Energy Efficiency, Decarbonization and Alternative Fuels in Mechanical Engineering.

• Grant number: 25/02576-4
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants
• Start date: September 01, 2025
• End date: August 31, 2030
• Field of knowledge: Engineering - Mechanical Engineering - Thermal Engineering
• Principal Investigator: Marcelo José Colaço
• Grantee: Marcelo José Colaço
• Host Institution: Instituto Alberto Luiz Coimbra de Pós-Graduação e Pesquisa (COPPE). Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ). Ministério da Educação (Brasil)
• Pesquisadores principais: Albino José Kalab Leiroz ; Alexandre Salem Szklo ; ATILA PANTALEAO SILVA FREIRE ; Carolina Palma Naveira Cotta ; DANIEL ALVES CASTELLO ; Daniel Onofre de Almeida Cruz ; David Alves Castelo Branco ; Fernando Pereira Duda ; Flávio de Marco Filho ; Gabriel Lisbôa Verissimo ; GUSTAVO CESAR RACHID BODSTEIN ; Gustavo Rabello dos Anjos ; HELCIO RANGEL BARRETO ORLANDE ; Jose Luis Lopes da Silveira ; Juliana Braga Rodrigues Loureiro ; Manuel Ernani de Carvalho Cruz ; Marcelo Amorim Savi ; Roney Leon Thompson ; Thiago Gamboa Ritto

Abstract

The use of alternative fuels (including biodiesel, ethanol, hydrogen and biomass) and technologies for sustainable thermoelectric generation have been promoted both nationally and internationally. This incentive makes it possible to reduce dependence on fossil fuels and reduce the possible causes of global warming, in addition to making better use of the residual heat from conventional thermal engines and promoting the decarbonization of thermal energy generation processes. UFRJ's Mechanical Engineering has played an important role in research related to the application of biomass/biofuels in engines, including the use of green hydrogen, in addition to studies on the optimization of power cycles, including gas turbines and combined cycles. In general, the use of biofuels/biomass in engines presents the following benefits:· Reduction in dependence on imported diesel oil, contributing positively to the balance of the country's trade balance;· Reduction in CO2 emissions, the main cause of global warming, thanks to the photosynthesis process of biomass plantations, which absorb around 70% of the emissions generated by engines;· Improvement in the quality of emissions of gases such as carbon monoxide (CO), hydrocarbons (HC), particles and sulfur dioxide (SO2);· Increased lubricity of the fuel, which extends the useful life of engine components.Regarding the use of hydrogen, the following advantages are also highlighted:· Higher lower calorific value;· Combustion products free of HC, CO, CO2, SO2;· Possibility of production via renewable sources (solar, wind, etc.), which can serve as an energy storage fluid from alternative sources susceptible to cyclical/stochastic variations.Furthermore, the importance of developing and applying methodologies aimed at analyzing and optimizing complex thermal and energy systems is highlighted. These are crucial initiatives in the current scenario, given the growing relevance of these systems in the transition of the Brazilian energy matrix. The advantages of these methodologies include:· More efficient and judicious use of available natural resources, in addition to strategic targeting of investments in research and development;· More effective control of pollutant emissions from equipment that uses fossil fuels and/or biofuels, especially considering the new national and international environmental regulations;· Use of residual heat from thermal machines (engines and turbines) for secondary processes, such as hydrogen generation and water desalination.Therefore, this program seeks to meet the growing demand for knowledge in the areas of biofuels and energy efficiency that already exists at EM/UFRJ, in line with the global need for better use of fossil energy sources and the expansion of the use of biofuels. The program aims to optimize existing equipment and minimize the environmental impacts resulting from its use.UFRJ's Mechanical Engineering Department conducted, on the topic of biofuels, PRH37 from 2010 to 2018, and PRH 08.1 from 2019 to 2024, with excellent technical results and important awards.The emphases proposed in this new version include those existing in previous versions (Biofuels and Energy Efficiency), and broaden the scope to Hydrogen; Technologies for sustainable thermoelectric generation; and Generation of electricity from biomass. These topics have been the subject of recent research in UFRJ's Mechanical Engineering Department and had already been addressed in previous versions of this PRH, albeit tangentially. (AU)