Alternative fuel technologies emissions for road heavy-duty trucks: a review

Many alternative fuel technologies have been studied for the transport sector to increase its sustainability while reducing costs, greenhouse gases (GHG), and air pollution emissions. Nevertheless, conventional diesel is still the predominant fuel for heavy-duty trucks. Road freight transport consumes 25% of the world's energy and is responsible for emissions with local health impacts and the global greenhouse effect. In this context, this paper reviewed items from 2015 to 2020 to analyze the technologies available for the road freight transport regarding pollutant and GHG emissions. Results are presented in two parts: first quantitatively, quantitative data was extracted from reviewed papers and statistically treated and, second, qualitatively through a comparative chart, which shows the impact on air pollutants from the use of a different type of fuels. In general, papers are mostly concerned with particulate matter (PM), carbon monoxide (CO), nitrogen oxides (NOx), and hydrocarbons (HC) emissions due to its impact on public health, with a low number of papers covering GHG emissions. The trade-off between different fuels and how this process can impact emissions, sometimes increasing or decreasing specific pollutants, is discussed. According to the analyzed papers, the main characteristics that affect the pollutant emissions are, in general, the fuel oxygen content and the combustion chamber temperature.

Automated summary

This paper reviewed technologies available for road freight transport regarding pollutant and GHG emissions, focusing on the impact of particulate matter, carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, and hydrocarbons emissions on public health with a low coverage of greenhouse gas emissions. The main characteristics affecting pollutant emissions were found to be the fuel oxygen content and combustion chamber temperature according to the analyzed papers.