The Use of Alternative Fuels and Emission Control Methods for Compression Ignition Engines

Introduction

Energy is necessary for economic progress, which is beneficial for emerging nations. The primary sources of energy are those that can be found or are stored in nature. Coal, oil, natural gas and biomass are the common primary energy sources. Coal, oil and solid biomass collectively provide more than 80% of India’s energy needs (International Energy Agency [IEA] 2021). The relationship between rising energy demand and economic growth is not always a simple linear one. Energy is indispensable for living and vital for development of a country and also it’s directly contributes in reducing the poverty, increasing the productivity and improving the quality of life. The energy availability and its per capita consumption are two of the most crucial indicators of a nation’s citizenry’s living conditions. India has been working gradually over the years to increase per capita energy usage with an emphasis on ending poverty in the nation (Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers [SIAM], 2019). The rate of economic growth, global industrialization and motorization are the factors to decide the energy consumption pattern in India. Indian economy is agriculture based and modern agriculture system mostly depends on the machineries operated with internal combustion engines. The Indian economy is predicted to expand at a rate of above 6% annually, necessitating an increase in energy demand to 166 MT by 2019 and 622 MT by 2047 (Dwivedi, Sharma, & Kumar,2014). Due to the tremendous worldwide threat posed by rising emissions from the burning of fossil fuels and the constantly increasing rate of crude oil imports, the growth of the Indian economy suffers significantly. India has highly used road transportation infrastructure in the world. Transport plays a significant role in the overall development of a nation’s economy. The transport sector is also the second largest consumer of energy next to industry. The most cost effective and preferred mode of transport, for both freight and passengers are road transport in India. Approximately 87% of all passenger and 60% of all freight traffic in the nation is carried by road (Ministry of Road Transport and Highways [MRTH], 2021). Road transportation is advantageous for a number of reasons including its simplicity of accessibility, capacity to accommodate to individual requirements and cost savings. Therefore, road sector is vital for economic development and social integration of the country. In modern life style the diesel engines have become an indispensable part because of their role in transportation and mechanized agriculture sector. Depending upon the usage, the diesel engines are available in various sizes and speeds. Due to its high compression ratio, fuel efficient operation and low maintenance costs, diesel engines have greater fuel economy, thermal efficiencies which has boosted the adoption of diesel vehicles. The largest drivers of diesel demand growth in India are commercial vehicles including trucks and public transport and their consumption of fuel is linked to the overall economy. About 98 percentage of which is in the form high speed diesel (HSD) and gasoline used in the form of commercial energy consumption. India is established via the use of fossil fuels. Many nations now import all of their oil needs as a result of the depletion of fossil fuels. India is heavily reliant on crude oil imports.

Figure 1.

Total primary energy demand in India

Source: IEA (2021)

India would surpass China and Japan to become the third largest oil importer in the world by 2025 according to International Energy Agency. In 2022, India’s oil demand is expected to rise 8.2% to 5.15 million barrels per day (PTI / Mar 17). In 2022- 2023 fuel consumption is expected to increase from 203.2 million tonnes to 214.5 million tonnes (Petroleum Planning and Analysis Cell [PPAC], 2022).

Figure 2.

India’s fuel consumption in the road transportation sector

Source: SIAM (2019)