Transportation is a key part of our life, whether travelling ourselves or transporting goods. Fossil fuels are still the most widely used fuels for transportation purposes, given that the vast majority of engines are traditional combustion engines. The harmful emissions from these engines are well researched, and their direct or indirect contributions to climate change are well documented.
Alternative fuels from renewable sources such as biomass can be part of the solution. Dr Ruoyang Yuan and Dr Abdallah Abu Saleh at the University of Sheffield, UK, have been assessing emissions by alternative fuels. The team measured the production of oxides and soot from dimethyl ether and isopentanol, with promising results.