{"title":"Bio-mimicry in the aerodynamics of small horizontal axis wind turbines","authors":"Amr Khedr","doi":"10.1016/j.seta.2025.104260","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.seta.2025.104260","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Small horizontal-axis wind turbines play a crucial role in revolutionizing distributed energy systems by providing localized renewable power generation, enhancing energy security, reducing reliance on centralized power grids, and promoting sustainability in energy production. However, their efficiency is often constrained by significant aerodynamic challenges. This review examines the latest advancements in bio-inspired aerodynamic techniques and their potential in overcoming these challenges. Biomimetics — an interdisciplinary approach that applies biological principles to engineering problems — offers promising solutions for aerodynamic challenges. By integrating design elements inspired by plants, insects, birds, and marine life, researchers have demonstrated potential improvements in key areas such as drag reduction, lift enhancement, stall delay, and overall aerodynamic efficiency. This paper provides a comprehensive analysis of these biomimetic strategies, with a particular focus on their application to the blade design of small horizontal axis wind turbines. Moreover, by identifying current advancements in parallel with existing research gaps, this review emphasizes the need for further validation and optimization in bio-inspired blade design. The insights presented aim to contribute to the development of more efficient and sustainable small wind turbines, in response to the growing global demand for distributed renewable energy solutions.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":56019,"journal":{"name":"Sustainable Energy Technologies and Assessments","volume":"76 ","pages":"Article 104260"},"PeriodicalIF":7.1,"publicationDate":"2025-03-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143643096","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Effect of torrefaction on the physiochemical and fuel properties of major Indian waste biomasses","authors":"Kumar Gedela Santhosh, Aggarwal Mohit, G.V.P. Bhagath Singh","doi":"10.1016/j.seta.2025.104277","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.seta.2025.104277","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The increasing importance of biomass-based energy production as a critical component of sustainable energy resources and effective waste management necessitates a comprehensive understanding of the fundamental properties of biomass feedstocks. This review critically evaluates the physicochemical and fuel characteristics of seven widely available biomass sources in India (sugarcane bagasse, sugarcane tops, rice husk, rice straw, maize stalks, maize cobs, and empty palm oil fruit bunches), with a particular focus on the impact of torrefaction. Despite the well-documented benefits of torrefaction in improving biomass properties, limited studies have compared the specific effects of this thermal pretreatment process across diverse biomass sources. This review addresses this gap by critically analyzing the impact of torrefaction on key biomass properties, including hemicellulose, cellulose, lignin, elemental composition (carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, and sulphur), moisture content, volatile matter, and high heating value, providing a comparative analysis to determine the optimal biomass for energy applications. Moreover, the review critically analyzes the impact of torrefaction on key biomass properties, including hemicellulose, cellulose, lignin, elemental composition (carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, and sulphur), moisture content, volatile matter, and high heating value. Furthermore, the review synthesizes recent findings to identify optimum torrefaction conditions that enhances the properties of each corresponding biomass. By providing a comprehensive analysis of the complex relationships between biomass characteristics and their practical applications, this review contributes to the advancement of sustainable energy production by optimising biomass-based energy systems and promoting waste-to-energy strategies.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":56019,"journal":{"name":"Sustainable Energy Technologies and Assessments","volume":"76 ","pages":"Article 104277"},"PeriodicalIF":7.1,"publicationDate":"2025-03-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143632248","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Shek Rahman , Zafar Said , Salah Issa , Mamdouh El Haj Assad , Prabhakar Sharma , Ahmed Amine Hachicha
{"title":"Performance evaluation of evacuated tube solar collector using Al2O3/water nanofluid: Experiment, modelling, life cycle and cost analysis in the UAE context","authors":"Shek Rahman , Zafar Said , Salah Issa , Mamdouh El Haj Assad , Prabhakar Sharma , Ahmed Amine Hachicha","doi":"10.1016/j.seta.2025.104261","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.seta.2025.104261","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study investigates the performance improvement of an evacuated tube solar collector (ETSC) using Al<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub>/water nanofluids, focusing on energy, exergy, and economic aspects. The thermophysical properties of Al<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub>/water nanofluids, including density, specific heat capacity, and thermal conductivity, were experimentally determined, with stability validated through zeta potential analysis. Two volume fractions (0.05% and 0.3%) were tested at flow rates of 1, 2, and 3 LPM under varying solar irradiance. The nanofluids significantly improved thermal performance, with the highest thermal and exergy efficiencies of 68% and 30.76%, respectively, achieved using 0.05% Al<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub>/water nanofluid at 3 LPM. A comparison is also conducted between the proposed system and previously published literature using TiO₂/H₂O nanofluid. Results suggest that Al<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub>/H<sub>2</sub>O nanofluids demonstrated 5.32% greater thermal efficiency as well as weight and cost reduction of about 85.5% and 69.15%, respectively at a lower volume fraction over TiO<sub>2</sub>/H<sub>2</sub>O nanofluid. A life cycle analysis, including energy requirement, CO<sub>2</sub> emissions, and 20-year investment, is conducted to assess the system’s environmental and economic feasibility. Life cycle analysis revealed a significant reduction in CO<sub>2</sub> emissions and total costs for the solar-powered system. Furthermore, predictive modeling using CatBoost and AdaBoost achieved high accuracy, with CatBoost emerging as the superior model for generalization and prognostic efficiency. This work underscores the potential of Al<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub>/water nanofluids for sustainable and cost-effective solar thermal applications.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":56019,"journal":{"name":"Sustainable Energy Technologies and Assessments","volume":"76 ","pages":"Article 104261"},"PeriodicalIF":7.1,"publicationDate":"2025-03-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143629014","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Assessment of the impact of green credit on energy transformation: Micro evidence from enterprises","authors":"Ting Pan , Boqiang Lin","doi":"10.1016/j.seta.2025.104262","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.seta.2025.104262","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The goal of accelerating energy transformation has generated a large demand for investment and financing. As an important policy tool connecting finance and the environment, whether green credit (GC) can play a role in supporting energy transformation remains to be verified. This paper innovatively examines the impact of GC on the energy transformation at the firm level, the main transmission mechanisms, and the heterogeneous effects. The results show that GC can effectively promote the energy transformation of enterprises. The increase in R&D expenditure, the improvement of technological innovation, and the alleviation of financing constraints are the main influencing mechanisms. In addition, improving government environmental regulation, public environmental attention, and information disclosure quality are effective measures to accelerate the energy transformation of enterprises under GC. The research results provide targeted recommendations for optimizing GC and promoting enterprise energy transformation.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":56019,"journal":{"name":"Sustainable Energy Technologies and Assessments","volume":"76 ","pages":"Article 104262"},"PeriodicalIF":7.1,"publicationDate":"2025-03-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143628861","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Machine learning assisted revelation of the best performing single hetero-junction thermophotovoltaic cell","authors":"Ahnaf Tahmid Abir, Arifuzzaman Joy, Jaker Hossain","doi":"10.1016/j.seta.2025.104264","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.seta.2025.104264","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>In this work, Machine Learning (ML) techniques have been employed to explore the highest performing single-heteronunction thermophotovoltaic cell. Initially, traditional homo junction TPV cells have been explored using ML methodologies for the optimal material combinations. ML methods have notably been devoted to analyze the importance of each parameter in the model, thereby improving the comprehension of the system’s behavior and facilitating design optimization. Following this investigation, it has been found that Ge emerged as the most effective emitter layer when paired with the optimal base layer, InGaAsSb compound that possesses a direct bandgap of 0.53 eV. Subsequently, a p-Ge/n-InGaAsSb single-heterojunction TPV cell is introduced executing a device transport model featuring a p-n structure. This cell operated at black body (T<sub>BB</sub>) and cell temperatures of 1578 K and 300 K, respectively. Through meticulous optimization efforts, the performance of the TPV cell is significantly enhanced resulting in an impressive efficiency of 16.50 %. This efficiency is accompanied by a short circuit current, J<sub>SC</sub> = 15.53 A/cm<sup>2</sup>, an open-circuit voltage, V<sub>OC</sub> = 0.47 V, and a fill factor FF = 79.5 %. These findings suggest that this structural configuration holds considerable promise for the development of high-performance TPV cells.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":56019,"journal":{"name":"Sustainable Energy Technologies and Assessments","volume":"76 ","pages":"Article 104264"},"PeriodicalIF":7.1,"publicationDate":"2025-03-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143620882","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Fatima Akram , Huma Aslam , Mahnoor Suhail , Taseer Fatima , Ikram ul Haq
{"title":"Divulging the future of sustainable energy: Innovations and challenges in algal biodiesel production for green energy","authors":"Fatima Akram , Huma Aslam , Mahnoor Suhail , Taseer Fatima , Ikram ul Haq","doi":"10.1016/j.seta.2025.104266","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.seta.2025.104266","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Algae, often hailed as the tiny superheroes of the aquatic world, have garnered significant attention for their ability to produce sustainable and eco-friendly biodiesel, presenting a promising alternative to traditional fossil fuels. This review examines the current state of algal biodiesel production, addressing key challenges such as strain selection, high production costs, and environmental impact, and proposing solutions to guide future research in renewable energy. The production process typically involves open raceway ponds or closed photo-bioreactors, followed by harvesting, drying, and lipid extraction, with innovative methods like ultra-sonication in situ synthesis offering high-quality biodiesel. The review clarifies the roles of catalysts in the transesterification process and fatty acid methyl esterase (FAME) generation and stress-induced production, as well as the distinction between direct and indirect transesterification methods. The heterogeneous catalysts in transesterification have improved the purity of biodiesel and decreased processing times, while genetic modifications and nanotechnology-like innovative methodology have increased lipid production. According to economic estimates, high production costs remain a hurdle if the worldwide algae biofuel industry is estimated to be worth USD 8.38 billion in 2022. However, the financial viability may be enhanced by the co-production of value-added products (VAPs), projected to reach USD 53.43 billion by 2026. Despite significant advancements in the field, this paper showed the widespread adoption of algal biodiesel as a sustainable energy source using genetic engineering, coagulation-flocculation, synthetic biology, and biorefinery-based production to overcome technological and economic constraints focused on the last. Strong regulatory support and ongoing innovation are necessary to achieve large-scale viability.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":56019,"journal":{"name":"Sustainable Energy Technologies and Assessments","volume":"75 ","pages":"Article 104266"},"PeriodicalIF":7.1,"publicationDate":"2025-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143580456","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Innovating energy governance: The role of nanofluid-enhanced solar vacuum hemispherical cavity receivers","authors":"Reyhaneh Loni , Sasa Pavlovic","doi":"10.1016/j.seta.2025.104255","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.seta.2025.104255","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study presents a novel investigation of a solar dish concentrator utilizing a vacuum hemispherical cavity receiver, evaluated through energy, exergy, and environmental analyses. A key focus was placed on using soybean oil-based <span><math><mrow><msub><mrow><mi>T</mi><mi>i</mi></mrow><mn>3</mn></msub><msub><mi>C</mi><mn>2</mn></msub></mrow></math></span> nanofluids at varying concentrations of 0, 0.025, 0.075, and 0.125 wt% as the working fluid in the solar system. The analyses were conducted against fluctuating solar radiation throughout 2022 in Tehran, Iran. A significant innovation of this research lies in comparing the vacuum hemispherical cavity receiver with a non-vacuum counterpart. The findings indicate that increasing the concentrations of nanofluids can significantly boost energy efficiency, achieving a peak of around 82.55% with a 0.125 wt% concentration in August 2022. Additionally, the overall thermal efficiency trends were closely aligned with solar radiation patterns, reaching a peak of approximately 82.75% during the same month with the same nanofluid concentration. Importantly, higher nanofluid concentrations also play a crucial role in reducing annual CO<sub>2</sub> emissions, leading to increased carbon credits. This suggests a strong environmental benefit alongside the performance improvements. The study underscores the promise of vacuum hemispherical cavity receivers in solar dish concentrators as a means to strengthen energy governance by fostering renewable energy investments and innovation through supportive policy frameworks. The insights gained from this research present a novel approach to enhance energy governance while simultaneously minimizing adverse environmental impacts in the future.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":56019,"journal":{"name":"Sustainable Energy Technologies and Assessments","volume":"75 ","pages":"Article 104255"},"PeriodicalIF":7.1,"publicationDate":"2025-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143552317","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Daw Saleh Sasi Mohammed , Muhammad Murtadha Othman , Olatunji Obalowu Mohammed , Masoud Ahmadipour , Mohammad Lutfi Othman
{"title":"Saving utility costs optimization in generator operation planning based on scalable alternatives of probabilistic demand-side management","authors":"Daw Saleh Sasi Mohammed , Muhammad Murtadha Othman , Olatunji Obalowu Mohammed , Masoud Ahmadipour , Mohammad Lutfi Othman","doi":"10.1016/j.seta.2025.104258","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.seta.2025.104258","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The electric power system network has become more self-sufficient and less dependent on fossil fuel-based units due to the increasing integration of renewable energy resources. It is crucial to have an efficient method or technology for managing the system’s economics, security, reliability, environmental damage, and the uncertainties that come with fluctuating loads. In this context, this paper utilizes a framework based on probabilistic simulation of a demand-side management approach and computational intelligence to calculate the optimal value of saving utility cost (SUC). Unlike traditional methods that dispatch peak-clipped resource blocks sequentially, a modified artificial bee colony (MABC) algorithm is employed. The SUC is then reported through a sequential valley-filling procedure. Consequently, the SUC is derived from the overall profitability of the generation system and includes savings in energy costs, capacity costs, and expected cycle costs. Further investigation to obtain the optimal value of SUC was conducted by comparing the SUC determined directly and indirectly, explicitly referring to the peak clipping energy of thermal units (PCETU). The comparisons utilized the MABC algorithm and a standard artificial bee colony, and the results were verified using the modified IEEE RTS-79 with varying peak load demands. The findings illustrate that the proposed method demonstrated robustness in determining the global optimal values of SUC increments, achieving increases of 7.26 % for 2850 MW and 5 % for 3000 MW, compared to indirect estimation based on PCETU. Moreover, SUC increments of 18.13 % and 25.47 % were also achieved over the conventional method.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":56019,"journal":{"name":"Sustainable Energy Technologies and Assessments","volume":"75 ","pages":"Article 104258"},"PeriodicalIF":7.1,"publicationDate":"2025-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143563475","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Performance Improvement of a Self-powered P-SSHI based Piezoelectric Energy Harvester by Tuning the Switching Delay and Inversion Factor","authors":"Souvik Khan, Aakash Kumrawat, Banibrata Mukherjee","doi":"10.1016/j.seta.2025.104240","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.seta.2025.104240","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Among various interfacing power management circuits for piezoelectric energy harvesters, synchronous switch harvesting on inductor (SSHI) topology is one of the most efficient approaches nowadays. In the SSHI circuit, the Switching Delay (SD) and Inversion Factor (IF) are the key factors to contribute to overall harvested power. Here, we propose a modified SSHI topology to achieve the desired SD and IF for harnessing optimized power. The modified topology is theoretically analysed, simulated and experimentally validated. The proposed circuit can tune the amplitude of SD from negative to positive (including zero) or vice versa and can also improve the inversion factor to reduce the loss from the circuit. Three combinations of bridge rectifier configurations, along with the P-SSHI block, are compared and analysed to select the best combination for the operation to maximize power output. The proposed circuit encompasses double advantages, such that it can minimize the SD by tuning <span><math><msub><mrow><mi>R</mi></mrow><mrow><mi>N</mi><mi>E</mi><mi>W</mi></mrow></msub></math></span> resistor and maximize the average harvested power (AHP) by choosing the parametric values of <span><math><msub><mrow><mi>R</mi></mrow><mrow><mi>N</mi><mi>E</mi><mi>W</mi></mrow></msub></math></span> along with <span><math><msub><mrow><mi>R</mi></mrow><mrow><mn>3</mn></mrow></msub></math></span> resistor properly. Furthermore, an improvement of 41.3% in the AHP is obtained in experimentation for the proposed circuit compared to the existing circuit for the optimum parametric conditions.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":56019,"journal":{"name":"Sustainable Energy Technologies and Assessments","volume":"75 ","pages":"Article 104240"},"PeriodicalIF":7.1,"publicationDate":"2025-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143509117","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Xudong Yang , Tingting Zou , Yanrong Xu , Fei Chen , Huilong Luo , Saeed ullah , Ruolin Li
{"title":"Research dynamics and applications of tracking technology and devices in solar energy utilization system","authors":"Xudong Yang , Tingting Zou , Yanrong Xu , Fei Chen , Huilong Luo , Saeed ullah , Ruolin Li","doi":"10.1016/j.seta.2025.104256","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.seta.2025.104256","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Solar energy has been widely used in industrial and agricultural production worldwide as a critical renewable energy source. Currently, solar power generation based on tracking technology has been commercially operated. However, the operation mode of this power generation system is characterized by high cost, low efficiency, and intermittency. To enable the tracking device to adjust the various working attitudes of the solar system more efficiently, realize the efficient capture of solar radiation, and significantly improve the efficiency of the integrated system for solar energy utilization, this paper outlines the development history of solar energy systems and their tracking devices; systematically elaborates, analyzes, and summarizes the tracking devices from single/dual-axis tracking modes and tracking methods (active, passive, semi-passive, manual, and time); and discusses the challenges faced by solar energy tracking technology from the perspectives of cost-effectiveness, environmental adaptability, and energy efficiency. Prospective insights into the future development trend of solar tracking technology in the fields of intelligence and automation, multi-energy integration and synergistic development, and low-cost are provided. Finally, relevant theoretical insights and technical means are proposed, which can provide a scientific reference basis for the research and development of advanced solar tracking technology and the future development direction.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":56019,"journal":{"name":"Sustainable Energy Technologies and Assessments","volume":"75 ","pages":"Article 104256"},"PeriodicalIF":7.1,"publicationDate":"2025-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143593231","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}