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During the past several years, research and studies in the field of solar energy have been continuously increased. One of the substantial applications of solar energy is related to industrial utilization for the drying process by efficient heat transfer methods. This study aims to upgrade the overall performance of an indirect solar dryer using a solar absorber extension tube (SET) equipped with ball-type turbulators.

In this work, three various SETs including hollow (SET Type 1), 6-balls (SET Type 2) and 10-balls (SET Type 3), have been simulated using Fluent software to evaluate heat transfer characteristics and flow structure along the air passage. Then, the modified solar drying system has been manufactured and tested at different configurations.

The findings indicated that adding a SET improved the performance notably. According to the results, using turbulators in the tube has a positive effect on heat transfer. The highest overall thermal efficiency was found in the range of 51.47%–64.71% for the system with SET Type 3. The maximum efficiency increment of the system was found as 19% with the use of SET. Also, the average specific moisture extraction rate, which is a significant factor to survey the effectiveness of the dehumidification system was found between 0.20 and 0.38 kg kWh⁻¹.

In the present study, a novel SET has been developed to upgrade the performance of the solar dehumidifier. This new approach makes it possible to improve both thermal and drying performances.

Spark ignition (SI) engines are used in a wide area in the transportation industry, from road vehicles to piston-prop aircraft. On the other hand, the decrease in reserves of fossil fuels used in SI engines and the increase in greenhouse gas emissions makes the use of alternative fuels inevitable. In this paper, optimization of in-cylinder combustion and engine performance parameters by intake-charge conditions [i.e. intake-air temperature, injection timing and exhaust gas recirculation (EGR)] in a hydrogen (H₂)-fueled small SI engine is performed.

Experimental studies were performed at a 1,600 rpm engine speed of a single-cylinder, air-cooled engine having a stroke volume of 476.5 cm³, maximum output power of 13 HP and torque of 25 Nm. The hydrogen-fueled SI engine was operated by a lean air-fuel mixture (ϕ = 0.6) under wide-open throttle (WOT) conditions.

The findings of the paper show that improvements can be achieved in in-cylinder combustion, indicated engine performance, exhaust NO_x emissions with optimum intake-air temperature, the start of H₂ injection and the ERG rate.

It has been determined that a 32°C intake-air temperature, 395°C (bTDC) start of H₂ injection, and 5%–10% EGR rates are the most suitable values for the examined hydrogen fueled SI engine.

Hydrogen is a usable alternative fuel for SI engines used in a wide area from road vehicles to piston-prop aircraft engines. However, a number of problems remain that limit hydrogen fueled SI engines to some extent, such as backfire, a decrease of engine power, and high NO_x emissions. Therefore, it is appropriate to examine the effects of intake-charge conditions on in-cylinder combustion, engine performance, and NO_x emissions parameters in a hydrogen fuelled SI engine.

Diesel engine can produce power more efficiently with lower exhaust emissions when operated at optimum input parameter settings. To achieve this goal, the purpose of this paper is to optimize the input parameters of diesel engine which will lead to optimum performance and exhaust emissions.

To achieve the goal of improving diesel engine performance and exhaust emissions, four input parameters were considered in the study. Five different levels of each input parameter were taken. Four response variables under no load, half load and full load conditions were recorded. Experiments were performed in random manner according to selected Taguchi L25 orthogonal array. The data were analyzed using grey relational analysis coupled with principal component analysis. Analysis of S/N ratio was performed to obtain the optimum combination of input parameters. The grey relational grade at optimum setting of the input parameters was obtained by regression analysis.

Results of the current research work give the optimum input parameter settings for no load, half load and full load conditions of diesel engine. Engine produces power more efficiently with low exhaust emissions when operated at these optimum settings.

In view of the compliance to the stringent air pollution norms of the nations and fast depleting fossil fuels, it is of the utmost importance to design and operate the engine in the optimum range of its input parameters so that it produces more power with low exhaust emissions. This paper aims at optimizing input parameters of diesel engine to improve performance and exhaust emissions. Results of the study presented in this paper are significantly useful for diesel engine-related researchers and professionals.

From the literature review, it appears that only few researchers have conducted studies pertaining to the optimization of the input parameters of diesel engine to improve performance or exhaust emissions. Although few studies related to the optimization of compression ratio, fuel injection timing, fuel injection pressure and air pressure have been reported, no work related to optimization of temperature and pressure of turbocharged air has been reported. Therefore, the main focus of the current research work is on optimizing the charge air temperature and pressure with respect to performance and exhaust emissions.

The present work aims at improving the performance of the engine using optimized fuel injection strategies and operating parameters for plastic oil ethanol blends. To optimize and predict the engine injection and operational parameters, response surface methodology (RSM) and artificial neural networks (ANN) are used respectively.

The engine operating parameters such as load, compression ratio, injection timing and the injection pressure are taken as inputs whereas brake thermal efficiency (BTHE), brake-specific fuel consumption (BSFC), carbon monoxide (CO), hydrocarbons (HC), oxides of nitrogen (NO_x) and smoke emissions are treated as outputs. The experiments are designed according to the design of experiments, and optimization is carried out to find the optimum operational and injection parameters for plastic oil ethanol blends in the engine.

Optimum operational parameters of the engine when fuelled with plastic oil and ethanol blends are obtained at 8 kg of load, injection pressure of 257 bar, injection timing of 17° before top dead center and blend of 15%. The engine performance parameters obtained at optimum engine running conditions are BTHE 32.5%, BSFC 0.24 kg/kW.h, CO 0.057%, HC 10 ppm, NO_x 324.13 ppm and smoke 79.1%. The values predicted from ANN are found to be more close to experimental values when compared with the values of RSM.

In the present work, a comparative analysis is carried out on the prediction capabilities of ANN and RSM for variable compression ratio engine fuelled with ethanol blends of plastic oil. The error of prediction for ANN is less than 5% for all the responses such as BTHE, BSFC, CO and NO_x except for HC emission which is 12.8%.

IN the year 1890, Herbert Akroyd Stuart took out a British patent in which, for the first time, mention is made of an engine which may be said to bear some resemblance to the modern compression‐ignition engine.

THE compression‐ignition aircraft engine has arrived in practical form, but the question whether it has come to stay, or rather, whether it will completely displace the petrol engine in course of time, is one on which opinion is much divided. The object of this article is to explore the question from a theoretical point of view.

THE following extended summary of a Report and Memorandum recently issued by the Aeronautical Research Committee is printed here instead of in the ordinary pages devoted to Research Reports and Memoranda, where it would of necessity have to be very considerably abbreviated, owing to the interest and importance of the work described.

Mr. Pye's book sets a high standard for those who are to follow him in this series. It consists of seven chapters and some 250 pages admirably printed on excellent paper. It has an adequate list of references, well arranged tables of relevant physical constants, and a good index. It abounds in numerical illustrations, but has no “examples.” It contains no enigmatic “working drawings.” It sticks to the point, which is to present a logical account of the principles which underlie the design and operation of the internal combustion engine.

The aim of this study is to develop a mathematical model for solar power generation system which starts with the quantification of solar resources on different characteristic surfaces at any location.

This study is based on a detailed quantitative analysis of solar potential at three different cities of Saudi Arabia: Riyadh, Mecca and Sharura. Direct normal insolation is calculated for one-axis tracking surfaces with rotation about East–West (EW) and North–South (NS) horizontal axes, a two-axes tracking surface and a fixed surface tilted at the latitude of each location and facing south. One-axis tracking parabolic trough collector with rotation about horizontal EW and NS axes, and photovoltaic systems are modeled; their performances and heat and optical losses from both systems are quantified for each location.

The findings demonstrate that energy output from the selected solar technologies is maximum and relatively stable in Sharura, whereas Mecca and Riyadh showed large variations during the course of the year.

A comparative analysis between the solar technologies would be very helpful for policy decisions to choose the best option.

The purpose of this study is to get much insight about the combustion and emission characteristics of partially processed high free fatty acid linseed oil, i.e. esterified linseed oil (ELO), and diesel fuel in a single-cylinder compression ignition engine.

The variable compression ratio (CR) diesel engine (3.5 kW) of CR ranging from 12:1 to 18:1 is used for the experimentation purpose. In this study, CR varied from 16:1 to 18:1 for investigating the combustion and emissions characteristics of ELO. Various features such as combustion pressure, net heat release rate and mean gas temperature are analysed. The emission characteristics such as hydrocarbon, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide and nitrogen dioxide are investigated with different loads and CRs. The effect of an ambient temperature condition is also reported.

Results from this investigation reveal that the burning of ELO is found to be advanced for all CRs as compared to diesel fuel, whereas these features were found to be lower for a CR of 17. Emissions of ELO are found to be higher at all loads and CRs. Overall, this study provides a necessary framework to enhance further research in this area.

This investigation shows that ELO has better combustion in the first phase of combustion. However, the exhaust emissions of ELO have higher value due to improper combustion in the second and subsequent phase of combustion due to higher viscosity.