Analysis of Performance, Emission and combustion characteristics of a single cylinder VCR engine when run on blends of 1-octanol and Diesel

Phenomenal Changes are taking place in the world. The energy consumption of the country has grown many folds over the past few years, thereby putting pressure on the fossil fuel reserves. Though, recently due to COVID-19, the price of crude oil has fallen since few months but it would again rise which would lead to heavy expenditure over imports of crude petroleum. Also the fossil fuels increase the problem of global warming and carbon emissions. Alternate fuel such as alcohols poses a sustainable alternative solution of the problem. In the present investigation, Blends of 1-octanol are formed with neat diesel i.e. OC-5, OC-10, OC-15 & OC-20 and analyzed for efficiency, fuel economy and effluents of the single cylinder variable compression ratio engine. It was perceived that there was increment in viscosity of the blends containing n-octanol while the heating value lowered by increasing the absorption of 1-octanol. The peak BTE and lowest fuel consumption was found to be with blend containing 20% 1-octanol. Lower CO and UBHC emissions were reported with the addition of 1-octanol in the different blends formed.

Natural Radionuclide Analysis on Crude Petroleum from Some Oil Fields in Ghana

The petroleum industries benefit immensely from developing scientific processes and procedures that determine characteristics of crude oils and distinct them. This is because crude oils are acquired from various geological sources and each sedimentary rock has its own distinct chemical properties that affect extraction, refinery and environmental safety. Extraction of crude oils may result in exposure of some radionuclide elements from sedimentary rocks into the environments. This nuclear exposure may affect lives and can cause ecological imbalance. Applications of gamma emission spectroscopy has grown rapidly around the world because of its accurate measurement and precision. Such technique has not been applied for the study of naturally occurring radionuclide materials (NORMs) in crude oils from the active oil fields in Ghana. The study employed the use of gamma spectroscopic technique for characterization of crude oil samples from Jubilee Oil Field, Tweneboa Enyenra Ntomme (TEN) Oil Field and Saltpond Oil Field. The technique was applied on four crude oil samples. The results of this paper actually report on radionuclide concentrations of naturally occurring radioactive materials in four crude samples using a Gamma-Ray spectrometer. Three radionuclides, radium-226 (226 Ra), thorium-232 (232 Th) and potassium-40 (40 K), were identified from each crude sample (JF, TF SF-1 and SF-2). It was observed that samples from Saltpond Oil Field estimated the highest activity concentration and the least was crude oil from Jubilee Oil Field. The activity concentration values were far less than the approved values by International Atomic Energy Agency for basic safety standard. Therefore, the radionuclides activity concentration values of crude oil samples from Jubilee, TEN, and Saltpond oil fields were within the basic safety standards exemption levels of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). The crude oils from the oil fields can therefore be considered safe to handle. Also, the results of the activity concentrations from the sample used for this study indicate that crude petroleum from the oil fields may relatively have little nuclear activity impact to ecology and human health. The result of this study may be adopted by the Environmental Protection Agency and the Petroleum Stakeholders of Ghana for development of petroleum geo-radionuclides radiation safety measures.

Metallic Composition Analysis of Crude Petroleum from Some Oil Fields in Ghana

Qualitative and quantitative analyses of chemical elements in crude petroleum using energy-dispersive X-ray fluorescence spectroscopic technique has attracted the attention of scientific world because it is fast, cheap, non-destructive and assurance in quality compared to other methods. Metallic element characterisation of crude petroleum is important in the petrochemical industry because it determines rock reservoir properties, the technology needed for extraction and refinery process, hence an exciting field that calls for research. X-ray fluorescence method was used for metallic composition analysis of four rundown crude petroleum samples (SB-2, SB-4, TB-2 and TB-1) from three oil fields (Saltpond, TEN and Jubilee). It was conducted at the National Nuclear Research Institute of Ghana. Analysis of the four samples concluded that oil field maturity decreases orderly from Saltpond, Jubilee and TEN. Vanadium-nickel ratios for each crude petroleum sample was less than 0.5, indicating that both Saltpond and Tano sedimentary rocks are of marine organic origin. Higher concentration levels of rare earth metal elements (scandium and yttrium) in the Saltpond sedimentary basin compared to Tano sedimentary rock suggest seismic effect of McCarthy Hills on Saltpond Basin. The strong negative correlation between the vanadium-nickel ratio (predictor) and scandium concentration (dependent) among the three oil fields implies that scandium concentration can equally be used to characterise the oil fields just as the vanadium-nickel ratios.

Production Ceramic Crude Petroleum Filters from Local Raw Materials

Crude petroleum filters were prepared from low-cost materials based on kaolin powder and combustible materials as palm fronds powder which acts as pore creating agent. The samples with different content (10, 20, 30,40) wt% of palm fronds powder (P.F) were fabricated using a dry pressing method and fired at 1100 °C. Crude petroleum filters were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), energy dispersive analysis (EDS) and Scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Physical properties (linear shrinkage, apparent porosity, water absorption, apparent density), mechanical properties (compressive strength and diametrical strength ) and Metallic Content.

Potentiality of Azolla pinnata R. Br. for Phytoremediation of Polluted Freshwater with Crude Petroleum Oil

The pollution of freshwater resources with crude petroleum oil is a major environmental issue in oil-producing countries. As a result, the remediation of polluted aquatic ecosystems using eco-friendly and cost-effective technology is receiving increased global attention. In this study, the ability of Azolla pinnata R. Br. to remediate petroleum-polluted freshwater was assessed. The remediation potentiality was determined by evaluating the total petroleum hydrocarbon degradation percentage (TPH%) and changes in the molecular type composition of saturated and aromatic hydrocarbon fractions. TPH% was estimated gravimetrically, and changes in the molecular type composition of saturated and aromatic fractions were measured using gas chromatography and high-performance liquid chromatography, respectively. The results reveal that A. pinnata has the potential to phytoremediate freshwater polluted with low levels (up to 0.5 g/L) of petroleum hydrocarbons (PHs). After seven days of phytoremediation, the degradation rate of total PHs was 92% in the planted treatment compared with 38% in the unplanted positive control. The highest breakdown of PHs for the normal paraffinic saturated hydrocarbon fraction occurred in the presence of A. pinnata combined with Anabena azollaea (A-A), which showed a moderate degradation capacity toward total aromatic hydrocarbons (TAHs) and total polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). The results indicate that A. pinnata effectively removed C18, a saturated PH, and acenaphthene (Ace), an aromatic PH. Therefore, this study suggests that A. pinnata is a useful tool for the remediation of freshwaters contaminated with low pollution levels of crude oil.

Variations of Structural and Functional Traits of Azolla pinnata R. Br. in Response to Crude Oil Pollution in Arid Regions

In oil-producing countries, water pollution by crude petroleum oil frequently occurs and causes many environmental problems. This study aims to investigate the effect of crude petroleum oil on the growth and functional trails of the economically important freshwater plant Azolla pinnata R. Br. and to report on the plant’s resistance to this abiotic stress. Plants were raised in an open greenhouse experiment under different levels of crude oil pollution ranging from 0.5 to 2.0 g/L. Plant functional traits were monitored over a three-week period. Plant cover of A. pinnata was decreased with the increased levels of oil pollution. The total chlorophyll content decreased from 0.76 mg/g fresh weight under 2 g/L oil treatment after 21 days of growth. The chlorophyll a/b ratio exceeded the unity at crude oil treatments above 1 g/L, with values reaching 2.78 after seven days, while after 21 days, the ratio ranged from 1.14 to 1.31. The carotenoid content ranged from 0.17 mg/g in the control to 0.11 mg/g in the 2 g/L oil treatment. The carotenoid content varied over time in relation to DNA% damage, which increased from 3.63% in the control to 11.36% in the highest oil treatment level of 2 g/L. The crude oil stress caused severe damage in the frond tissues and chloroplast structure of A. pinnata, including a less compacted palisade, the malformation of the epidermis, the disintegration of parenchyma tissue, and the lysis and malformation of the chloroplasts. Since A. pinnata cannot withstand high concentrations of crude oil pollution, it is for use in the remediation of slightly polluted freshwaters up to 0.5 g/L.