Alternative Fuels for Internal Combustion Engines
Summary
The global imperative to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve air quality has driven extensive research into alternative fuels for internal combustion engines. These fuels encompass bio-derived and synthetic variants that can be blended with or substituted for conventional petrol and diesel. Bioethanol, biodiesel, higher alcohols and waste-derived oils offer renewable pathways, while synthetic e-fuels produced from renewable electricity and captured carbon dioxide represent a long-term solution. Adoption of oxygenated fuels enhances combustion efficiency and curtails particulate and nitrogen oxide emissions, yet poses challenges in material compatibility and engine calibration. Current investigations focus on optimising fuel properties, refining injection strategies and assessing life-cycle impacts to ensure that environmental benefits are achieved without compromising reliability or economic viability.
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Alternative Fuels for Internal Combustion Engines publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in alternative fuels for internal combustion engines across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Bioethanol: Ethanol produced from biomass feedstocks, used as a renewable, oxygenated fuel in both spark-ignition and compression-ignition engines.
Biodiesel: Fatty acid methyl esters derived from vegetable oils or animal fats via transesterification, serving as a diesel substitute or blend component.
Octane number: A measure of a fuel’s resistance to pre-ignition or knocking in spark-ignition engines, higher values indicating greater knock resistance.
Cetane number: An index of a fuel’s ignition quality in compression-ignition engines, with higher values reflecting shorter ignition delay.
Transesterification: The chemical process by which triglycerides in oils react with alcohol and a catalyst to form biodiesel and glycerol.
Combustion stability: The consistency of the combustion process within an engine, often assessed by the variation in peak cylinder pressure between cycles.
References
- Investigation of bioethanol low-carbon fuel for diesel engines under idling conditions: Combustion, engine performance and emissions. Green Energy and Resources (2024).
- Effect of the ethanol-fusel oil mixture on combustion stability, efficiency, and engine performance. Results in Engineering (2025).
- Production of biodiesel fuel from vegetable raw materials. Journal of Mining Institute (2023).
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