Possibilities of enhancing the environmental safety of diesel vehicles using alternative fuels

Abstract

Today, most motor fuels are made from non-renewable sources of petroleum origin. In connection with the environmental problems associated with the use of traditional motor fuels in motor vehicle engines, many countries are implementing strict requirements for the greening of motor vehicles.
At the same time, vehicles with diesel engines are quite attractive in terms of consumption of alternative motor fuels. One of the ways to increase the environmental safety of vehicles with diesel engines is the complete or partial replacement of diesel fuel with alternative fuels. In this regard, research and development in the field of energy resource use in road transport has been significantly intensified, and new programs are being developed to expand the use of alternative fuels. The main focus of the researchers on improving environmental safety is the complete or partial replacement of diesel fuel with alternative fuels, which can be of petroleum or non-petroleum origin. Such fuels can be: liquefied petroleum gas, compressed natural gas and associated gases, diesel biofuel, alcohols and ethers, as well as hydrogen, etc.
The article examines the problem of alternative types of fuel and the use of new energy sources in the search for more ecologically clean, cheap and less scarce fuel. To solve this problem, it is necessary to perform an analysis and determine the possibilities of increasing the environmental safety of motor vehicles with diesel engines when using different alternative fuels.
The analysis carried out in the work showed that the considered fuels are promising with the proper organization of the work process of motor vehicle diesel engines. However, in a number of cases, for example, when using hydrogen, alcohols, it is necessary to significantly change the design of the engine, which requires significant costs. The use of alternative, more environmentally friendly motor fuels, such as compressed natural gas, diesel biofuel of vegetable or animal origin, etc., will allow to significantly expand the fuel base of motor vehicle diesels and does not require a significant change in their design.
In further research, an important task is to develop a methodology for evaluating the use of alternative fuels, which will combine a complex of functional and mathematical models to determine the energy efficiency and environmental safety of vehicles with diesel engines when using alternative fuels both in their pure form and in the form of mixed fuels.