Environmental Progress & Sustainable Energy最新文献

Thermal energy storage devices are gaining importance and momentum in the building space cooling and renewable energy applications. Retaining the stored energy for long hours through proper insulation is crucial in achieving economic benefits. In the present research, a novel composite material (FRP) is introduced for the development of cool storage tank along with two different methods of insulation (nitrile rubber foam insulation and vacuum insulation) to assess the performance of cool energy retention. The results show that the effect of vacuum insulation is lower compared with nitrile rubber foam insulation. This is due to the low specific heat capacity of the FRP material compared with air that increases the surface temperature of the tank than the ambient air during the day time in the case of vacuum insulation. Hence the study concludes that the additional layer of insulation material with high specific heat capacity than the ambient air to be added on the surface to avoid the overheating of the wall surface. The results are useful in designing the insulation for thermal storage tanks and managing the heat loss.

This article investigates the integration of circular economy methodologies and biorefinery concepts for the sustainable recovery of bio-based products from industrial effluents, addressing the critical need for resource efficiency and environmental sustainability in the face of climate change and resource depletion. Emphasizing the valorization of industrial by-products, the study explores innovative, eco-friendly recovery processes within a biorefinery framework to transform waste into valuable resources such as biofuels, biochemicals, and biomaterials. Through a systematic search in various bibliographic databases and a comprehensive literature review, the study critically analyzes existing studies, identifies research gaps, and offers new perspectives on the integration of biorefinery and circular economy principles. The findings reveal that strategic integration of biorefinery processes and circular economy principles can significantly reduce environmental footprints and foster sustainable industrial practices. Key challenges such as feedstock variability, technological barriers, and economic scalability are identified, along with recommendations for overcoming these obstacles through interdisciplinary collaboration, technological innovation, and supportive policy interventions. The main contribution of this research lies in its comprehensive approach, integrating cutting-edge technologies and circular economy principles to offer viable strategies for sustainable bio-based product recovery, thus significantly advancing the field of industrial sustainability. The article contributes to the advancement of sustainable technologies, policies, and strategies, advocating for a transition towards a more circular, resource-efficient industrial sector. Continued innovation and research are emphasized to optimize recovery processes and explore new applications, supporting a sustainable and thriving future for our planet.

Solar drying systems have proven to be cost-effective and environmentally friendly for drying various products. An extensive investigation of solar dryers with different designs, applications, and operating principles is conducted. Compared to direct drying, solar drying improves product quality by lowering moisture content without compromising the original product's qualities. Solar dryers are of two types: passive solar dryers and active solar dryers. Passive-mode solar dryers circulate air through natural convection, whereas active ones circulate air through forced convection. Crop-affected design characteristics include crop sensitivity, cost and time available to dry the crop, crop moisture content, the level of drying required, and so on. A wide range of research has been carried out on the thermal modeling of the dryer, using different designs. This article also discussed and compared the drying performance of three basic solar dryers: direct solar dryer, dryer with PVT air collection, and phase change materials (PCM). Even though PCM dryers are more expensive and uncommon, their ability to speed up drying at night makes them impactful.

Among various waste-to-energy technologies, gasification is one of the most promising, because of high efficiency, feedstock flexibility, and carbon capture potential. This case study is focused on comprehensive analysis of integrated gasification combined cycle-based plant with refuse-derived fuel (RDF) as feedstock and carbon capture. As there are hardly any studies focused on simulation of waste gasification with carbon capture, most of which are lacking important process specifics, this study addresses existing research gap. Process flowsheets are developed in detail according to literature data for various process configurations and simulated in AspenPlus software, while obtained results on material and energy balance were used for estimation of plant efficiency and performance indicators. Waste generation data in Novi Sad, Serbia, were used for determination of RDF flowrate. Configurations include different syngas cleaning pathways, final products (power, heating, and hydrogen) and co-gasification with coal. Cogeneration increases overall plant efficiency from 27%–36% (power production only) to 63%–76%. High net hydrogen efficiencies, around 58%, compensate lower power and thermal energy production in hydrogen-based configurations. Overall, co-gasification produces better results due to higher feedstock heating value. Obtained results will be used in further research for environmental and economic evaluation to provide multi-level assessment of proposed processes.

The efficiency of solar air collectors, which are intended to convert solar energy into thermal energy, is the subject of numerous studies that aim to assess and improve it. Solutions for sustainable energy heavily rely on these systems. Making the right choice regarding the best method for absorbing solar radiation and reducing heat losses is what will ultimately lead to their improved performance. In this work, wavy and corrugated absorbers were suggested inside a solar air collector. The aim of this article is to study experimentally the thermal performance of the solar air collector when using wavy shape of absorber and corrugated shape of absorber instead of the flat shape of absorber under the same weather conditions of Sfax region central-eastern of Tunisia. The suggested shapes of absorber augmented sun exposure and heating area. The results obtained from this experimental study show that switching from a flat plate absorber to both wavy and corrugated absorbers resulting significant performance gains. The absorber with waves showed a significant improvement in daily thermal efficiency of 22.89%, and the absorber with corrugations showed an even greater improvement of 40.56%. Comparable patterns were noted in daily exergy efficiency, where the corrugated absorber demonstrated an astounding 44.83% increase and the wavy absorber provided a 23.24% improvement. Notably, when total cost savings and monthly CO₂ reduction were taken into account, the corrugated absorber turned out to be the best option. These findings highlight the importance of absorber form in optimizing thermal and energy efficiency, which may have positive effects on the economy and environment.

In this work, films based on three different starches have been developed and modified by adding silver nanoparticles. We examined the films in terms of their mechanical properties, barrier properties and environmental toxicity to plants and invertebrates. For the toxicity studies, we used the following seeds: Berny rapeseed, Brassica napus; Salvia hispanica—chia, Salvia hispanica; and Karo narrowleaf lupine, Lupinus angustifolius. The invertebrates used for toxicity studies were Daphnia pulex, Tubifex tubifex, Chaoborus sp. (larva), Chironomus aprilinus, and Artemia sp. The tests showed that KD, TD, and ZD films were the most phytotoxic, which was confirmed by the percentages of germination and growth inhibition calculated for all test plants. K2D, D2T, and Z2D films exhibited considerable toxicity to lupine and chia. The conducted biotoxicity tests concerning the modified films and their effect on the selected invertebrates showed that Daphnia pulex and Artemia were highly sensitive to the tested factors. Only Chaoborus sp. (larva) exhibited total resistance to the tested films, which did not cause death of the organism in any case. Biotests on invertebrates and plants developed and used in this research can be successfully used to determine the toxicity of other substances.

Zero-valent copper nanoparticles (CuNPs) were beneficially green synthesized via Ficus Benjamina leaves. Applying scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), Ficus Benjamina nano zero-valent copper (FB-nZVCu), an innovative adsorbent, was examined. The obtained zero-valent CuNPs have a size range of 16–18 nm. The removal of D-yellow 119 dye from textile wastewater was tested using this novel adsorbent. Many operating parameters were examined and tested to control the adsorbent's maximum removal efficiency. These variables included dye concentration, stirring rate, time, pH, and adsorbent dosage. Different adsorption mechanisms have been tested, and the Langmuir isotherm (q_max = 21.83 mg g⁻¹) and (R² = 0.9993) represent adequate for the adsorption process. The FB-nZVCu green adsorbent is a promising material for eliminating D-yellow 119 from simulated and real samples, according to the data obtained and the fruitful analysis. The impact of different operating factors was examined using IBM SPSS Statistics software. They were shown to be responsible for approximately 94% of the factors influencing the removal process.

Disinfectants are essential products for reducing health risks, but they also have significant environmental impacts. This study assessed the Eco-efficiency of disinfectants based on the NBR ISO 14045:2014. Primary data were collected from Brazilian producers, while secondary data were obtained from patents and the Ecoinvent database. The system boundaries encompassed cradle-to-consumer use. The selling price was adopted as the product system value indicator (economic analysis). Raw materials production had the greatest impact on the environmental performance of disinfectants A (Antibacterial, surfactant and preservative) and C (Antibacterial, surfactant and opacifier). Disinfectant B, in addition to raw materials production (Antibacterial, opacifier and surfactant), also experienced significant impacts from consumer transport. These critical processes represent more than 60% of the overall impacts in both categories. The Eco-efficiency matrix (profile) related environmental and economic indicators. All disinfectants occupied quadrants three or four, indicating high impact on the environmental categories. Disinfectant C had the highest Eco-efficiency while disinfectant B had the lowest, mainly due to its product system value. Sensitivity analysis indicated environmentally viable changes in the products' composition, such as replacing the antibacterial, surfactant, preservative, and opacifier. Energy and water consumption did not significantly impact the assessed products.