Zavin R. Gajera , Alka A. Mungray , Eldon R. Rene , Arvind Kumar Mungray
{"title":"Decentralized approach for resource recovery from human faeces and urine via hydrothermal carbonization: Effect of moisture content and potential for struvite production","authors":"Zavin R. Gajera , Alka A. Mungray , Eldon R. Rene , Arvind Kumar Mungray","doi":"10.1016/j.seta.2024.104038","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.seta.2024.104038","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Hydrothermal carbonization (HTC) can efficiently utilize human faeces and urine as the feedstock and convert them to carbon and nutrient-rich hydrochar and process water. This study investigated the influence of solid content (5, 10, 15, 20, 25, and 30 % of faecal matter, respectively) on the produced hydrochar and process water characteristics. The HTC of human faeces with urine as the reaction medium, at 200 °C for 2 h, resulted in a hydrochar yield of approximately 69.2 to 76.1 wt%, with a heating value ranging from 26.6 to 28.9 MJ/kg. The solubilization of carbon and nutrients in process water resulted in a total organic carbon (TOC) increase from 1.7 g/L in urine to 38.9 g/L in process water following the application of HTC. Furthermore, the morphology and weight % of elements analysed by SEM-EDS demonstrated that struvite was formed from produced process water at an optimum solid content of 10 %. Overall, the hydrochar and process water are rich in nutrients and energy, rendering them suitable for resource recovery.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":56019,"journal":{"name":"Sustainable Energy Technologies and Assessments","volume":"72 ","pages":"Article 104038"},"PeriodicalIF":7.1,"publicationDate":"2024-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142573089","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}
Marija Koričan, Luka Herc, Antun Pfeifer, Nikola Vladimir, Neven Duić
{"title":"Long-term influence of the gradual naval fleets decarbonization on the flexibility of an integrated energy system","authors":"Marija Koričan, Luka Herc, Antun Pfeifer, Nikola Vladimir, Neven Duić","doi":"10.1016/j.seta.2024.104041","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.seta.2024.104041","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>To achieve the transition towards net-zero carbon economy and transport, reducing the emissions of greenhouse gases and improving the quality of life in the coastal areas, decarbonization of various naval fleets will be essential. In this research, gradual decarbonization, using different hybrid, electric and hydrogen technologies for decarbonization of fleets engaged in activities such as fishery, passenger transport and transport of goods near the coast is investigated and modelled in connection to the power systems’ configuration. The energy system analysis and simulations are carried out in H2RES, a linear energy systems’ configuration optimization software. It considers capacity expansion, decommission and unit commitment in the sectors of power generation, heating, industry, and transport. In this particular case, transport sector module is expanded to provide realistic modelling of different naval fleets’ energy consumption, on the example of fishery fleet. This is performed through the inclusion of learning curves of different technologies that are expected in the naval transport, to replace the old internal combustion engine power drives and the demand curves that characterize the fishery fleet. Results include the changes in the variable renewable energy integration in the sectors of energy demand, general and bottom-up assessments of economic benefits and emissions reduction. Results demonstrate that the presented approach can offer better insights into the changes that are needed in an energy system based on renewable energy sources, in case of detailed modelling of the energy needs emphasized by a fishery fleet and different dynamics of its decarbonization. Through internalization of all costs, the resulting system also achieves better economic results as a whole and from the bottom-up perspective.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":56019,"journal":{"name":"Sustainable Energy Technologies and Assessments","volume":"72 ","pages":"Article 104041"},"PeriodicalIF":7.1,"publicationDate":"2024-10-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142561108","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}
Silvia Cavagnoli , Aron Pazzaglia , Claudia Fabiani , Fabiana Frota de Albuquerque Landi , Beatrice Castellani , Anna Laura Pisello
{"title":"Sustainable approach to cigarette butts management: From waste to new building material component","authors":"Silvia Cavagnoli , Aron Pazzaglia , Claudia Fabiani , Fabiana Frota de Albuquerque Landi , Beatrice Castellani , Anna Laura Pisello","doi":"10.1016/j.seta.2024.104039","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.seta.2024.104039","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The global waste crisis is exacerbated by the massive daily consumption and disposal of millions of cigarettes. An effective solution to address this issue involves repurposing cigarette butts (CBs), offering a promising avenue for waste management. This research focuses on transforming CBs into environmentally sustainable building materials. A comprehensive analysis of the most common types of CBs was conducted to assess their different thermal and acoustic properties. Subsequently, these CBs were integrated at 2.5 wt% in both a gypsum and cement mixture to produce panels for building applications. In addition, the feasibility of introducing a significantly higher concentration of CBs into these mixtures to produce mineralized samples was explored, achieving a CBs: gypsum/cement: water ratio of 1:2:3. All the panels analyzed showed superior thermal and acoustic characteristics compared to traditional ones, demonstrating the potential of this innovative approach. The introduction of CBs enhanced panel thermal properties and acoustic absorption coefficients. Incorporating recycled CBs in building material production promotes the creation of efficient, sustainable products while extending the lifespan of discarded waste. Life Cycle Assessment of a gypsum panel with CBs analyzed emissions, significantly contributing to waste management by reducing emissions and minimizing harmful substance release into the environment.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":56019,"journal":{"name":"Sustainable Energy Technologies and Assessments","volume":"72 ","pages":"Article 104039"},"PeriodicalIF":7.1,"publicationDate":"2024-10-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142537312","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":"Utilization of hydro sources in Canada for green hydrogen fuel production","authors":"G. Kubilay Karayel, Ibrahim Dincer","doi":"10.1016/j.seta.2024.104036","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.seta.2024.104036","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The present study comprehensively examines the application of hydro, wave, tidal, undersea current and geothermal energy sources of Canada for green hydrogen fuel production. The estimated potential capacity of each province is derived from official data and acceptable assumptions and is subject to discussion and evaluation in the context of a viable hydrogen economy. According to the findings, the potential for green hydrogen generation in Canada is projected to be 48.86 megatons. The economic value of the produced green hydrogen results in an equivalent of 21.30 billion US$. The top three provinces with the highest green hydrogen production potential using hydro resources, including hydro, wave, tidal, undersea current and geothermal, are Alberta, Quebec, and British Columbia with 26.13 Mt, 7.34 Mt, and 4.39 Mt, respectively. Quebec is ranked first by only considering the marine sources, including 4.14 Mt with hydro, 1.46 Mt with wave, 0.27 Mt underwater current, and 1.45 Mt with tidal, respectively. Alberta is listed as the province with the highest capacity for hydrogen production from geothermal energy, amounting up to 26.09 Mt. The primary objective is to provide comprehensive hydrogen maps for each province in Canada, which will be based on the identified renewable energy potential and the utilization of electrolysers. This may further be examined within the framework of the prevailing policies implemented by local communities and officials in order to develop a sustainable energy plan for the nation.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":56019,"journal":{"name":"Sustainable Energy Technologies and Assessments","volume":"72 ","pages":"Article 104036"},"PeriodicalIF":7.1,"publicationDate":"2024-10-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142537313","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":"Development and selection of lignocellulose biomass and nano-additive combination for co-pyrolysis operation in power generation using hybrid prediction and Machine learning model – A k-means cluster approach","authors":"Osama Khan , Mohd Parvez , Aiyeshah Alhodaib , Zeinebou Yahya , Taufique Ahamad , Ashok Kumar Yadav , Anoop Kumar Shukla","doi":"10.1016/j.seta.2024.104061","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.seta.2024.104061","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The burning of carbon rich fuels<!--> <!-->is associated to be the primary cause of developing large quantity of greenhouse gases which alters the earth’s ecosystem, thereby causing problems in human health and environment. This study investigates the use of various lignocellulose biomass sources—Sugarcane Bagasse, Rice Husk, Wheat Straw, Moringa, and Vetiver—in conjunction with different nanoparticles to create combinations aimed at reducing volatile matter to be used in co-pyrolysis operation in a thermal powerplant. The chosen outcome parameters for clustering these nanoparticles include energy yield, combustion efficiency, ash generation, and SO<sub>2</sub> emission. An Adaptive Neuro Fuzzy Interface System (ANFIS) model is employed to identify trends and relationships between biomass-nanoparticle combinations and the output parameters. K-means cluster analysis is used to categorize the combinations into best, worst, and average clusters. The ANFIS algorithm reveals that the relationship is Trapezoidal with the smallest combined error rates. Among the tested combinations, Moringa coupled with silver nanoparticles emerged as the optimal biomass-nanoparticle pair, exhibiting the smallest centroidal distance of 0.14 from the best cluster centroid. Moringa and Silver nanoparticles achieved significant cost reduction and emissions reduction, with outputs showing an energy yield of 19.8 Mg/kg, combustion efficiency of 82.4 %, ash generation of 2.7 %, and SO<sub>2</sub> emission of 0.2 g/kg.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":56019,"journal":{"name":"Sustainable Energy Technologies and Assessments","volume":"72 ","pages":"Article 104061"},"PeriodicalIF":7.1,"publicationDate":"2024-10-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142554412","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":"A comprehensive review of two decades of research on agrivoltaics, a promising new method for electricity and food production","authors":"Ephraim Bonah Agyekum","doi":"10.1016/j.seta.2024.104055","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.seta.2024.104055","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>An agrivoltaic system combines energy production and agricultural crops in one location, addressing the growing demand for sustainable and cost-effective energy sources. The objectives of this bibliometric analysis are to identify knowledge gaps, emphasize important contributions, and highlight trends in agrivoltaic research. It is expected to support creative research in agriculture and sustainable energy, foster collaborations, and inform decision-making. This study thus employed the systematic, bibliometric and content analysis review approach to analyse research works published on the topic during the last two decades. Data from the Scopus database was used for the qualitative and quantitative analysis using the Biblioshiny package in R and VOSviewer software. The study analysed 155 documents, revealing an 18.21% annual growth in research on agrivoltaics. The most frequently used keyword was agrivoltaics, highlighting its potential for sustainability and sustainable land use. Research on the topic is found to be evolving from small-scale irrigation power generation to large-scale electricity generation, emphasizing dual land use for energy and food production. North Carolina State University and Chinese institutions are leading in agrivoltaics research. The study concluded with some identified research gaps that should be examined going into the future.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":56019,"journal":{"name":"Sustainable Energy Technologies and Assessments","volume":"72 ","pages":"Article 104055"},"PeriodicalIF":7.1,"publicationDate":"2024-10-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142534139","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}
Yuyang Ye , Gengyuan Liu , Feni Agostinho , Cecilia M.V.B. Almeida , Biagio F. Giannetti , Sergio Ulgiati , Hui Li
{"title":"Evaluating the geographical, technical and economic potential of wind and solar power in China: A critical review at different scales","authors":"Yuyang Ye , Gengyuan Liu , Feni Agostinho , Cecilia M.V.B. Almeida , Biagio F. Giannetti , Sergio Ulgiati , Hui Li","doi":"10.1016/j.seta.2024.104037","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.seta.2024.104037","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Accurately assessing the potential of wind and PV power is crucial in achieving the 2 °C climate target. Biased assessments will lead to flawed decisions by national governments and related industries, resulting in significant economic and social losses and energy waste. In this study, <em>meta</em>-analysis is used to identify and discuss the factors that affect the differences in existing wind power and PV potential evaluations at national and provincial scales in China. The present study delves into the geographical, technical, and economic potential, exploring the impact of the scenery complementary portfolio on future development trends. Results show that the primary factors affecting geographic potential are meteorological datasets and land use. Regarding technical potential, the hub height, turbine power rating, and rotor diameter appear as the key drivers of wind turbine power generation efficiency and effectiveness. As far as solar panel power generation is concerned, tilt angle and PV cell efficiency are the main influencing factors, with environmental factors having a more significant impact on PV technical potential than technical parameters. The study establishes a reference database for data use, providing a reliable reference basis for strategic planning decisions and improving the accuracy of future potential wind power/PV variability assessments.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":56019,"journal":{"name":"Sustainable Energy Technologies and Assessments","volume":"72 ","pages":"Article 104037"},"PeriodicalIF":7.1,"publicationDate":"2024-10-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142534073","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}
Stefan Cristian Galusnyak, Letitia Petrescu, Imre-Lucaci Arpad, Calin-Cristian Cormos
{"title":"Towards value-added chemicals: Technical and environmental life cycle assessment evaluation of different glycerol valorisation pathways","authors":"Stefan Cristian Galusnyak, Letitia Petrescu, Imre-Lucaci Arpad, Calin-Cristian Cormos","doi":"10.1016/j.seta.2024.104043","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.seta.2024.104043","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Biodiesel is acknowledged as the most appropriate biofuel to decarbonise the transport sector and combat climate change. The ever-increasing biodiesel production via transesterification results in large amount of glycerol (e.g., 10 kg of glycerol for every 100 kg of biodiesel). Converting glycerol into value-added goods is perceived to be a viable way to lower the high cost of producing biodiesel and expand its market share. The current study examines the technical and environmental aspects of bio-hydrogen, bio-syngas, acrolein, propylene glycol, epichlorohydrin, bio-methanol and bio-ethanol synthesis. CHEMCAD process simulation software was used to perform the modelling and simulation aspects considering a glycerol flowrate of 100 kg/h. The environmental study is based on primary and secondary data and is carried out using the Life Cycle Assessment methodology and the LCA for Experts software, using ReCiPe as the impact assessment method. The technical evaluation points towards glycerol conversion to propylene glycol and bio-methanol production as the best approaches given the relatively low energy requirements, increased purity (>97 wt%) and steadily growing product market. Bio-methanol exhibits the best environmental performance among all examined scenarios, providing the lowest impact in eight out of eleven categories studied while placing second in terms of FETP impact. Glycerol conversion towards propylene glycol seems as the second-best conversion route as it generates the lowest score in regards to GWP impact (0.31 kg CO<sub>2</sub> eq./ kg<sub>product</sub>). Ultimately, the most effective methods for valorizing glycerol and improving the production of biodiesel by lowering the expenses related to its manufacturing are glycerol reforming toward bio-methanol and propylene glycol.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":56019,"journal":{"name":"Sustainable Energy Technologies and Assessments","volume":"72 ","pages":"Article 104043"},"PeriodicalIF":7.1,"publicationDate":"2024-10-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142534072","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":"Hydrogen storage-learning from nature: The air clathrate hydrate in polar ice sheets","authors":"Yuan Li , Ciao Fu","doi":"10.1016/j.seta.2024.104007","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.seta.2024.104007","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Hydrogen storage poses a major challenge to mobile, stationary, and portable energy in better serving a low-carbon economy and sustainable future of humankind. Existing hydrogen storage methods are typical of low storage capacity, complicated storage technology, high capital cost, great storage risk, and excess carbon emissions. Here, the hydrogen clathrate hydrate in powdered-ice I<em>h</em> (HCHinI<em>h</em>) is empirically synthesized at relatively lower pressures from ∼6.3–12.9 MPa and relatively higher temperatures from ∼243–273 K for innovative hydrogen storage, building on lessons from the enclathration of the air clathrate hydrates that naturally formed in polar ice sheets. As a result, the enclathration for HCHinI<em>h</em> is forced by the dynamical evolution of bubbles under the quasi-densification of powdered-ice I<em>h</em>. In addition, the estimated hydrogen storage capacity of 3.44 wt% for the HCHinI<em>h</em> is comparable to, or even far higher than those from the existential hydrogen storage technologies, and the potential to be improved by upgrading the designed synthesis apparatus for the HCHinI<em>h</em>. Thus, this work paves a novel route by mimicking <em>Nature</em> to advance hydrogen storage via synthesizing the HCHinI<em>h</em> in achieving higher storage capacity, simpler storage technology, lower capital cost, less storage risk, as well as net zero-carbon emissions.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":56019,"journal":{"name":"Sustainable Energy Technologies and Assessments","volume":"72 ","pages":"Article 104007"},"PeriodicalIF":7.1,"publicationDate":"2024-10-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142534138","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}
Jiawei Kang , Tong Zhong , Fuqiang Bai , Bowen Wang , Zhiming Bao , Qing Du , Kui Jiao
{"title":"Experimental study of voltage uniformity and stability of H2/O2 PEM fuel cell stack with dead-end anode and recirculation cathode","authors":"Jiawei Kang , Tong Zhong , Fuqiang Bai , Bowen Wang , Zhiming Bao , Qing Du , Kui Jiao","doi":"10.1016/j.seta.2024.104052","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.seta.2024.104052","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Dead-end anode and recirculation cathode is an operating mode effectively improving the gas reactant utilization of hydrogen–oxygen proton exchange membrane fuel cell (H<sub>2</sub>/O<sub>2</sub> PEMFC) stack. However, the difference of single cells in the stack, will be further expanded due to the flooding and impurities and necessary purge for removing them. In this work, the voltage uniformity and stability of H<sub>2</sub>/O<sub>2</sub> PEMFC under different operating conditions are investigated based on a dead-end anode and recirculation cathode PEMFC stack. Research indicates that enhancing the current density and temperature, lowering the inlet gas pressure will diminish the uniformity in stack voltage. The analysis of the experimental pattern reveals a positive correlation between the voltage uniformity and stability. This is due to the water flooding or membrane dehydration phenomenon of the single-cell leading to a reduction of the single-cell voltage and the voltage uniformity of the stack, while the water flooding or membrane drying phenomenon makes the stack more unstable and the purge interval shorter. Based on these experimental results, the best operating scheme for the designed stack is proposed, which is of some guidance and reference value for the practical application of air-cooled PEMFC in the hundred-watt class.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":56019,"journal":{"name":"Sustainable Energy Technologies and Assessments","volume":"72 ","pages":"Article 104052"},"PeriodicalIF":7.1,"publicationDate":"2024-10-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142534071","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}