of fuel
consumption and exhaust pollutant using intelligent transport systems." The Scientific World
Journal 2014 (2014).
 M. A. Wakil. M. A. Kalam, H. H. Masjuki, IM Rizwanul Fattah, and B. M. Masum. "Evaluation of rice
bran, sesame and moringa oils as feasible sources of biodiesel and the effect of blending on their
physicochemical properties." RSC Advances 4, no. 100 (2014): 56984-56991.
 S. M. Palash, M. A. Kalam, H. H. Masjuki, B. M. Masum, and A. Sanjid. "Impacts of Jatropha
biodiesel blends on engine performance and emission of a multi cylinder diesel engine." In Proc. of
the Intl. Conf. on Future Trends in Structural, Civil, Environmental and Mechanical Engineering--
FTSCEM, vol. 2013, pp. 84-88. 2013.
 IM Rizwanul Fattah, Haji Hassan Masjuki, M. A. Kalam, and B. M. Masum. "Effect of synthetic
antioxidants on storage stability of Calophyllum inophyllum biodiesel." Materials Research
Innovations 18, no. sup6 (2014): S6-90.
 IM Rizwanul Fattah, H. H. Masjuki, M. A. Kalam, and B. M. Masum. "Effect of synthetic antioxidants
on emission characteristics of a coconut biodiesel powered diesel engine." IPCBEE 61 (2014): 89-
93.
 M. J. Abedin, Haji Hassan Masjuki, M. A. Kalam, Mahendra Varman, M. I. Arbab, I. M. Fattah, and
B. M. Masum. "Experimental investigation of a multicylinder unmodified diesel engine performance,
emission, and heat loss characteristics using different biodiesel blends: Rollout of B10 in
Malaysia." The Scientific World Journal 2014 (2014).
 S. M. Palash, M. A. Kalam, H. H. Masjuki, and B. M. Masum. "Impacts of N, N'-diphenyl-1, 4-
phenylenediamine (DPPD) Antioxidant Additive in Jatropha Biodiesel Blends to Reduce NOx
Emission of a Multi Cylinder Vehicle Type Diesel Engine." In Advanced Materials Research, vol.
774, pp. 784-790. Trans Tech Publications Ltd, 2013.

Here is the 1st pages of selected publications:

2
 Research Article Vol. 58, No. 4 / 1 February 2019 / Applied Optics 963

Numerical and experimental investigations

of pressure-driven gas flow in hollow-core
photonic crystal fibers
BILLAH M. MASUM, SAIIED M. AMINOSSADATI,* MEHMET S. KIZIL, AND CHRISTOPHER R. LEONARDI
School of Mechanical and Mining Engineering, The University of Queensland, QLD 4072, Australia
*Corresponding author: uqsamino@uq.edu.au

Received 16 October 2018; revised 21 December 2018; accepted 21 December 2018; posted 21 December 2018 (Doc. ID 348241);
published 28 January 2019

A comprehensive understanding of gas flow in long hollow-core photonic crystal fibers (HC-PCFs) is critical for
evaluating their sensing performance for low-concentration gases, especially in terms of response time. The aim of
this paper is to numerically and experimentally investigate the pressure-driven gas flow dynamics in a relatively
long HC-PCF-based gas sensor. The gas flow in the core of a 1.1 m long HC-PCF was numerically modeled to
examine the gas sensing response time in terms of the time for the gas to fill the core (gas filling time). The model
was validated against the experimental results of continuous-wave modulated photothermal spectroscopy. The
model was then used to analyze the effects of gas inlet pressure, core diameter, fiber length, and gas type on the gas
flow field and gas filling time. The results revealed that a lower gas filling time was achieved as the pressure
difference between the inlet and outlet increased, the core diameter increased, and/or the core length decreased.
The developed numerical model provides valuable information such as cross-sectional velocity profiles and gas
flow rates that cannot be readily obtained from simpler analytical models. © 2019 Optical Society of America
https://doi.org/10.1364/AO.58.000963

1. INTRODUCTION
Hollow-core photonic crystal fibers (HC-PCFs), with their
unique structure, have been used in various research studies,
including clear demonstrations of solitary waves and self-
similarity in stimulated Raman scattering [1,2], well-controlled
coherent atomic physics experiments [3], delivery of intense,
high-energy optical solitons [4], and particle guidance [5].
The novel design of HC-PCFs provides new opportunities for
developing advanced fiber-optic based gas sensors, where the
interaction between light and gas occurs within the fiber struc-
ture [6]. The HC-PCF consists of a hollow and air-filled core,
surrounded by a periodic array of smaller holes along the length
of the core. The HC-PCF can be used as a gas sensor when the
gas is guided to travel into the hollow structure of the fiber and
interact with light. The air-filled core of HC-PCFs guides more
than 98% field energy of propagating lights. This significantly
increases the overlapping of light in the gas inside the core [7].
The response time of HC-PCF-based gas sensors depends
on the gas filling and evacuation time [8]. The response time
of HC-PCF gas sensors has been studied by several researchers.
Hoo et al. [9] examined a HC-PCF with a 7 cm length and
seven side-holes at 5% methane gas concentration. They found
the response time to be 6 s. Lehmann et al. [10] used two 65 cm
long HC-PCFs, where one had 12 side-holes with 5 cm spacing
and another had seven side-holes with 8 cm spacing. For 50%
methane gas concentration, the response time was found to be
approximately 6 min for the HC-PCF with 12 side-holes and
18 min for the HC-PCF with seven side-holes.
HC-PCFs can facilitate light and gas interaction in confined
areas on the order of 100 μm2 over distances of tens of
meters [11]. However, the weak absorption lines and low-
concentration gases need a longer path of light–gas interaction.
Also, for weak absorption lines, the tight confinement of the
optical field allows high intensity to be maintained over the
interaction path. This enables nonlinear phenomena to be stud-
ied, which would previously require the use of built-up cavities.
In general, the core diameter of HC-PCF is 10–20 μm, which
makes the aspect ratio excessively high, such as 105 for 1 m long
HC-PCF. The natural gas diffusion in long fibers requires sev-
eral hours to fill the core. This makes gas sensing impractical.
Several studies have focused on pressure-driven gas flow in long
HC-PCFs to examine ways of reducing the gas filling time.
In an experimental study, Ritari et al. [12] used a long HC-
PCF to investigate the sensitivity of the HC-PCF gas sensor.
For a 0.8 m long HC-PCF, it was found that the response time
was 4 s and 6 s for the inlet pressure of 10 mbar and 113 mbar,
respectively. They concluded that long length fibers were suit-
able for detecting low-concentration gases and weak absorption

1559-128X/19/040963-10 Journal © 2019 Optical Society of America

 New generation of gas sensors for
underground coal mining applications
B M Masum1, S M Aminossadati2, C R Leonardi3, M S Kizil4 and
M Amanzadeh5

ABSTRACT
Gas sensing systems are becoming more important in many industries such as oil, gas and mining
operations. Particularly in underground coalmines, accurate and reliable monitoring of toxic and
combustible gases such as methane, nitrogen dioxide, carbon monoxide and hydrogen sulfide is
essential. Available conventional electrochemical sensors for gas measurements in underground
coalmines suffer from shortcomings such as cross-sensitivity response, limited lifetime, high
calibration cost, maintenance cost and safety. Recent studies have found that fibre optic-based gas
sensors have potential to eliminate these issues. These sensors can also be used for long distance and
distributed sensing of various gases, both of which are important for underground gas monitoring.
The aim of this paper is to review the present underground mining gas monitoring systems and
review the new generation of fibre optic-based sensing systems for use in underground coalmines.

INTRODUCTION
A variety of gases can be found in underground coalmines.
Depending on their concentration, some of these gases can
be explosive and/or toxic. They can, therefore, pose major
health and safety concerns. Reliable gas monitoring systems
are required in the development of effective mine ventilation
and gas management systems in order to maintain acceptable
air quality and ensure safety in underground coalmines.
Common hazardous mine gases are presented in Figure 1,
which also presents the Threshold Limit Values (TLV) for
toxic gases and Explosive Limits (EL) for explosive gases.
Methane (CH4) has been identified to be the main contributor
to coalmine explosions (McAleavey et al, 1997). Hydrogen
Sulfide (H2S) and Carbon Monoxide (CO) are the mine gases
that can be toxic and explosive.
More than 50 per cent of mine accidents are gas related
such as gas explosion, poisoning and suffocation (Chen et al,
2012). Yin et al (2017) found that the number of coal mining
accidents due to gas explosion is more significant than the
other accidents in coalmines in China (Figure 2). Despite
the fact that mining accidents have significantly decreased
in recent years, gas explosion is still a threat to the mining
industry. Robertson (2017) indicated that 918 fatalities have
been recorded in the history of Australian underground coal
mining and 34 per cent of that are due to gas and ventilation
related accidents.
Current gas monitoring systems used in underground
coalmines still experience technical challenges such as
high response time, the need for frequent calibration and
maintenance, and low accuracy and sensitivity. Recently, new
gas sensing technologies have been introduced to improve
the performance of gas monitoring systems. In particular,
fibre optic-based sensing systems have received special
attention due to their reliability, intrinsically safe operation,
high sensitivity, short response time and stability (Lee, 2003).
In this paper, the current gas monitoring systems used in
underground coalmines have been summarised and the fibre
optic-based gas sensing systems and their opportunities in
underground coalmine application have been discussed.
GAS SENSING TECHNOLOGIES
Gas sensors and detectors are commonly used to detect
toxic and flammable gases in various industrial operations.
The use of gas sensors is becoming increasingly important
in industrial, environmental, transport and medical sectors.
A report (Anon, 2016) shows that the gas sensor market will
grow to $765 M by 2020 from $540 M in 2014. A number of
studies have been performed to explore new generations of
sensors, new principles of sensing and different techniques of
sensor fabrication. Table 1 presents a classification of different
gas sensors based on their working principles.
The performance of gas sensors are affected by various
parameters such as sensitivity, electivity, response time,
accuracy, environmental and operating conditions. In
addition, the few other parameters such as the need for
maintenance and calibration, and the capital and operating
cost are important to select the appropriate gas sensor for
a specific application. In Table 2, the important parameters
need to consider to select a gas sensor have presented.

1. PhD Student, The University of Queensland, St Lucia Qld 4072. Email: m.billah@uq.edu.au

2. Senior Lecturer, The University of Queensland, St Lucia Qld 4072. Email: s.aminossadati@uq.edu.au
3. Lecturer, The University of Queensland, St Lucia Qld 4072. Email: c.leonardi@uq.edu.au
4. MAusIMM, Associate Professor, The University of Queensland, St Lucia Qld 4072. Email: m.kizil@uq.edu.au
5. PhD Student, The University of Queensland, St Lucia Qld 4072. Email: m.amanzadeh@uq.edu.au

THE AUSTRALIAN MINE VENTILATION CONFERENCE / BRISBANE, QLD, 28–30 AUGUST 2017 1
 2017 2nd International Conference of Fibre-optic and Photonic Sensors for Industrial and Safety Applications

Mathematical Modelling of Gas Flow in a Hollow-Core Optical

Fibre
B. M. Masum, S. M. Aminossadati, C. R. Leonardi and M. Amanzadeh
School of Mechanical and Mining Engineering, The University of Queensland, QLD 4072,
Australia
Email: m.billah@uq.edu.au
ABSTRACT
Hollow-Core Photonic Crystal Fibres (HC-PCFs) provide a microscale cell for fast response optical gas sensing.
This paper presents a computational simulation of flow behaviour of methane and hydrogen gases in HC-PCFs
under ambient pressure and temperature. A mathematical model has been developed to study the gas diffusion
time in different structures and lengths of HC-PCF. The results show the relation of gas concentration over time
along the length of HC-PCF’s core.
Optical fibre, Hollow-core photonic crystal fibre, Gas spectroscopy, Gas diffusion modelling

1. INTRODUCTION
Gas sensing systems are an essential component of various industrial operations and environmental monitoring
systems. Recently, the development of new fibre-optic based gas sensing technologies in near-infrared has been
investigated to improve the performance of gas monitoring systems [1]. In particular, Hollow-Core Photonic
Crystal Fibres (HC-PCFs) feature special characteristics that can be used in the development of an advanced gas
sensing device. Firstly, the periodic micro-structured holes surrounding the hollow core are specially designed to
direct over 95% of the laser light in the core of HC-PCFs. This offers an enhanced environment for the light to
travel through and interact with the gas travelling through the core, enabling highly sensitive gas spectroscopy. In
addition, only a small quantity of the gas within the core is sufficient to achieve acceptable sensing response.
These features facilitate an opportunity for the development of an all-fibre gas sensor, where the optical fibre
becomes a sensor itself [1].
Response time is an important performance parameter for a reliable gas sensor. In the case of gas sensing in
HC-PCF, the response time only depends on gas filling and evacuating time in the core of HC-PCF. A perfect
understanding of flow behaviours of different gases is necessary for optimal design of a HC-PCF gas sensor, as
well as, study of various linear and non-linear optics behaviour in HC-PCF [2, 3]. The gas flow simulation is
required for understanding and predicting the behaviour of gas flow dynamics. This paper presents an analytical
model for simulating the gas flow in HC-PCF and analyses the gas flow behaviour of methane and hydrogen under
different HC-PCF design parameters.

2. THEORY OF GAS DYNAMIC MODEL OF HC-PCF

A HC-PCF that has one open end for gas filling has been considered for the modelling. Figure 1 elaborates the
schematic diagram for this model. If the entire process is considered as isothermal and isobaric, the concentration
gradient drives the gas flow through length of the fibre. In this analysis, the Knudsen number is introduced, which
is the ratio of mean free path of the gas molecules and body dimension of the flow path. At atmospheric pressure
and temperature, the Knudsen number is very low (0.057 and 0.1 for methane and hydrogen, respectively) in the
core of HC-PCF, which results in gas transport in the slip flow regime. The gas-wall interaction in the slip flow
regime can be defined with the Langmuir adsorption isotherm [4]. The concentration gradient of gas molecules in
the core of HC-PCF can be expressed by the diffusion physisorption equation [5], as,
( , ) ( , ) ( , )
= − (1)

where the first term on the right hand side represents the molecular diffusion and the second term represents the
molecular absorption at the wall. C(x, t) is the gas concentration at any point with respect to time and (x, t)
represents the amount of gas molecules absorbed at the wall per unit volume of the wall. D is the diffusivity of
the gas molecules in the background gas. The x and t represent the position and time, respectively.

978-1-5090-5054-3/17 $31.00 © 2017 IEEE 52

DOI 10.1109/OFSIS.2017.13
 RSC Advances
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Performance and emission analysis of a multi

cylinder gasoline engine operating at different
Cite this: RSC Adv., 2014, 4, 27898
alcohol–gasoline blends
B. M. Masum,* M. A. Kalam,* H. H. Masjuki, S. M. Palash and I. M. Rizwanul Fattah

Alcohols are potential renewable alternatives for gasoline because of their bio-based origin. Although
Published on 16 June 2014. Downloaded on 3/4/2020 12:36:24 AM.

Received 15th May 2014
Accepted 16th June 2014
DOI: 10.1039/c4ra04580g
www.rsc.org/advances
ethanol has been successfully implemented in many parts of the world, other alcohols may also be
utilized, such as methanol, propanol, and butanol. These alcohols contain much energy and a high
octane number. Furthermore, they displace petroleum. Therefore, this study focuses on methanol,
ethanol, propanol, and butanol as gasoline fuel alternatives. We conducted tests in a four-cylinder
gasoline engine under the wide open throttle condition at varying speeds and results. This engine was
fueled with 20% methanol–80% gasoline (M20), 20% ethanol–80% gasoline (E20), 20% propanol–80%
gasoline (P20), and 20% butanol–80% gasoline (B20). M20, E20, P20, and B20 displayed brake specific
fuel consumptions levels and break thermal efficiencies that were higher than those of gasoline at 7.78%,
5.17%, 4.43%, and 1.95% and 3.6%, 2.15%, 0.7%, and 1.86%, respectively. P20 and B20 showed better
torque than E20, but they consumed more fuel. Moreover, the alcohol–gasoline blends generated a
higher peak in-cylinder pressure than pure gasoline. As gasoline fuel alternatives, propanol and butanol
were more effective than gasoline in engines. In addition, the alcohol–gasoline blends also emitted less
carbon monoxide and hydrocarbon than gasoline. However, E20 emitted more nitrogen oxide than the
other alcohol–gasoline blends. Thus, propanol and butanol are more effective options than ethanol for a
gasoline engine in terms of fuel properties, engine performance, and emissions.

sources for clean combustion have received increased attention

Introduction
For researchers and manufacturers in the eld of energy, the
replacement of petroleum gasoline with alternative fuels is an
important issue given rising petroleum fuel prices, environ-
mental threats from engine exhaust emissions, fossil fuel
depletion, the effects of global warming, and energy concerns.1
Global energy consumption has increased sharply recently, and
it will increase by approximately 53% by 2030, according to the
International Energy Agency.2 The United States Energy Infor-
mation Administration projects that the liquid fuel consump-
tion in the world will increase from 86.1 million barrels per day
to 110.6 million barrels per day by 2035.3 Furthermore, the
burning of petroleum-derived fuel generates emissions that
seriously affect both the environment and human health. In
particular, the burning of fossil fuels is a main contributor to
the increase in carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, which in turn
aggravates global warming. If fossil fuel emissions are not
strictly regulated soon, greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from
fossil fuels will increase by 39% by 2030. Hence, alternative fuel
Department of Mechanical Engineering, Centre for Energy Sciences, Faculty of
Engineering, University of Malaya, 50603, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. E-mail:
masum05me@gmail.com; kalam@um.edu.my; masjuki@um.edu.my; mpsalium@
gmail.com; rizwanulfattah@gmail.com; Fax: +60 3 79675317; Tel: +60 3 79674448
given several factors, such as worldwide environmental
concerns, price hikes in petroleum products, and the expected
depletion of fossil fuels.4 Therefore, the development of clean
alternative fuels that are locally available, environmentally
acceptable, and technically feasible is a global concern. In the
transport sector, biofuels can be a good substitute for fossil
fuels because they can be adopted directly without altering the
engine and fuelling processes.
The use of alcohols as substitutes for petrol in spark ignition
(SI) engines has been investigated extensively. These alcohols
enrich oxygen, enhance octane, and reduce carbon monoxide
(CO) emission. As an alternative fuel, ethanol is the most widely
used alcohol type.5 It can be combined with gasoline because of
its simple chemical structure, high octane number and oxygen
content, and accelerated ame propagation.6 Many experi-
mental studies have conrmed that ethanol increases engine
efficiency, torque, and power. However, its brake specic fuel
consumption (BSFC) is higher than that of gasoline.7
Balki et al.8 studied the performance, combustion, and
emission characteristics of a single-cylinder gasoline engine
fuelled by gasoline, ethanol, and methanol. Pure ethanol and
methanol enhanced torque by 3.7% and 4.7%, at the expense of
a 58% and 84% increase in BSFC, respectively, compared with
those of gasoline fuel. Nitrogen oxide (NOx), CO, and

27898 | RSC Adv., 2014, 4, 27898–27904 This journal is © The Royal Society of Chemistry 2014
 RSC Advances
View Article Online
PAPER View Journal | View Issue

Impact of denatured anhydrous ethanol–gasoline

fuel blends on a spark-ignition engine
Cite this: RSC Adv., 2014, 4, 51220
B. M. Masum, M. A. Kalam, H. H. Masjuki, S. M. Ashrafur Rahman* and E. E. Daggig

Alcohols are a potential alternative fuel because of their renewable bio-based sources. Since the nineteenth
century alcohols have been used as an alternative fuel in gasoline engines. Investigations into performance
Published on 03 October 2014. Downloaded on 3/4/2020 12:38:37 AM.

Received 5th August 2014
Accepted 3rd October 2014
DOI: 10.1039/c4ra08130g
www.rsc.org/advances
and emissions relating to the use of denatured anhydrous ethanol (DAE) (94.8% ethanol + 5% methanol +
0.2% water) blends with gasoline are discussed in this paper. Tests were carried out at half throttle and under
variable speed conditions for a speed range of 1000 to 4000 rpm with various blends of DAE–gasoline fuel
on a 1.6 liter 4-cylinder gasoline engine. It was observed that DAE has a significant positive effect on the
performance of the gasoline engine. The results showed that blending gasoline with DAE slightly
increases the torque, brake power, volumetric efficiency and brake power with higher brake specific fuel
consumption. In addition, DAE reduces CO, HC and NOx emission. In terms of investigated parameters,
up to 50% blends with gasoline have been found to be a promising fuel for gasoline engines.

Higher percentage blends can also be used with some modi-

1 Introduction
It is an undeniable truth that the storage of energy in the earth's
crust is diminishing day by day, which is bringing about an
exasperating situation with respect to the energy crisis and
environmental pollution. The massive usage of that energy will
escalate the exhaustion of nite fossil fuels. Petroleum-based
fossil fuels presently provide the major portion of energy.
However, their sources are limited in this earth. The World
Energy Forum has predicted that fossil-based oil, coal and gas
reserves will be exhausted in less than another 10 decades.1 Due
to the increasing usage and detrimental environmental effects
of these fossil fuels, researchers are motivated to search for
renewable sources.2,3 Furthermore, the burning of petroleum
derived fuel generates emissions that seriously affect both the
environment and human health. In particular, the burning of
fossil fuels is a main contributor to the increase in carbon
dioxide (CO2) emissions, which in turn aggravates global
warming.4,5
In the quest for renewable sources, researchers have tested
many alternative sources. Among them bio-ethanol is by far
the most widely used biofuel and has been used in trans-
portation since the nineteenth century.6–8 Research on the use
of alternative fuels such as methanol and ethanol and their
blends in spark ignition engines is being intensively proposed
because of their potential for low exhaust emissions.9–11 A
lower percentage of ethanol in ethanol–gasoline blends can be
used in unmodied engines without any engine modication.
Centre for Energy Sciences, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Faculty of
Engineering, University of Malaya, 50603 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. E-mail: rahman.
ashrafur.um@gmail.com; Fax: +603 79675317; Tel: +603 79674448
cation of the engine. Using ethanol–gasoline blends as a fuel,
signicantly reduce the use of gasoline as well as exhaust
emissions.12
Ethanol has a higher latent heat of evaporation as well as
octane number than that of gasoline and it contains 34.7%
oxygen by weight. As a result of these properties, ethanol
enhances the engine performance and lowers emissions. Liu
et al.13 used gasoline, 10% and 20% ethanol in gasoline blends
in a three-cylinder port fuel injection gasoline engine. The
addition of ethanol increases the oxygen content in the fuel,
thus increasing the ethanol fraction in the gasoline results in
lower hydrocarbon (HC), carbon dioxide (CO2) and NOx
emissions than gasoline. Venugopal et al.10 measured the
performance, emission and combustion characteristics of a
port fuel-injected engine with 10% hydrous ethanol by volume
in gasoline and compared the results with gasoline. Hydrous
ethanol produced higher torque and thermal efficiency and a
lower HC at 25% throttle. The researchers attributed this to
the presence of oxygen in the fuel and the higher combustion
rate. Costa and Sodré14 investigated the performance and
emission of hydrous ethanol (6.8% water content) and a 78%
gasoline–22% ethanol blend (E22) with varying speeds. They
found hydrous ethanol produced higher break thermal effi-
ciency (BTE) and break specic fuel consumption (BSFC) than
E22 over the entire speed range but higher torque and break
mean effective pressure (BMEP) were observed for high engine
speeds. Hydrous ethanol reduced CO and HC emissions but
increased CO2 emission.
Koç et al.8 experimentally investigated the performance and
pollutant emissions characteristics of an unleaded gasoline–
ethanol blend with two different compression ratios. The

51220 | RSC Adv., 2014, 4, 51220–51227 This journal is © The Royal Society of Chemistry 2014
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Paper Titles

Study on the E ect of Adiabatic Flame Temperature on

NOx Formation Using Ethanol Gasoline Blend in SI
Engine
1427 29

Abstract:
Active research and development on using ethanol fuel in gasoline engine had
been done for few decades since ethanol served as a potential of in nite fuel
supply. This paper discussed analytically and provides data on the e ects of
compression ratio, equivalence ratio, inlet temperature, inlet pressure and
ethanol blend in cylinder adiabatic ame temperature (AFT) and nitrogen oxide
(NO) formation of a gasoline engine. Olikara and Borman routines were used to
calculate the equilibrium products of combustion for ethanol gasoline blended
fuel. The equilibrium values of each species were used to predict AFT and the NO
formation of combustion chamber. The result shows that both adiabatic ame temperature and NO
formation are lower for ethanol-gasoline blend than gasoline fuel.

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Info:

Periodical: Advanced Materials Research (Volumes 781-784)

Main Theme: Advances in Chemical Engineering III

Edited by: Lin Yu, Jianwei Guo, Guobin Yi and Qian Yu

Pages: 2471-2475

DOI: https://doi.org/10.4028/www.scienti c.net/AMR.781-

784.2471