Materials Science for Energy Technologies最新文献

The photovoltaic thermal hybrid collectors represent one of the most used technologies in positive energy buildings, the device allows converting the available solar energy into heat and electricity at the same time. In this study, a comparative analysis is introduced between two different types of solar conversion devices: conventional hybrid solar air collector (PV/T-Air) and photovoltaic (PV) module. Also, a parametric study was performed to know the impact of different parameters related to the performance of both solar systems. A numerical system based on the fourth order Runge–Kutta iteration method, is used in this study, founded on a strong coupling between the heat balance equations and the different electrical and thermal parameters of both configurations that are included in this work. The energy performance evaluation was applied to the climatic conditions of El Jadida city, located in Morocco. The numerical results indicates that the estimated value of the daily average overall energy conversion efficiency attains: 30.22$\%$ for the PV module, and 52.14$\%$ for the examined hybrid air collector (PV/T-Air). These results are calculated with an air mass flow rate of 0.0215 kg/s, and these values are according to the meteorological data collected on the site of El Jadida city for a sunny day in July.

This paper presents an experimental work conducted to understand how the dispersion stability and sedimentation state of a carbon-based slurry affect its electronic conductivity when particularly used in electrochemical energy storage applications. This work supports the possible concept of using electronic conductivity as an indicator to quantify the sedimentation status of a slurry. Carbon slurries with the concentration of 5 wt%, 10 wt%, and 15 wt% are used to conduct this experimental study. Acid-washed and steam-activated Norit particles from peat with an average size of ∼15–35 μm are mixed with distilled water to make slurry samples. In situ measurements of slurry conductivity and sedimentation are performed at both static and flowing conditions. Maximum of ∼10 % and ∼3 % increases in conductivity are found for static and flowing slurry, respectively, after over 30 min of settlement period as the results of particle sedimentation. Surface area exposure of current collectors to slurry particles is also varied to observe the relative contribution of charge transfer by supernatant and sediment layer. It is found that slurry stability diminishes with sediment formation, and static slurry is more susceptible to forming sediment.

The lithium-ion battery (LiB) has become the most widely used energy storage system for electric vehicles (EVs) due to its many advantages. The EV battery pack needs a battery management system (BMS) to estimate the state of charge (SOC) and balance the energy capacity through the cells. Apart from the fact that it is still challenging to accurately solve, the SOC forecasting represents an important concern in the study sector. This research proposes an effective battery SOC forecasting approach utilizing the non-linear autoregressive exogenous model (NARX) time’s series optimized Levenberg-Marquardt training algorithm, and Bayesian-Regularization (BR). The suggested technique is well-known for its resilience and high performance in nonlinear and complex system prediction, and it is extensively used in a wide range of disciplines. Also, the precision of the NARX technique has been investigated as a function of training data sets, error classifications based on experimental data of LiB. Both algorithms were evaluated with experimental data. Discharging followed by resting process was conducted on a 2.6 Ah LiB. They demonstrate good convergence in the low error and regression. In an effort to address a gap in the field, this paper offers a comparison between NARX-LM and NARX-BR algorithms for the LiB SOC prediction. Both algorithms are optimized the ANN using times series analysis based in the same training data. The results show that NARX-BR is more rapid and accurate with a low mean square error (MSE) of 2.39 10^-5 than NARX-LM, which achieved an MSE of 1.11. Thus, it shows NARX-BR as an effective technique for LiB SOC prediction.

In this work, we report the fabrication of Ni and Cu tubular substrates and the synthesis of ZnO/CuO nanocomposite on them through the process of pulse electrodeposition. The systematic variation in CuO incorporation in the ZnO matrix and the processing technique were noticed to affect the structural, optical, photocatalytic, and anti-bacterial properties, which are well in accordance with the Field Emission-Scanning Electron Microscope, X-ray Diffraction, Fourier transform Infrared Spectroscopy and UV-Differential reflectance spectroscopy results. The remediation capabilities of the photocatalytic substrates were assessed through the degradation of methylene blue (MB) dye under solar irradiation. Optimized CuO incorporation within the ZnO nanorods resulted in the degradation of a 20 ppm of MB dye solution within 40 min and a higher concentration of 50 ppm within 95 min. The Ni and Cu electroformed tubes as substrates provided not only a reusable supporting frame but also a large surface-area for the growth of ZnO/CuO nanocomposite. The current study also dealt with the anti-bacterial efficacy of the above-mentioned substrates against E.coli. Hence, the Ni and Cu tubular thin film substrates with nanorods of ZnO/CuO composite were explored for the removal of organic as well as biological contaminants from waste water.

Continuous reactive distillation is one of the optimized methods for synthesis of C1-C6 esters industrially. The products of the reaction are difficult to be obtained in their pure states due to the presence of azeotropes in the system. The theme of the current work is to highlight the thermodynamic nature of the each C1-C6 alcohol/ester/water system independently and investigate the possible alternatives implemented for pure separation of ester and water. This work comprehensively reports reactive distillation study for continuous synthesis of C1-C6 esters and separation strategies implemented for alcohol/ester/water system in a compiled form. Presence of the azeotropes within the system components helps us in defining the feasible separation schemes to be applied in continuous study. Current work reports a systematic thermodynamic analysis of C1-C6 alcohol/esters/water mixture with help of residue curve map to investigate the complexity of the mixture and alternate configurations/ schemes implemented in continuous reactive distillation technology for enhanced conversion and purity of product streams.

Synthesis of ZnMnFe₂O₄ has been carried out using the co-precipitation method. The main precursors were stoichiometry with variations in the mass of Zn, Mn, and natural iron sand are 3:2:5 as sample 1, 3:2:4 as sample 2, and 3:4:3 as sample 3. The samples were calcination temperature of 500 °C for 2 h. The characterizations showed microstructure properties using X-ray diffraction (XRD), morphology properties using Scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive X-ray (SEM-EDX), and magnetic properties tested using a Vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM), respectively. The crystal structure of ZnMnFe₂O₄ shows a cubic crystal structure as well as the main phase with no detectable impurities or other elements in the diffraction pattern. The effect of adding the composition of manganese to the sample shows that the value of the crystal diameter size increasing with the optimum value of 3.41 nm. The effect of material composition on the morphology of ZnMnFe₂O₄ is shown in the SEM-EDX results. As the composition of manganese and iron sand increases, the particle size distribution also increases with the optimum average particle size of 205–210 nm. The value of coercivity (Hc) of ZnMnFe₂O₄ decreases as the iron sand composition decreases and the manganese composition increases, but the value of the magnetic energy increases. The coercivity value is obtained with the optimum value of 415.78 Oe and ZnMnFe₂O₄ is to be potentially a magnetic permanent material.

Copper oxide (CuO) and zinc oxide (ZnO) were used as a matrix and reinforcement in the compression molding technique to produce conductive ceramic electrodes. CuO-ZnO-based ceramic composites were fabricated through conventional pressing with CuO:ZnO ratios of 75 %:25 %, 80 %:20 %, 85 %:15 %, 90 %:10 %, and 95 %:5 %. CuO and ZnO powders were sieved, dried, mixed, and then compressed at 300 MPa for 10 min to form a pellet before being burned for 3 h at 800, 900, and 1000 °C in a furnace. The sample's density, porosity, and electrical conductivity were measured. In addition, SEM, XRD analysis, and palm oil wastewater electrocoagulation were carried out. The optimal density value of CuO-ZnO-based ceramic composites ranged from 8.564 × 10³ to 9.205 × 10³ kg m⁻³. The optimal composition of the CuO:ZnO in the synthesized composites, namely 95 %:5 %, yielded the lowest porosity values (12.1 %-35.4 %), while the 75 %:25 % composition produced the highest porosity values (20.8 %–88.3 %). The optimum porosity value (12.1 %) was obtained by CuO:ZnO composite composition of 95 %:5 % with a sintering temperature of 1000 °C. This composite also generates a conductivity value of 1.019–16.897 S/m. The interaction of Zn²⁺ ions from ZnO crystals with CuO crystals increases the size of CuO and ZnO crystals, as determined by XRD analysis. Based on the findings of this study, CuO-ZnO ceramic electrodes could be utilized in industrial wastewater treatment as the water quality test result met the requirements of Minister of Environment Decree No. 51/MENLH/10/1995.

In just a few years, the worldwide scientific community has worked diligently to increase the photovoltaic conversion efficiency of perovskite solar cells from 3.8% to 25.7%. Due to its low stability and poor scalability, it still lags in commercial performance concerning the crystalline silicon solar cell. Most of the high-efficiency perovskite solar cells (PSC) reported in the literature are on a 0.01 cm² area, and the efficiency of PSC decreases with an increase in area. The maximum said stability to date is 10,000 h which is relatively low compared to crystalline silicon technology. This work discussed the causes of instability, degradation mechanism, scalable fabrication methods, and high-stability perovskite solar cell. It emphasised the need for setting up testing protocols for universal stability testing of perovskite solar cell technology. The study found that trap states in the absorber layer, hole transport layer (HTL), and electron transport layer (ETL) are the reason for lower stability. The lower dimension perovskite solar cell shows better stability compared to its 3D counterparts.

Agricultural waste is rich in organic matter and an important secondary source of phosphorus, which can be converted into valuable products through various technologies. Composting is an effective way to treat agricultural waste and further produce organic fertilizer, achieving waste minimization and stabilization. This paper reviews the current situation of agricultural waste pollution and composting technology, introduces the parameters that influence of the composting process and the optimal conditions, and presents the indicators for evaluating the decay of compost products and the evaluation criteria as well. In the composting process, small-molecule organic acids produced by the degradation of easily degradable organic matter such as sugars and lipids and various enzymes produced by microorganisms (phytase, phosphatase, etc.) can mineralize organic phosphorus such as phytate and phospholipids, promote phosphorus activation and provide phosphorus sources for microorganisms, so the conversion of organic matter and phosphorus is related to the fertilizer effect of composted products. Therefore, the clarification of the characteristics of organic matter and phosphorus transformation in the composting process is an important prerequisite for the resource utilization of agricultural organic waste. This paper provides theoretical support for the sustainable utilization of agricultural organic waste resources.

Titanium dioxide (TiO₂) nanostructures are well known for their excellency in photocatalytic activities. In this work, additive-free and Cd metal ion - incorporated titanium dioxide (TiO₂) nanoparticles have been prepared to employ a facile route of synthesis using a hydrothermal method. Metal-metal nanocomposites have been synthesized by incorporating cadmium (Cd) with the appropriate amount of TiO₂ nanoparticles. The properties of the derived materials had been investigated by employing various characteristic tools such as various techniques, including X-ray diffraction (XRD), Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), UV–visible absorbance spectroscopy (UV–vis), and photoluminescence spectroscopy (PL) are all examples of advanced imaging techniques, that may be used to study materials. Using a method known as a vibrating sample magnetometer, we measured the magnetic properties of bare and Cd-doped TiO₂ nanoparticles. The investigations on crystalline nature of samples are agreed well with the standard crystalline features of TiO₂ nanoparticles. Emerged grain sizes have been estimated for all samples of pure and additive incorporated TiO₂ samples. Morphological characterization revealed that different particle features varied with the compositional changes. Spectral and optical absorption spectra of the prepared nanoparticles ensured the yield of derived TiO₂ nanoparticles with the additive component. An evaluation of the photocatalytic activity of Cd doped TiO₂ nanoparticles under UV irradiation was made using the methylene blue (MB) degradation method. The photodegradation efficiency were studied under visible light which confirms that the material is gifted one for water-treatment technologies to meet the rising clean water shortage.