Mohammad Rasul

• PhD (UQ), M Eng (AIT), B Eng (BUET)
• Professor at Central Queensland University

This study investigates the effects of gasoline-premixed fuel on emissions and combustion characteristics in a compression ignition engine. A multi-cylinder, four-stroke diesel engine was analyzed using both experimental and computational methods. Emission and combustion parameters were measured at varying loading conditions for two gasoline–diesel...

Diesel engines are a major source of nitrogen oxides, carbon dioxide, and particulate matter emissions. While biodiesel blends offer potential emission reductions, challenges remain in viscosity, flash point, cold weather performance, and combustion characteristics. This study examines the performance and emission behavior of biodiesel–diesel blend...

Price hikes, stringent emission regulations and the global demand for sustainable energy use have forced fuel researchers and vehicle manufacturers to explore sustainable fuels for internal combustion engines. In recent years, the exploration of waste‐to‐energy (WtE) derivations has attracted increasing interest. This study explored the derivation...

Tomato seed oil biodiesel (TSOB) could be considered as a second-generation and clean-burning renewable substitute for petroleum diesel. It is about 72% by weight of tomato waste, which contains an average of 24% oil. This paper investigated the effects of four different diesel-TSOB blends on the combustion performance of an indirect injection (IDI...

The addition of oxygenated additives such as ethers has shown better results with improved combustion and reduced emissions. Ethers have a lower viscosity and higher oxygen concentrations that can improve combustion and have lower calorific value, which can control the cylinder temperature. Hence, three ethers: diethyl ether (DEE), Diethylene Glyco...

The demand for high capacity and high energy density lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) has drastically increased nowadays. One way of meeting that rising demand is to design LIBs with thicker electrodes. Increasing electrode thickness can enhance the energy density of LIBs at the cell level by reducing the ratio of inactive materials in the cell. Howeve...

Life cycle environmental assessment is essential in assessing system performance for sustainable ecosystem. This study presented the ecological effect of installation of renewable energy systems in site Doomadgee of Far North Queensland. The aim is to determine the ecological footprint of a renewable system in sustaining the ecology. The findings o...

The rapid growth of energy consumption in densely populated urban areas with limited land space, especially in hot climates, poses significant challenges. The Australian University of Kuwait conducted a study using two portable cabins to explore energy-saving techniques. One cabin integrated an off-grid solar photovoltaic (PV) system to evaluate it...

The development of renewable sources for energy production has assumed a vital role in recent years, particularly with regard to the preservation of energy supplies and the environment. In this regard, municipal green waste (MGW) can be a potential renewable energy source if it is integrated with emerging technology, like pyrolysis. Therefore, this...

The energy consumption of buildings, particularly for space heating and cooling, is a major global concern. It accounts for a substantial portion of household energy use and varies based on environmental factors and climate conditions. Environ- mental factors highly influence energy-saving strategies of buildings in different climate areas. Address...

Fuel cell technology, which uses nanostructured materials to increase its conversion rate (or efficiency) of hydrogen to electricity, faces various challenges including high costs, durability concerns, and operational difficulties in attempts to provide sustainable energy. This chapter examines the use of anostructured materials in hydrogen fuel c...

The demand for hydrogen is increasing every year and is expected to increase in the future which necessitates the establishment of safe storage of hydrogen for the end user.

Tyre waste is a common form of non-degradable polymer-based solid waste. This solid waste can be effectively managed by converting it into char through the pyrolysis process and then further converting the char into activated carbon (AC) through physical and chemical activation processes. Tyre-derived activated carbon (TDAC) has versatile applicati...

The School of Engineering and Technology of Central Queensland University focuses on the continuous development and innovation of best learning and teaching practices to increase student retention and improve their learning experiences. Face to face and distance learning (teaching delivery models) are fundamental aspects of providing quality suppor...

Plastic products are essential parts of modern life as they are used in household items, packaging, electronics, building, automotive and many more. Amongst about 350 Mt of waste plastics produced worldwide, only about 20% are recycled and 80% are landfilled. The landfilled waste plastic has a serious negative impact on the environment which causes...

Globally accumulated waste plastics have become an alarming environmental hazard for rapid increase in production and lack of recycling opportunities. In this study, mixed waste plastics containing an equal proportion of high-density polyethylene, polypropylene, and polystyrene were converted into oil through a 20 l batch pyrolysis reactor at 540 °...

Engineering education providers should foresee the potential of digital transformation of teaching and skill-developing activities so that graduating engineers can find themselves highly aligned with the demands and attributes needed by prospective industrial employers. The advancement of industrial revolutions towards hybridisation of the enabling...

The study presents an experimental investigation of two new ternary biodiesel blends, namely, ManCr_Pa (a mixture of Mandarin, Crambe biodiesel and paraffin as an additive) and AvBn_Pa (mix of Avocado, Bush nut biodiesel and paraffin) by modifying the critical fuel properties closer to the diesel fuel. Those ternary blends’ performance, emission an...

The building sector’s energy consumption has significantly increased due to climate change, emphasizing the need to develop sustainable low-energy buildings using experimental and computational tools. As a joint project between Kuwait and Australia, two portable cabins with internal sizes of 2 m × 2 m × 2.80 m, made from 75 mm thick sandwich panels...

The human sciences are maturing rapidly. Education policymaking must also mature. One method of ensuring rigor in policymaking is evaluating the return on investment (ROI). A major discovery in the human sciences is the importance of the first thousand days of life in shaping an individual's life. This period is neglected in educational policymakin...

Solar and wind are now the fastest-growing power generation resources, being ecologically benign and economical. Solar and wind forecasts are significantly noteworthy for their accurate evaluation of renewable power generation and, eventually, their ability to provide profit to the power generation industry, power grid system and local customers. T...

In this research, single and multi-bed adsorption columns for oily wastewater treatment were investigated both experimentally and numerically. For this purpose, two mineral adsorbents, namely natural zeolite and calcined bentonite, were used. The adsorbent characteristics were analyzed by XRD, BET, and SEM. Adsorption isotherm and single fixed-b...

Purification of wastewater is essential for human being as well as for the flora and fauna, and sustainable environment. Photocatalytic reactor with TiO2 coated layer can be used to degrade the pollutants but without proper pollutant mass transfer in the reactive surface, photocatalytic reactor decreases its effectiveness. The baffles and rough sur...

Creating low-energy buildings in arid, hot desert climates like Kuwait poses significant challenges. This research examines the potential of Bio-PCMs and cool roof coatings as energy-saving methods in three hot climate locations, using both experimental and computational approaches. Two identical portable cabins were meticulously constructed, and t...

The development of low energy buildings in hot desert like climates such as Kuwait, requires strategies that are rather challenging. It is believed that BioPhase change material (Bio-PCM), cool roof (CR) and solar-assisted airconditioning (SAC) systems are suitable energy saving techniques for hot environments. Five experimental rooms are designed...

The development of low energy buildings in hot subtropical and desert like climates such as Australia and Kuwait, requires strategies that are rather challenging. Five (5) experimental rooms are going to be built to assess these energy saving techniques for a research program jointly between Kuwait and Australia. Before the construction phase, thes...

The School of Engineering and Technology of Central Queensland University focuses on the continuous development and innovation of best learning and teaching practices to increase student retention and improve their learning experiences. Face to face and distance learning (teaching delivery models) are fundamental aspects of providing quality suppor...

This research seeks to combine a comprehensive analysis of the literature regarding energy efficiency and inverters with an analysis of a configuration of a hybrid energy system including a generator, an inverter and a battery. The inverter's power output is analyzed under the influence of different distribution functions during a robust modulation...

A R T I C L E I N F O Keywords: Diesel engine Low load operation Two-zone model Plastic-derived diesel Engine performance and emissions A B S T R A C T In recent years, hybrid (e.g. diesel-renewable) power systems have been implemented in many isolated regions (e.g. remote areas and islands) to reduce dependency on diesel generation. Nevertheless,...

Most waste plastics can be converted into automobile fuel through the pyrolysis process. Plastic pyrolysis oil (PPO) has a heating value comparable with commercial diesel. The properties of PPOs depend on parameters such the plastic and pyrolysis reactor types, temperature, reaction time, heating rate, etc. This study reviews the performance, emiss...

In this study, the performance of hybrid nanofluids in a flat plate solar collector was analysed based on various parameters such as entropy generation, exergy efficiency, heat transfer enhancement, pumping power, and pressure drop. Five different base fluids were used, including water, ethylene glycol, methanol, radiator coolant, and engine oil, t...

Hydrogen is one of the prospective clean energies that could potentially address two pressing areas of global concern, namely energy crises and environmental issues. Nowadays, fossil-based technologies are widely used to produce hydrogen and release higher greenhouse gas emissions during the process. Decarbonizing the planet has been one of the maj...

The aim of this study is to optimize a fast pyrolysis process to produce maximum yield of pyrolysis oil using macadamia nutshell (MNS) as feedstock. The fast pyrolysis process was carried out in an auger reactor. The process was optimized by response surface methodology (RSM) coupled with Box-Behnken design (BBD) considering temperature, residence...

Concerns have been raised about the effects of fossil fuel combustion on global warming and climate change. Fuel consumer behavior is also heavily influenced by factors such as fluctuating fuel prices and the need for a consistent and reliable fuel supply. Microalgae fuel is gaining popularity in the aviation industry as a potential source of energ...

Around 84% of the global energy needs are met by fossil fuels, notwithstanding their several drawbacks. Dependence on fossil fuels can be reduced when biofuels become more widely used. Compared to fossil fuel, biofuel is substantially less combustible and derived from renewable resources. Biofuel production from non-edible feedstocks can be enhance...

Plastic applications are remarkably increasing nowadays; thus disposal of waste plastic and its negative environmental impact is a great challenge. Turning waste plastic into useful diesel as an alternative to petroleum fuel in the diesel engine is very attractive for communities in terms of waste plastic recovery and reduction in dependency on fos...

The International Maritime Organization (IMO) has placed stricter controls on several aspects of global maritime transport operations to protect the environment. In light of this, the goal of this study is to examine and assess the different prospective paths and technologies that will assist the shipping industry in decarbonizing its operations. W...

The production of biofuel from any biomass waste like waste macadamia nutshell (WMNS) using pyrolysis has recently gained enormous attention as it can address both issues related to environmental pollution and fuel crisis. However, pyrolysis experiments are time consuming and costly. Therefore, this study aimed to develop a process model for WMNS p...

As a unique approach to enhance the heat transfer properties of fluids with the inclusion of multiple solid particles with sizes less than 100 nm is called hybrid nanofluids (HNF). Due to the exceptional heat transfer capabilities of HNF, they are being evaluated as prospective working fluids for high heat flux systems such as solar collectors. In...

The comfort of the occupant in the indoor thermal environment can be efficiently analysed using the principle of computational fluid dynamics (CFD) technique. This can be modelled as a difference of measure of a region equivalent to air circulation and diffusion in/out of the area. Other parameters influence the room operating condition and energy...

Plastics like high-density polyethylene (HDPE), polystyrene (PS), and Polypropylene (PP) constitute a large portion of municipal solid waste. Plastics can be pyrolysed for reuse, but the end-product qualities are critical to industry refining processes. Pilot-scale pyrolysis and vacuum distillation were used to thermally degrade the plastics and co...

In recent years, about 370 million tonnes of waste plastic are generated annually with about 9 % recycled, 80 % landfilled and 11 % converted to energy. As recycling of waste plastics are quite expensive and labour-intensive, the focus has now been shifted towards converting waste plastics into energy products. Pyrolysis of waste plastic generates...

The objective of this study is to identify the techno-economic factors for the recent hydrogen production pathways and their relevant infrastructures so that the costs reported in the recent articles be easily identified for further analysis. The comparison of the levelised cost of hydrogen production (LCOH) from the steam reforming process and ren...

Remote communities, which do not have a connection to the national grid in Far North Queensland (FNQ), depend on dirty and costly diesel generators to meet their energy demands. The cost of power generation is considerable in those areas, because the diesel fuel must be carried by truck or ship and a fuel reserve must be held on-site in case of exp...

The development of low energy buildings in hot subtropical and desert like climates such as Australia and Kuwait, requires strategies that are rather challenging. Five (5) experimental rooms are going to be built to assess these energy saving techniques for a research program jointly between Kuwait and Australia. Before the construction phase, thes...

Process optimisation and reaction kinetic model development were carried out for twostage esterification-transesterification reactions of waste cooking oil (WCO) biodiesel. This study focused on these traditional processes due to their techno-economic feasibility, which is an important factor before deciding on a type of feedstock for industrialisa...

Production and utilization of environmentally sustainable fuels instead of conventional fossil fuels in varieties of applications have recently attracted researchers’ attention. Bioethanol and biodiesel are two of these sustainable alternative fuels. A complete replacement of fossil fuels with biofuels is not economically and practically feasible y...

The objective of this study is to investigate the effects of slow and fast pyrolysis on the yields and properties of bio-oils using Macadamia nutshell (MNS) as feedstock. A pilot scale auger pyrolysis reactor which had the facilities of conducting both slow and fast pyrolysis was utilized. The pyrolysis processes were carried out at a temperature o...

With the demand for hydrogen being expected to increase by about 8-folds in 2050 over 2020, there are several factors that can turn into challenges for effective roll out of hydrogen applications in energy sector. Hydrogen has the second highest calorific value, 120-142 MJ/kg, which is the best energy-weight ratio among all conventional fuels. Amon...

The study aims at selecting suitable sites for solar and wind power developments in remote areas of Far North Queensland (FNQ), Australia. A Geographical Information System (GIS) based multi-criteria approach has been introduced to map potential locations for solar and wind, considering various aspects such as climatic, technical, topography, socia...

Biodiesel usage is increasing steadily worldwide as the push for renewable fuel sources increases. The increased oxygen content in biodiesel fuel is believed to cause decreased particulate matter (PM) and increased nitrous oxides within its exhaust. The addition of fuel additives to further increase the oxygen content may contribute to even further...

Just as an explosion of discoveries in the physical sciences enabled the industrial revolutions, we are now in the midst of an explosion of discoveries in the human sciences and, of particular importance to this audience, in the science of learning. We now have a substantially better understanding of the biological basis of how learning takes place...

Tomato seed oil biodiesel (TSOB) could be considered as a second generation and clean-burning renewable substitute for petroleum diesel. It is about 72% by weight of tomato waste, which contains an average of 24% oil. This paper investigated the effects of four different Diesel-TSOB blends on the combustion performance of an indirect injection (IDI...

Over many decades, isolated regions (e.g., islands, rural and remote areas) have heavily relied on diesel engine for producing power and energy. However, due to depleting fossil fuels and concerning emissions, biodiesels could be the substitute for diesel in power generation sectors. This study developed a single-zone thermodynamic model to predict...

Biodiesel is considered as a renewable biofuel-based substitute for fossil diesel as the properties of biodiesel are similar to those of normal diesel fuel. However, biodiesel has some properties which a negative effect on engine combustion. Binary and ternary fuel blends (blends of biodiesels with the opposite properties) are the best environmenta...

Edible oil-based feedstocks based biodiesel is still leading the industry around the world. Canola oil ( Brassica napus L.) contributes significantly to that race. Process optimisation and the development of reaction kinetic models of edible oil feedstocks are still required since the knowledge of kinetics is needed for designing industrial facilit...

This study investigated the suitability of stone fruit seed as a source of biodiesel for transport. Stone fruit oil (SFO) was extracted from the seed and converted into biodiesel. The biodiesel yield of 95.75% was produced using the alkaline catalysed transesterification process with a methanol-to-oil molar ratio of 6:1, KOH catalyst concentration...

Anaerobic digestion (AD) is a viable technique to address food waste (FW) problems by converting FW into sustainable energy. Despite the advantages of the AD process, large-scale AD plants like in Germany and the USA have not been developed in Australia. Therefore, this paper aims to study the technological, economic, and environmental feasibility...

The use of air conditioning in buildings to provide a comfortable environment accounts for up to 75% of the electricity consumed in Kuwait for the hot season from April through to the end of October. The widespread adoption of air conditioning systems in buildings has resulted in an increased demand for electricity. This has led to an increased pea...

In recent decades, renewable energies (e.g., wind and solar) were introduced to reduce the dependency of diesel generation in remote areas and islands power systems. However, diesel generation cannot be eliminated entirely because of the uncertainty and intermittent of renewable sources. In this regards, low load diesel operation (below 30% of maxi...