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This study explored the recovery of oil from lemon peel biomass and then tested it in a spark ignition as a substitute for gasoline. The study adopted the micro-arc oxidation coating technique, intending to improve the engine performance of the lemon peel oil-gasoline blends. The oil was recovered from discarded lemon peel biomass using steam distillation and then tested in the engine as a fuel by blending it with gasoline at volume ratios of 10, 20, and 30%. An endoscopic visualization approach was employed in this research work to assess the combustion initiation and flame characteristics of gasoline and lemon peel oil blends under different test conditions. Compared to gasoline and blends comprising 20 and 30% lemon peel oil, the 10% lemon peel oil mix produced higher thermal efficiency and lower emissions. The optical analysis demonstrated that premixed combustion with the 10% blend was found to be the highest, resulting in improved combustion and subsequently increased cylinder pressure. To improve the engine performance of the lemon peel oil blends with higher substitution (20 and 30%), the piston was coated with a ceramic coating. A novel technique, namely the micro-arc oxidation technique, was utilized for the coating. The coated piston engine fueled with a 20% lemon peel oil blend showed a 3% and 4.69% increase in thermal efficiency compared to the uncoated piston fueled with a 20% blend and sole gasoline, respectively. The hydrocarbon and carbon monoxide emissions of the engine with a coated piston fueled by the 20% lemon peel oil blend were reduced by 12.7% and 12%, respectively, as compared to gasoline operation in the engine with an uncoated piston.

In this study, a modified catalytic converter was employed to treat the harmful exhaust gas pollutants of a twin-cylinder, four-stroke spark-ignition engine. This research mainly focuses on the emission reduction of unburnt hydrocarbons, carbon monoxide, and nitrogen oxides at low light-off temperatures. A sucrolite catalyst (sucrolite) was coated over the metallic substrate present inside the catalytic converter, and exhaust gas was allowed to pass through it. A scanning electron microscope, X-ray diffraction, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy were used to investigate the changes in morphology, chemical compounds, and functional group elements caused by the reactions. Catalytic reactions were studied by varying the engine loads and bed temperatures, and the results were compared with those of the commercial catalytic converter. The results show that sucrose present in the catalyst was suitable at low temperatures while alumina was suitable for a wide range of temperatures. In the case of the modified catalytic converter, the maximum catalytic conversion efficiencies achieved for oxidizing CO and HC were 70.73% and 85.14%, respectively, and for reduction reaction at NO x was 60.22% which is around 42% higher than in commercial catalytic converter. As a result, this study claims that sucrolite catalyst is effective for low-temperature exhaust gas. Graphical abstract

Alcohol-based fuels have shown high compatibility with spark-ignition (SI) engines, which require improvements in fuel efficiency and emissions reduction to meet modern environmental standards. While extensive research has been conducted on ethanol and other lower-order alcohols, there has been comparatively limited investigation into higher-order alcohols like butanol and pentanol as fuel alternatives. Previous studies on pentanol-gasoline blends in SI engines have demonstrated improved engine performance and reduced emissions. Building on this, the present study focuses on analyzing the flame characteristics—specifically speed and distribution—of pentanol-gasoline blends within the engine. In this study, pentanol was blended with gasoline by the volume of 10%, 20%, and 30%, namely 1-PNL10, 1-PNL20, and 1-PNL30, and tested in a twin-cylinder gasoline engine with an MPFI system at various load conditions. The study has focused on investigating the flame propagation of gasoline-pentanol blends by examining the in-cylinder flame image. The in-cylinder combustion evolution was visualized and captured by using an AVL Visio scope camera. Flame characteristics such as spatial flame distribution and flame speed were evaluated from the captured flame images for pentanol–gasoline blends and compared with sole gasoline. The flame study indicates that the addition of pentanol favored to increase in the flame speed, which in turn improved the combustion rate. The flame intensity and distribution area increased with the addition of pentanol in gasoline, demonstrating improved in-cylinder combustion with increased peak in-cylinder pressure and heat release rate. The insights on the flame characteristics of pentanol–gasoline blends were used to rationalize the discussion on engine performance and emissions. The performance of the engine was enhanced while increasing the proportion of Pentanol in the gasoline. The 30% Pentanol gasoline blend showed 5.71% higher BTE than gasoline at full load condition. Emissions like CO and HC also decreased at the same time, and NO emission increased. From the test results, it can be concluded that Pentanol can be blended with gasoline up to 30% without any engine modifications.

Purpose Aluminium is the most preferred material in engineering structural components because of its excellent properties. Furthermore, the properties of aluminium may be enhanced through metal matrix composites and an in-depth investigation on the evolved properties is needed in view of metallurgical, mechanical and tribological aspects. The purpose of this study is to explore the effect of TiC addition on the tribological behavior of aluminium composites. Design/methodology/approach Aluminium metal matrix composites at different weight percentage of titanium carbide were produced through powder metallurgy. Produced composites were subjected to sliding wear test under dry condition through Taguchi’s L9 orthogonal design. Findings Optimal process condition to achieve the minimum wear rate was identified though the main effect plot. Sliding velocity was identified as the most dominating factor in the wear resistance. Practical implications The production of components with improved properties is promoted efficiently and economically by synthesizing the composite via powder metallurgy. Originality/value Though the investigations on the wear behavior of aluminium composites are analyzed, reinforcement types and the mode of fabrication have their significance in the metallurgical and mechanical properties. Thus, the produced component needs an in-detail study on the property evolution.

•Resiquimod (R-848) showed potential adjuvant capacity with Newcastle disease (ND) vaccine in SPF chicken.•R-848 enhanced antigen specific humoral as well as cellular immune responses.•R-848 up-regulated the expression of IFN-α, IFN-β, IFN-γ, IL-4, IL-1β, MHC-II and iNOS transcripts in the chicken spleen.•R-848 potentiated the protection capacity of inactivated ND vaccine against virulent ND virus challenge. Resiquimod (R-848), an imidazoquinoline compound, is a potent synthetic Toll-like receptor (TLR) 7 agonist. Although the solitary adjuvant potential of R-848 is well established in mammals, such reports are not available in avian species hitherto. Hence, the adjuvant potential of R-848 was tested in SPF chicken in this study. Two week old chicks were divided into four groups (10birds/group) viz., control (A), inactivated Newcastle disease virus (NDV) vaccine prepared from velogenic strain (B), commercial oil adjuvanted inactivated NDV vaccine prepared from lentogenic strain (C) and inactivated NDV vaccine prepared from velogenic strain with R-848 (D). Booster was given two weeks post primary vaccination. Humoral immune response was assessed by haemagglutination inhibition (HI) test and ELISA while the cellular immune response was quantified by lymphocyte transformation test (LTT) and flow cytometry post-vaccination. Entire experiment was repeated twice to check the reproducibility. Highest HI titre was observed in group D at post booster weeks 1 and 2 that corresponds to mean log2 HI titre of 6.4±0.16 and 6.8±0.13, respectively. The response was significantly higher than that of group B or C (P<0.01). LTT stimulation index (P≤0.01) as well as CD4+ and CD8+ cells in flow cytometry (P<0.05) were significantly high and maximum in group D. Group D conferred complete protection against virulent NDV challenge, while it was only 80% in group B and C. To understand the effects of R-848, the kinetics of immune response genes in spleen were analyzed using quantitative real-time PCR after R-848 administration (50μg/bird, i.m. route). Resiquimod significantly up-regulated the expression of IFN-α, IFN-β, IFN-γ, IL-1β, IL-4, iNOS and MHC-II genes (P<0.01). In conclusion, the study demonstrated the adjuvant potential of R-848 when co-administered with inactivated NDV vaccine in SPF chicken which is likely due to the up-regulation of immune response genes.

Expanded polystyrene (EPS), known as Thermocol, is a significant environmental concern due to its non-biodegradability and improper disposal, contributing to plastic pollution. Conventional recycling methods are often ineffective, needing a sustainable approach to convert this waste into valuable hydrocarbons. Catalytic pyrolysis offers a promising solution by breaking down waste thermocol into liquid fuels, reducing plastic accumulation while creating alternative energy sources. This study employs a biogas-fired reactor, an ecofriendly heating system, to enhance catalytic pyrolysis using Rice Husk Ash Catalyst (RHC) and Zeolite Catalyst (ZeC). A dual air and water-cooled condenser efficiently separated low and high-boiling hydrocarbons. As the high boiling hydrocarbon yield in liquid formation is higher so it was analyzed. The waste thermocol oil (WTCO) was analyzed using Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS), Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR), and elemental analysis to determine its chemical composition and physical properties. The important innovation lies in employing a biogas-fired reactor, reducing carbon emissions, and promoting green energy utilization. RHC reduced the degradation temperature and processing duration, achieving a higher oil yield of 76% with no carbon residue. This in turn produces balanced hydrocarbons like pentane, benzene, and toluene, which predominantly contain higher aliphatic hydrocarbons. In contrast, ZeC enhanced higher cracking activity, generating a higher gas yield of 51% rather than oil yield, and predominantly contains higher aromatic hydrocarbons. WTCO derived from both catalysts exhibited similar properties to diesel, such as high calorific value and optimal density. These findings highlight that catalyst selection enables tailored hydrocarbon production from waste thermocol, advancing sustainable waste management, pollution control, and green fuel development, aligning with global environmental conservation efforts.

Potassium hydrogen phthalate (KHP) is a high-energy scintillating material having superior properties. The solution crystal growth technique at room temperature is employed for growing undoped and CeCl 3 -doped KHP crystals. The 60 Co γ -ray-irradiated crystals were analyzed through powder X-ray diffraction analysis to evaluate the cell parameters of the pure and doped KHP crystals. The functional groups and vibration modes were identified by Fourier transform infrared spectral analysis. The optical transparency of the grown crystals was analyzed by UV–vis spectroscopy which shows less absorption in the CeCl 3 -doped KHP crystals when compared to pure KHP. The vibration properties were discussed with the use of Raman spectra of pure and doped crystals. The photoluminescence analysis reveals broad peaks from green to violet ranges for undoped and CeCl 3 -doped KHP crystals. The microhardness test was carried out at different applied loads varying in the range 25–100 g. It is revealed that the Vicker’s hardness values (Hv) increase with increasing applied load. The Meyer’s index number ( n ) is determined and it confirms that the gamma-irradiated pure, CeCl 3 -doped KHP crystals belong to the soft material category. The mechanical properties such as the elastic stiffness constant (C 11 ), yield strength ( σ v ), brittleness index (Bi), and the fracture toughness ( K c ) are measured for both pure and 1–4 mol% CeCl 3 -doped KHP crystals.

Congestion in transmission corridors are the major bother for deregulated power system’s operation. Generator rescheduling along with demand alteration is a traditional remedy for transmission line congestion. According to market clearing process, the system operator (SO) has to pay a certain amount of cost to the market participants for rescheduling the generation and demand. This kind of redispatch related congestion management (CM) procedure is mainly carried out to reduce the congestion cost, but they are failing to provide an attention in power systems security. The risky generator’s power shifts may diminish the voltage and transient stability of the power system. So power system security should be included in the congestion management procedure. In this proposed multi objective congestion management procedure, rescheduling of active power is carried out to improve/retain the power systems security along with a congestion cost reduction. Voltage security margin (λ) and corrected transient energy margin (CTEM) provides a measure for power system security level. Multi Objective Dragonfly Algorithm (MODA) is employed to trace the non dominated solutions for three conflicting objectives. Fuzzy decision making principle is applied to select the best Pareto solution depends on the objective’s significances. The goodness of the MODA optimization approaches is experimented in congestion alleviation of New England 39 bus systems and solutions are compared with some reputed methods.

Aluminum silicon alloys have been widely desired alloy for many engineering applications because of their excellent casting characteristics. To extend the utilization of aluminium silicon alloy, the mechanical and tribological properties need to be improved. The present investigation compares the effect of Silicon carbide, Molybdenum disulfide, and Aluminum oxide reinforcements on LM 24 metal matrix composites. The combinational effect of ceramic (SiC) + ceramic (Al 2 O 3 ), ceramic (SiC/Al 2 O 3 ) + solid lubricant (MoS 2 ) and ceramic (SiC) + ceramic (Al 2 O 3 ) + solid lubricant (MoS 2 ) reinforcement was also studied. Aluminum metal matrix composites were produced by liquid metallurgy method. The microstructural, mechanical and wear behaviour of prepared samples were studied. The scanning electron microscope was employed to examine the scattering of reinforcements on fabricated composites. The wear rate and coefficient of friction were analyzed through pin on disc sliding wear test device. The fabricated composites possess improved mechanical and tribological properties compared with monolithic alloy LM 24 (Sample 1). The microstructural study of wear samples exposed that self lubricant mechanism of solid lubricant (MoS 2 ) plays one of the significant parts in decreasing the wear loss of the fabricated composites.