Environmental Progress & Sustainable Energy最新文献

To meet the pressing demand for alternative biofuel in the contemporary world, the production cost of biodiesel has to be decreased. Hence, this work addresses the usage of CaCO₃-rich industrial waste produced in a local paper industry in Assam, India for the synthesis of a heterogeneous catalyst for biodiesel synthesis. The collected lime sludge waste was subjected to calcination at 800°C for 3 h producing a CaO-rich catalyst which was then employed in the transesterification of cottonseed oil. The optimized reaction conditions obtained were 5 wt% catalyst concentration, oil to methanol molar ratio of 1:12 at 65°C temperature, and 3 h of reaction time. The catalyst's reusability was evaluated up to four cycles. Besides, the prepared catalyst has been characterized using Fourier transfer infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), powder X-ray Diffraction (p-XRD), Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM), Energy Dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX), and Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) techniques and its basicity was measured using Hammett indicators. Moreover, the biodiesel obtained was characterized with ¹H-nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), ¹³C-NMR, Gas Chromatography- Mass Spectrometry (GC–MS), and FTIR techniques. A biodiesel yield of 98.03% was achieved and the quality of biodiesel formed during the transesterification of CSO also conforms to EN 14214 and ASTM D 6751 standards. Thus, our study highlights the sustainability and the potential for future industrial application of paper industrial waste in the production of biodiesel.

This article explores the potential of regeneration of power from unnatural wind sources with the help of vertical axis wind turbines (VAWT). Researchers are searching for urban as well as industrial wind sources, which can be useful as the natural wind source to obtain electrical energy and utilize it. The wind sources considered here are the exhaust of the cooling or ventilation fans used in buildings, industries, and other places. The Darrieus VAWT extracts wind power from the exhaust air and reduces the power consumption of the concerned electrical drives. These uncommon energy sources have an inherent capability to recover a significant amount of energy without polluting the environment with less payback period. Recovered energy can be suitably converted into electrical energy and may be fed back to the power grid without any pollution, thus minimizing the total energy consumption of the building and reducing the cost operations. A detailed study of experimental models with different types of assembly and turbine models is conducted here with power outputs and operational behaviors on the existing systems. Various parameters and factors for existing and new applications are in detail that show the system has no negative impact on regular operation.

Owing to the increasing demands for eco-friendly epoxides derived from vegetable oils, much effort has been made regarding the epoxidation of oleic acid in recent years. However, to date, there is a paucity of studies on the autocatalytic epoxidation specifically epoxidized oleic acid as it is not fully utilized. The autocatalytic epoxidation of oleic acid was carried out by using in situ generated performic acid to produce epoxidized oleic acid. Performic acid was formed by mixing formic acid (as oxygen carrier) and hydrogen peroxide (as oxygen donor). A maximum relative conversion to oxirane (RCO) achieved was 87% at optimal formic acid molar ratio to oleic acid under following conditions: (1) reaction temperature: 75°C, (2) stirring speed: 300 rpm, (3) formic acid/oleic acid molar ratio: 2.5, and (4) hydrogen peroxide/oleic acid molar ratio: 1.0. The degradation of epoxidized oleic acid after oxirane ring opening invites hydroxylation reaction take place called alcoholysis and hydrolysis. The hydroxyl value from alcoholysis was 346.9 mg KOH/g while the hydroxyl value of hydrolysis was 296.4 mg KOH/g using autocatalyzed reaction. In conclusion, high and low hydroxyl value has their own benefits as intermediate product for polymer application such as flexible polyurethane and rigid polyurethane.

The recycling of urban mining is one of the means to alleviate resource bottlenecks and build an ecological industrial system in China. To study the characteristics of high-quality development of the urban mining industry, the high-quality development capacity of this industry from 2006 to 2020 is evaluated based on the entropy weighting – catastrophe progression method, and its development pattern and influencing factors are discussed. The analysis results show that: ①The high-quality development capacity of the urban mining industry declines slowly, with an average annual decline of about 0.399% from 2006 to 2020, and the overall development quality level is on average. The provinces with high-quality development are scattered from the east region of the Hu Line to the north and south regions, and non-high-quality development provinces are contiguous. ②The positive spatial correlation of the urban mining industry is significant, but the agglomeration degree in high-quality development provinces is low-high-low. According to the spatial agglomeration characteristics, the high-quality development pattern is divided into five zones. ③Among the factors driving the high-quality development of the urban mining industry, regional GDP per capita, R&D investment, the number of patent applications granted and Internet penetration rate are the core influencing factors. High-quality sustainable zone and high-quality restoration zone need to rely on the number of granted patent applications to achieve high-quality maintenance and restoration, high-quality compensation zone and high-quality stability maintenance zone need GDP per capita and R&D investment, high-quality development zone relies on Internet penetration rate to explore high-quality development potential.

A phase change material (PCM) is a useful material in thermal energy storage (TES) applications. The high latent heat (LH) values, noninflammable nature, and low cost make them a preferred material in solar TES. The drying of crops is an essential process for preserving agricultural crops that serves for several agricultural sectors. Solar drying is comparatively inexpensive yet an effective method to dry agricultural products. In this study, the potential of organic paraffin wax as PCM in a movable solar dryer has been investigated. In this experiment, heat-storage materials, organic paraffin wax PCM were used. The use of a PCM-packed floor in a traditional solar dryer used to decrease the drying period of vegetable crops is novel in this work. The work contrasts the drying presentation of chili among direct open solar drying without and with 200 g of microencapsulated and macro encapsulated PCM. Furthermore, the quality and texture of dried chili produced by solar dryers are better to those produced by open sun drying. Chili dried with micro PCM can dried faster when compared with macro PCM with solar dryer. The solar dryer without PCM can take more drying time when compared with solar dryer with micro and macro PCM. Also, the amount of PCM increased the drying time decreases.

The objective of this investigation is to look into the potential use of trash potato peels and processed potato peels as a solution for effectively removing Mn(II) ions extracted from aqueous solutions. The optimal working circumstances for removing Mn(II) ions from aqueous solution in PP are an initial concentration of 300 mg/L, an adsorbent dose of 0.3 g, a contact time (CT) of 100 min, and a solution pH of 6.08. The optimal working conditions for MPP were established to be an initial concentration of 300 mg/L, an adsorbent dosage of 0.15 g, a CT of 100 min, and a solution pH of 6.08. Studies were conducted at various temperatures to better understand the removal capabilities of adsorbent compounds. The removal abilities of Mn(II) ions for PP were determined to be 10.787, 13.698, and 16.556 mg/g at varied temperatures (25, 35, and 45°C), respectively. Under the same conditions, the removal capacity of MPP was determined to be 34.246, 45.045, and 51.813 mg/g. Further investigation of the adsorption kinetics revealed that the experimental results suited the pseudo-second-order model for both PP and MPP adsorbents. Thermodynamic analyses demonstrated that the endothermic process of Mn(II) metal ion adsorption onto the adsorbents occurred spontaneously. The study found that both PP and MPP were very efficient and ecologically friendly adsorbents for removing Mn(II) ions from aqueous solutions. Their demonstrated performance highlights their potential value in sustainable wastewater treatment applications, which accord with environmentally conscious behaviors.

In the face of climate change challenges, energy demand is still increasing, and renewable energy is becoming increasingly necessary as a sustainable resource. Solar energy stands out as a promising renewable resource, yet its widespread adoption faces challenges, notably the substantial land requirements for photovoltaic (PV) panels. This conflict intensifies as land could be more efficiently utilized for agriculture and development. Conversely, railway infrastructure occupies expansive tracts of land, presenting an opportunity to integrate PV panels without disrupting rail operations. However, a comprehensive assessment of the solar potential along railway tracks on a national scale is lacking for different countries and the UK is one of them. This study addresses this gap by evaluating the feasibility of installing PV panels on railway tracks throughout the UK to generate electricity. Utilizing mathematical models tailored to five distinct solar panel technologies, the study incorporates various factors, including solar radiation levels across different months. Assumptions were made where necessary, with values for certain variables averaged to facilitate calculations. The findings reveal that solar energy harnessed from railways could satisfy up to 8% of the UK's total electricity demand, with a minimum contribution of 0.3%. This study provides valuable insights from a UK-centric perspective and offers a replicable framework for similar assessments in other countries with extensive railway networks, such as China and India. By leveraging existing infrastructure for renewable energy generation, such initiatives could contribute significantly to global sustainability efforts.

This study delves into harnessing solar energy potential through innovative floating bifacial solar power generation systems. Employing a comprehensive 10E analysis—encompassing Energy, Exergy, Economic, Environmental, Energo-economic, Exergo-economic, Enviro-economic, Energo-environmental, Exergo-environmental, Energy Payback Time, and Embodied Energy factors—the research evaluates energy performance, economic viability, and environmental impact. Among coolants, fresh water exhibited optimal performance, with peak output power (399 W), final yield (371.9351 W), and performance ratio (59.08173655). Capacity utilization factors were comparable (~0.516), with fresh water (0.5165764992) and black water (0.5154933033) excelling. Fresh water also minimized energy loss (−365.639816266105). Exergy efficiency peaked with fresh water (32.10%). Energo-economic Analysis indicated lower LCOE (3.39 $/MWh) and higher enviro-economic parameter (243.4965981) for Fresh Water. Exergo-environmental Analysis showed consistent efficiency across conditions (exergy performance time [EPT]: 37.28410450–37.35602872). The Embodied Energy for panels was 2840.67 kWh/kg. Freshwater emerges as the frontrunner, offering high energy efficiency, minimized energy loss, and environmental sustainability. Embracing freshwater coolant opens avenues for inventive and environmentally conscious solar energy solutions in buoyant applications.

This study experimentally investigates the integration of a flat plate solar collector and a condensation chamber into a basin solar still. Three prototypes were designed and constructed for evaluation: a basin solar still coupled to both a solar collector and a condensation chamber, a basin coupled with a solar collector, and a simple basin solar still as a reference. The experiments, conducted from July 24 to 28, 2016, at the UDES site in Bouismail, Algeria, used seawater from the Fouka region. Solar radiation emerged as the primary influencer on the solar desalination system, with active solar stills, particularly those equipped with a flat plate collector, showing significant temperature increases. Daily cumulative production analysis revealed the condensation chamber as a significant contributor, representing 58% of total production. Incorporating a flat plate collector resulted in a 110% increase in daily production compared to the conventional solar still. Simultaneously incorporating both the flat plate collector and the condensation chamber showcased an impressive 176% increase in daily production. Daily production quantified at 5.9 kg/m² for the active with a condensation chamber, 4.5 kg/m² for the active solar still, and 2.1 kg/m² for the simple solar still. Economic analysis indicated that the active solar still with the condensation chamber enables more cost-effective freshwater production than the active solar still alone. Water analyses demonstrated the efficiency of solar distillation, converting high-salinity saltwater (31.4%) into exceptionally pure distillate (0.00%).