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Alternative Fuels for Marine, Aviation and Vehicle Transportation Sectors: Production, Propulsion and Power Generation Technologies

A special issue of Energies (ISSN 1996-1073). This special issue belongs to the section "I1: Fuel".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 January 2023) | Viewed by 17167

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Theodoros Zannis

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Guest Editor
Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering Section, Hellenic Naval Academy, 18539 Piraeus, Greece
Interests: internal combustion engines; marine energy systems; thermofluids; combustion; pollutant emissions
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Prof. Dr. Dimitrios Kyritsis

E-Mail Website1 Website2
Guest Editor
Department of Mechanical Engineering, Khalifa University of Science and Technology, Abu Dhabi 127788, United Arab Emirates
Interests: energy and the environment; internal combustion engines; combustion; fluid mechanics; laser-based flow diagnostics; biofuel and synthetic fuel utilization; applied chemical dynamics; transport phenomena
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Prof. Dr. Apostolos Pesyridis

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
1. College of Engineering, Alasala University, Dammam 31483, Saudi Arabia
2. Center for Advanced Powertrain and Fuels Research (CAPF), Department of Mechanical, Aerospace and Civil Engineering, Brunel University, London UB8 3PH, UK
Interests: propulsion and power generation; automotive engineering; aerospace; rail engineering; marine engineering; waste heat recovery systems; supercharging; turbocharging; ORC; sCO2; thermoelectrics; BEV; FCEV, HEV; PHEV; internal combustion engines
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Elias Yfantis

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Senior Scientist, Cyprus Marine and Maritime Institute, Larnaca 6023, Cyprus
Interests: evaluation of operational and environmental behaviour of diesel engines; development and application of diagnostic techniques for diesel engines; development of gas turbines simulation tools and virtual laboratories; simulation of complex thermodynamic, heat transfer and fluid dynamics phenomena; innovative design of marine and naval powering, propulsion and auxiliary systems; alternative marine fuels
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Ioannis Roumeliotis

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Gas Turbine Propulsion & Thermal Systems Integration Centre for Propulsion Engineering, Cranfield University, Cranfield, UK
Interests: modelling and assessment of gas turbine configurations (existing and novel); consistent physical modelling of gas turbines utilising multi-disciplinary and multi-fidelity methods; steady-state and dynamic simulation of engine and engine systems and gas turbine operation and performance monitoring

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

We would herewith like to welcome submissions to a Special Issue of Energies on the subject area of “Alternative Fuels for Marine, Aviation and Vehicle Transportation Sectors: Production, Propulsion and Power Generation Technologies”. The “Green Deal” and other environmental awareness initiatives that have been undertaken in the international fora of the marine, aviation and vehicle transportation sectors have focused on the production and utilization of alternative gaseous and liquid fuels, such as ammonia, hydrogen, natural gas, LPG and alcohols, because these fuels have the capacity to significantly reduce the operational carbon footprint of the transportation means in the previously mentioned transportation sectors. When the production of alternative fuels is based on the use of alternative energy sources, such as wind energy or solar energy, then the alternative fuels are called “green fuels”, and in this case, not only their operational carbon footprint but also their life-cycle carbon footprint is significantly lower compared to the corresponding life-cycle carbon footprint of conventional production methods used to produce alternative fuels. The most significant challenge of green and alternative fuels production is that most of the methods presented in the literature indicate high energy consumption rates, and they are not cost-effective. Hence, it is of the utmost importance nowadays and in the years to come to develop methods and technologies that reduce the energy consumption and the production cost of carbon-neutral alternative fuels to make them economically competitive with conventional liquid and gaseous fuels, thus strengthening the degree of penetration of alternative fuels in the marine, aviation and vehicle transportation sectors. On the other hand, the use of alternative fuels in marine, aviation and vehicle propulsion systems can significantly improve the environmental footprint of these propulsion systems; however, it is usually accompanied by serious technical, economic and environmental challenges, which should be confronted to develop economically viable and carbon-free contemporary marine, aviation and vehicle propulsion systems. For this reason, as Guest Editors, we kindly invite submissions relevant to production technologies of alternative fuels, either as green fuels or blue fuels or grey fuels, combustion of alternative fuels in internal combustion engines, gas turbines, steam turbines and combined cycles, electrochemistry power generation and propulsion systems utilizing alternative fuels, such as fuel cells with hydrogen carriers, on-board storage and distribution of alternative fuels and alternative fuels’ supply to propulsion systems.

Dr. Theodoros Zannis
Prof. Dr. Dimitrios Kyritsis
Prof. Dr. Apostolos Pesyridis
Prof. Dr. Elias Yfantis
Dr. Ioannis Roumeliotis
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Energies is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • alternative fuels production methods from fossil fuels
  • green fuels, blue fuels and grey fuels production methods
  • biofuels, ammonia, hydrogen, natural gas, LPG, methane, alcohols and syngas
  • production of alternative fuels from waste heat
  • production of alternative fuels using alternative energy sources (wind energy, solar energy)
  • combustion of alternative fuels in marine, aviation and vehicle transportation systems
  • electrochemical propulsion and power generation systems using alternative fuels, such as hydrogen carriers
  • life-cycle assessments of alternative fuels production and utilization in propulsion and power generation systems
  • well-to-wheel, well-to-tank and well-to-propeller studies of alternative fuels
  • diagnostics of alternative fuels’ propulsion systems
  • on-board storage and distribution of alternative fuels in transportation means
  • retrofits of the existing conventional propulsion system for operation with alternative fuels

Published Papers (7 papers)

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Research

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17 pages, 3216 KiB  
Article
Design of the Organic Rankine Cycle for High-Efficiency Diesel Engines in Marine Applications
by Apostolos Pesyridis, Muhammad Suleman Asif, Sadegh Mehranfar, Amin Mahmoudzadeh Andwari, Ayat Gharehghani and Thanos Megaritis
Energies 2023, 16(11), 4374; https://doi.org/10.3390/en16114374 - 27 May 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1243
Abstract
Over the past few years, fuel prices have increased dramatically, and emissions regulations have become stricter in maritime applications. In order to take these factors into consideration, improvements in fuel consumption have become a mandatory factor and a main task of research and [...] Read more.
Over the past few years, fuel prices have increased dramatically, and emissions regulations have become stricter in maritime applications. In order to take these factors into consideration, improvements in fuel consumption have become a mandatory factor and a main task of research and development departments in this area. Internal combustion engines (ICEs) can exploit only about 15–40% of chemical energy to produce work effectively, while most of the fuel energy is wasted through exhaust gases and coolant. Although there is a significant amount of wasted energy in thermal processes, the quality of that energy is low owing to its low temperature and provides limited potential for power generation consequently. Waste heat recovery (WHR) systems take advantage of the available waste heat for producing power by utilizing heat energy lost to the surroundings at no additional fuel costs. Among all available waste heat sources in the engine, exhaust gas is the most potent candidate for WHR due to its high level of exergy. Regarding WHR technologies, the well-known Rankine cycles are considered the most promising candidate for improving ICE thermal efficiency. This study is carried out for a six-cylinder marine diesel engine model operating with a WHR organic Rankine cycle (ORC) model that utilizes engine exhaust energy as input. Using expander inlet conditions in the ORC model, preliminary turbine design characteristics are calculated. For this mean-line model, a MATLAB code has been developed. In off-design expander analysis, performance maps are created for different speed and pressure ratios. Results are produced by integrating the polynomial correlations between all of these parameters into the ORC model. ORC efficiency varies in design and off-design conditions which are due to changes in expander input conditions and, consequently, net power output. In this study, ORC efficiency varies from a minimum of 6% to a maximum of 12.7%. ORC efficiency performance is also affected by certain variables such as the coolant flow rate, heat exchanger’s performance etc. It is calculated that with the increase of coolant flow rate, ORC efficiency increases due to the higher turbine work output that is made possible, and the condensing pressure decreases. It is calculated that ORC can improve engine Brake Specific Fuel Consumption (BSFC) from a minimum of 2.9% to a maximum of 5.1%, corresponding to different engine operating points. Thus, decreasing overall fuel consumption shows a positive effect on engine performance. It can also increase engine power output by up to 5.42% if so required for applications where this may be deemed necessary and where an appropriate mechanical connection is made between the engine shaft and the expander shaft. The ORC analysis uses a bespoke expander design methodology and couples it to an ORC design architecture method to provide an important methodology for high-efficiency marine diesel engine systems that can extend well beyond the marine sector and into the broader ORC WHR field and are applicable to many industries (as detailed in the Introduction section of this paper). Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Alternative Fuels for Marine, Aviation and Vehicle Transportation Sectors: Production, Propulsion and Power Generation Technologies)
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26 pages, 11088 KiB  
Article
Thermoacoustic Combustion Stability Analysis of a Bluff Body-Stabilized Burner Fueled by Methane–Air and Hydrogen–Air Mixtures
by Vito Ceglie, Michele Stefanizzi, Tommaso Capurso, Francesco Fornarelli and Sergio M. Camporeale
Energies 2023, 16(7), 3272; https://doi.org/10.3390/en16073272 - 06 Apr 2023
Viewed by 1783
Abstract
Hydrogen can play a key role in the gradual transition towards a full decarbonization of the combustion sector, e.g., in power generation. Despite the advantages related to the use of this carbon-free fuel, there are still several challenging technical issues that must be [...] Read more.
Hydrogen can play a key role in the gradual transition towards a full decarbonization of the combustion sector, e.g., in power generation. Despite the advantages related to the use of this carbon-free fuel, there are still several challenging technical issues that must be addressed such as the thermoacoustic instability triggered by hydrogen. Given that burners are usually designed to work with methane or other fossil fuels, it is important to investigate their thermoacoustic behavior when fueled by hydrogen. In this framework, the present work aims to propose a methodology which combines Computational Fluid Dynamics CFD (3D Reynolds-Averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS)) and Finite Element Method (FEM) approaches in order to investigate the fluid dynamic and the thermoacoustic behavior introduced by hydrogen in a burner (a lab-scale bluff body stabilized burner) designed to work with methane. The case of CH4-air mixture was used for the validation against experimental results and benchmark CFD data available in the literature. Numerical results obtained from CFD simulations, namely thermofluidodynamic properties and flame characteristics (i.e., time delay and heat release rate) are used to evaluate the effects of the fuel change on the Flame Response Function to the acoustic perturbation by means of a FEM approach. As results, in the H2-air mixture case, the time delay decreases and heat release rate increases with respect to the CH4-air mixture. A study on the Rayleigh index was carried out in order to analyze the influence of H2-air mixture on thermoacoustic instability of the burner. Finally, an analysis of both frequency and growth rate (GR) on the first four modes was carried out by comparing the two mixtures. In the H2-air case the modes are prone to become more unstable with respect to the same modes of the case fueled by CH4-air, due to the change in flame topology and variation of the heat release rate and time delay fields. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Alternative Fuels for Marine, Aviation and Vehicle Transportation Sectors: Production, Propulsion and Power Generation Technologies)
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18 pages, 6713 KiB  
Article
Global Potentials and Costs of Synfuels via Fischer–Tropsch Process
by Patrick Buchenberg, Thushara Addanki, David Franzmann, Christoph Winkler, Felix Lippkau, Thomas Hamacher, Philipp Kuhn, Heidi Heinrichs and Markus Blesl
Energies 2023, 16(4), 1976; https://doi.org/10.3390/en16041976 - 16 Feb 2023
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2426
Abstract
This paper presents the potentials and costs of synthetic fuels (synfuels) produced by renewable energy via PEM water electrolysis and the subsequent Fischer–Tropsch process for the years 2020, 2030, 2040, and 2050 in selected countries across the globe. The renewable energy potential was [...] Read more.
This paper presents the potentials and costs of synthetic fuels (synfuels) produced by renewable energy via PEM water electrolysis and the subsequent Fischer–Tropsch process for the years 2020, 2030, 2040, and 2050 in selected countries across the globe. The renewable energy potential was determined by the open-source tool pyGRETA and includes photovoltaic, onshore wind, and biomass. Carbon dioxide is obtained from biomass and the atmosphere by direct air capture. The potentials and costs were determined by aggregating minimal cost energy systems for each location on a state level. Each linear energy system was modelled and optimised by the optimisation framework urbs. The analysis focused on decentralised and off-grid synthetic fuels’ production. The transportation costs were roughly estimated based on the distance to the nearest maritime port for export. The distribution infrastructure was not considered since the already-existing infrastructure for fossil fuels can be easily adopted. The results showed that large amounts of synthetic fuels are available for EUR 110/MWh (USD 203/bbl) mainly in Africa, Central and South America, as well as Australia for 2050. This corresponds to a cost reduction of more than half compared to EUR 250/MWh (USD 461/bbl) in 2020. The synfuels’ potentials follow the photovoltaic potentials because of the corresponding low levelised cost of electricity. Batteries are in particular used for photovoltaic-dominant locations, and transportation costs are low compared to production costs. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Alternative Fuels for Marine, Aviation and Vehicle Transportation Sectors: Production, Propulsion and Power Generation Technologies)
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13 pages, 1062 KiB  
Article
Impact of Adding Bioethanol and Dimethyl Carbonate on Gasoline Properties
by Sibel Osman, Olga Valerica Sapunaru, Ancaelena Eliza Sterpu, Timur Vasile Chis and Claudia I.Koncsag
Energies 2023, 16(4), 1940; https://doi.org/10.3390/en16041940 - 15 Feb 2023
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1280
Abstract
Bioethanol and dimetyl carbonate (DMC) are considered alternative fuels and additives to the synthesis compounds used now, since bioethanol is a biofuel and dimethyl carbonate (DMC) is non-toxic, biodegradable and can be produced in a cleaner way. In this study, the effect of [...] Read more.
Bioethanol and dimetyl carbonate (DMC) are considered alternative fuels and additives to the synthesis compounds used now, since bioethanol is a biofuel and dimethyl carbonate (DMC) is non-toxic, biodegradable and can be produced in a cleaner way. In this study, the effect of adding dimethyl carbonate (DMC) and ethanol to gasoline on the volatility was investigated. The volatility was the main goal of this research but also, the effect on the antiknock properties was studied. Mixtures of gasoline with DMC or with bioethanol were prepared in different proportions of additive: 3%, 6% and 9% v/v. Additionally, mixtures with 3% v/v ethanol plus 3% or 6% v/v DMC, and3% DMC plus 6% v/v ethanol were prepared. For the volatility evaluation, the ASTM distillation curve and vapor pressure of these mixtures were determined experimentally in order to predict the performance of the resulting fuels. When adding oxygenated compounds, the increase in vapor pressure was proportional to the additive quantity. Additionally, modifications of the ASTM distillation curves were observed, with these indicating the formation of minimum boiling point azeotropes and the corresponding increase in volatility, with good effect on the ease of ignition in the engine. Based on the experimental results, the vapor lock index VLI, drivability index DI and vapor–liquid ratio temperature T(V/L=20) were calculated to quantify the volatility. The experimental results showed that gasoline mixtures with these oxygenated compounds show a significant increase in antiknock properties. Thus, for mixtures with ethanol, the research octane number (RON) increases by up to 2.2 units and the motor octane number (MON) increases by up to 1.2 units. Gasoline mixtures with DMC have another behavior: RON increased by up to 1.5 units, while the MON value increased by up to 2.5 units. For an initial gasoline with RON = 94.7 and MON 84.7, these increases are important and make the difference by exceeding the RON = 95 limit. Adding dimethyl carbonate to gasoline–ethanol blends improves the sensitivity of the fuel. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Alternative Fuels for Marine, Aviation and Vehicle Transportation Sectors: Production, Propulsion and Power Generation Technologies)
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15 pages, 2812 KiB  
Article
Analysis of Energy Consumption of Novel Re-Liquefaction System Integrated with Fuel Supply System (FSS) for LPG-Fuelled LPG Carrier to Conventional Systems
by Youngkyun Seo, Jintae Kim, Eunyoung Park, Jinkwang Lee, Meangik Cho and Seongjong Han
Energies 2022, 15(24), 9384; https://doi.org/10.3390/en15249384 - 11 Dec 2022
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1591
Abstract
This study analysed a novel re-liquefaction system integrated with a fuel supply system (FSS) for an LPG carrier to conventional systems. The re-liquefaction system and FSS were installed independently in a conventional LPG carrier, while those systems were combined in the novel system. [...] Read more.
This study analysed a novel re-liquefaction system integrated with a fuel supply system (FSS) for an LPG carrier to conventional systems. The re-liquefaction system and FSS were installed independently in a conventional LPG carrier, while those systems were combined in the novel system. The condensed LPG in the re-liquefaction system was directly transferred to the FSS without the cooling and expansion process in the novel system. 84,000 m3 LPG carrier equipped with a 10 MW engine at normal continuous rating (NCR) was selected as a target ship. Aspen HYSYS ver.12.1 was employed for process simulation. The results showed that the energy consumption for the novel system was reduced by 38%. The energy for re-liquefaction was decreased because the flow rate recirculated was decreased, and the energy for FSS was reduced as the temperature of the stream supplied to the FSS was relatively high in the novel system. A sensitivity analysis was conducted to investigate the effect of the parameters on the results. The investigated parameters were LPG compositions, seawater temperature, compressor efficiency, and pump efficiency. The energy consumption for the system was significantly different depending on the LPG composition, and the energy consumption was changed by 2.5% for conventional systems and 0.9% for the novel systems with the variation of 4 °C seawater temperature. The energy for the novel system was reduced by 2.8% for conventional systems and 2.3% for the novel systems with the 5% increment of compressor efficiency, whereas pump efficiency had little effect on the results. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Alternative Fuels for Marine, Aviation and Vehicle Transportation Sectors: Production, Propulsion and Power Generation Technologies)
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17 pages, 2666 KiB  
Article
Decommissioning of Offshore Platforms in Adriatic Sea: The Total Removal Option from a Life Cycle Assessment Perspective
by Giuseppina Colaleo, Federico Nardo, Arianna Azzellino and Diego Vicinanza
Energies 2022, 15(24), 9325; https://doi.org/10.3390/en15249325 - 09 Dec 2022
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 1912
Abstract
The international energy scenario to date is heavily based on fossil energy sources such as coal, oil or natural gas. According to the international ecological goals of the UNFCCC formalized in the legally binding treaty called the Paris Agreement, the next global challenges [...] Read more.
The international energy scenario to date is heavily based on fossil energy sources such as coal, oil or natural gas. According to the international ecological goals of the UNFCCC formalized in the legally binding treaty called the Paris Agreement, the next global challenges will be the decommissioning, dismantling or reconversion of the current fossil energy system into a new, more sustainable system that makes more efficient use of renewable energy technologies. Worldwide, there are about 6500 offshore oil and gas facilities and about 130 of them are located in the Mediterranean basin, mainly in the Adriatic and Ionian Seas: more than 110 offshore gas platforms have been installed in these areas since 1960. In this paper, using Life Cycle Assessment, the environmental and economic impacts of the total removal operations of an existing offshore platform in the context of the Adriatic Sea are assessed based on existing and registered decommissioning projects. In addition, the avoided impacts of primary steel production due to its recovery and recycling from the removed platform are assessed using the system boundary expansion method. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Alternative Fuels for Marine, Aviation and Vehicle Transportation Sectors: Production, Propulsion and Power Generation Technologies)
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Review

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25 pages, 6011 KiB  
Review
Application of Biogas and Biomethane as Maritime Fuels: A Review of Research, Technology Development, Innovation Proposals, and Market Potentials
by George Mallouppas, Elias Ar. Yfantis, Constantina Ioannou, Andreas Paradeisiotis and Angelos Ktoris
Energies 2023, 16(4), 2066; https://doi.org/10.3390/en16042066 - 20 Feb 2023
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 6159
Abstract
This review paper examines the applicability of biogas and biomethane as potential maritime fuels and examines issues of these fuels from a supply chain perspective (from production to end use). The objectives are to identify: (1) the latest research, development, and innovation activities; [...] Read more.
This review paper examines the applicability of biogas and biomethane as potential maritime fuels and examines issues of these fuels from a supply chain perspective (from production to end use). The objectives are to identify: (1) the latest research, development, and innovation activities; (2) issues and key barriers related to the technology readiness to bring biogas/biomethane to market; and (3) commercialisation issues, including cost parity with natural gas (the main competitor). A survey of the literature was carried out based on research articles and grey literature. The PESTEL and SWOT analyses identified opportunities for these fuels due to the relevant regulations (e.g., Fit for 55; the recent inclusion of the Mediterranean Sea as a SECA and PM control area; MPEC 79), market-based measures, and environmental, social, and governance strategies. The potential of biomass feedstock is estimated to have a substantial value that can satisfy the energy needs of the maritime industry. However, production costs of biomethane are high; estimated to be 2–4 times higher compared to natural gas. The market is moving in the direction of alternative drop-in fuels, including liquefied and compressed biomethane (LBM and CBM) and biogas. In terms of potential market penetration, LBM can be used as a marine drop-in fuel for the existing fleet that already combust LNG and LPG due to similar handling. Currently, these vessels are LNG and LPG tankers. However, in newly built vessels, LBM can be also supplied to container ships, vehicle carriers, and bulk carriers (about 20% of newly built vessels). Provided that compressed natural gas infrastructure exists, CBM can be exploited in vessels with low energy needs and low space requirements and shore-side electrification, because investments in retrofits are lower compared to constructing new infrastructure. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Alternative Fuels for Marine, Aviation and Vehicle Transportation Sectors: Production, Propulsion and Power Generation Technologies)
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