Additional Storage Capacity Research Articles

Experimental analysis of a radiant floor system incorporating phase change materials: Thermal performance and energy efficiency

The incorporation of Phase Change Materials (PCMs) in radiant floors has the potential to improve the thermal and energy performance of the system. PCMs can act as thermal batteries, providing additional thermal energy storage capacity to Radiant Floor Systems (RFS). However, in the case of wet construction, when PCMs are incorporated into the enveloping mortar surrounding the RFS water pipes, the resulting specific heat and thermal conductivity can pose a challenge to system performance. The objective of this paper is to evaluate the impact that the incorporation of microencapsulated PCM (mPCM) in the RFS mortar has on the thermal and energy performance of the system. To tackle this objective, an experimental setup was constructed consisting of two RFS specimens: one reference and the other with mPCM within an innovative mortar. The two specimens were then tested under different heating strategies controlled by: i) timer, and ii) floor surface temperature setpoint. The thermal performance of the PCM-RFS and operating time were compared with the reference RFS. Timer-controlled intermittent heating has proven beneficial when the heating strategy is established to combine renewable solar energy and off-peak electricity tariffs. Thermal fluctuation was reduced and the PCM phase change process was mobilized twice in 24 h, maintaining surface floor temperatures of the PCM-RFS within comfort levels throughout the test period. When the heat source is controlled by floor surface temperature setpoint, the thermophysical properties of the PCM-RFS led to longer operating times, however mitigating high intermittency of the heat source activations, resulting in more regular operation mode, easier control and avoiding peak heating loads.

GCAM–GLORY v1.0: representing global reservoir water storage in a multi-sector human–Earth system model

Abstract. Reservoirs play a significant role in modifying the spatiotemporal availability of surface water to meet multi-sector human demands, despite representing a relatively small fraction of the global water budget. Yet the integrated modeling frameworks that explore the interactions among climate, land, energy, water, and socioeconomic systems at a global scale often contain limited representations of water storage dynamics that incorporate feedbacks from other systems. In this study, we implement a representation of water storage in the Global Change Analysis Model (GCAM) to enable the exploration of the future role (e.g., expansion) of reservoir water storage globally in meeting demands for, and evolving in response to interactions with, the climate, land, and energy systems. GCAM represents 235 global water basins, operates at 5-year time steps, and uses supply curves to capture economic competition among renewable water (now including reservoirs), non-renewable groundwater, and desalination. Our approach consists of developing the GLObal Reservoir Yield (GLORY) model, which uses a linear programming (LP)-based optimization algorithm and dynamically linking GLORY with GCAM. The new coupled GCAM–GLORY approach improves the representation of reservoir water storage in GCAM in several ways. First, the GLORY model identifies the cost of supplying increasing levels of water supply from reservoir storage by considering regional physical and economic factors, such as evolving monthly reservoir inflows and demands, and the leveled cost of constructing additional reservoir storage capacity. Second, by passing those costs to GCAM, GLORY enables the exploration of future regional reservoir expansion pathways and their response to climate and socioeconomic drivers. To guide the model toward reasonable reservoir expansion pathways, GLORY applies a diverse array of feasibility constraints related to protected land, population, water sources, and cropland. Finally, the GLORY–GCAM feedback loop allows evolving water demands from GCAM to inform GLORY, resulting in an updated supply curve at each time step, thus enabling GCAM to establish a more meaningful economic value of water. This study improves our understanding of the sensitivity of reservoir water supply to multiple physical and economic dimensions, such as sub-annual variations in climate conditions and human water demands, especially for basins experiencing socioeconomic droughts.

Multi-source district heating system full decarbonization strategies: Technical, economic, and environmental assessment

Implementing innovation and sustainable development of district heating requires sound energy planning at the national and local levels. However, a research gap still exists on technically and economically viable solutions for developing fully decarbonized heat supply systems and assessing their environmental impact to provide a holistic analysis. Therefore, the case study-based research includes in-depth analyses of the current situation and existing operating conditions of the solar field, biomass and natural gas boilers, and thermal storage tank. The future fossil-free scenarios analyze the additional thermal storage capacity, and integration of heat pumps and local waste heat sources to reduce fossil fuel consumption, increase energy efficiency and minimize heat production costs.The results show that the waste heat utilization and heat pump integration allow to phase-out of natural gas for the peak load coverage. However, increasing thermal storage capacity by more than 50 % is crucial to store the thermal energy for peak demand-supply. The increased thermal storage tank volume allows higher biomass production rates and aligns the heat production with the available waste heat sources. The total heat production costs in a low-temperature heat pump scenario decrease by 5 %. The environmental impact assessment shows that the low-temperature heat pump scenario decreases the resource category by 61 % and the climate change category by 17 % in comparison with the Reference scenario due to higher solar yield and higher overall efficiency.

АКУМУЛЯТОРИ ТЕПЛОВОЇ ЕНЕРГІЇ

The article provides an analytical review of thermal energy storage. The reasons determining their demand are shown. It has been established that the market of thermal accumulators is developing quite dynamically. According to the forecast of the International Renewable Energy Agency, the global market for thermal accumulators may triple by 2030 from 234 GWh of installed capacity in 2019 to about 800 GWh in 2030. Investments in the development of thermal accumulators are expected to reach 13–28 billion US dollars. Their capacity for power generation can be 491–631 GWh, for heat supply – 143–199 GWh, for cooling – 23–26 GWh. Bloomberg NEF considers the main drivers of such a sharp increase in energy storage capacity are the US Inflation Reduction Act, which provides for more than $369 billion in financing for clean technologies, as well as the European Union's RE Power EU plan to reduce dependence on gas from Russia. The significant additional storage capacity expected from 2025 in the utility sector is in line with the very ambitious renewable energy targets set out in the REPowerEU plan. The purpose of this review is the search and analysis of thermal energy storage technologies for their possible use in the centralized heat supply of Ukraine. The conducted review showed that the most advanced technology for the accumulation of thermal energy is heat capacity of the material storage. It is the cheapest and most common in centralized heat supply. For short-term storage of heat energy, it is advisable to use storage tanks and main heat networks. Special insulated concrete underground storages of both natural and artificial origin are used for seasonal accumulation of thermal energy. A promising technology for seasonal thermal energy storage is an ice battery developed by the Viessmann company, which requires much less space than the heat capacity of the material storage technology. Thermochemical batteries are in the early stages of development, their demonstration samples may be manufactured by 2050. Keywords: battery, thermal energy, heat capacity, phase transition.

FGF1 supports glycolytic metabolism through the estrogen receptor in endocrine-resistant and obesity-associated breast cancer

BackgroundObesity increases breast cancer risk and breast cancer-specific mortality, particularly for people with estrogen receptor (ER)-positive tumors. Body mass index (BMI) is used to define obesity, but it may not be the best predictor of breast cancer risk or prognosis on an individual level. Adult weight gain is an independent indicator of breast cancer risk. Our previous work described a murine model of obesity, ER-positive breast cancer, and weight gain and identified fibroblast growth factor receptor (FGFR) as a potential driver of tumor progression. During adipose tissue expansion, the FGF1 ligand is produced by hypertrophic adipocytes as a stimulus to stromal preadipocytes that proliferate and differentiate to provide additional lipid storage capacity. In breast adipose tissue, FGF1 production may stimulate cancer cell proliferation and tumor progression.MethodsWe explored the effects of FGF1 on ER-positive endocrine-sensitive and resistant breast cancer and compared that to the effects of the canonical ER ligand, estradiol. We used untargeted proteomics, specific immunoblot assays, gene expression profiling, and functional metabolic assessments of breast cancer cells. The results were validated in tumors from obese mice and breast cancer datasets from women with obesity.ResultsFGF1 stimulated ER phosphorylation independently of estradiol in cells that grow in obese female mice after estrogen deprivation treatment. Phospho- and total proteomic, genomic, and functional analyses of endocrine-sensitive and resistant breast cancer cells show that FGF1 promoted a cellular phenotype characterized by glycolytic metabolism. In endocrine-sensitive but not endocrine-resistant breast cancer cells, mitochondrial metabolism was also regulated by FGF1. Comparison of gene expression profiles indicated that tumors from women with obesity shared hallmarks with endocrine-resistant breast cancer cells.ConclusionsCollectively, our data suggest that one mechanism by which obesity and weight gain promote breast cancer progression is through estrogen-independent ER activation and cancer cell metabolic reprogramming, partly driven by FGF/FGFR. The first-line treatment for many patients with ER-positive breast cancer is inhibition of estrogen synthesis using aromatase inhibitors. In women with obesity who are experiencing weight gain, locally produced FGF1 may activate ER to promote cancer cell metabolic reprogramming and tumor progression independently of estrogen.

Energy Storage Potential Needed at the National Grid Scale (Poland) in Order to Stabilize Daily Electricity Production from Fossil Fuels and Nuclear Power

With the increasing share of renewable sources in the energy mix, there is a need to balance energy production from weather-dependent sources, such as wind turbines and photovoltaics. This is also a current global trend associated with climate policy. In Poland, there has been a significant increase in energy production from renewable sources, leading to a duck curve phenomenon mainly in the case of photovoltaics, which requires balancing this production through various measures. One possible way to achieve this is energy storage installation. This article identifies the need for energy storage to ensure the stability of electricity production from low-flexibility sources like coal-based power plants. For this purpose, a methodology has been developed to determine the daily minimum energy storage capacities which would also allow for the integration of other stable (though less flexible) energy sources, such as nuclear power. In the case of Poland, energy storage has been estimated to require, as a median value, approximately 6 GWh of additional storage capacity, which is equivalent to twice the planned capacity of the Młoty Pumped Storage Power Plant.

Simulating the hydrological impacts of intensive soil and water conservation measures in the Yellow River basin using a distributed physically-based model

Intensive Soil and Water Conservation (SWC) has been conducted in the Yellow River basin (YRB) since the 1950s, which has greatly altered the eco-hydrological processes and particularly led to the runoff reduction. However, previous hydrological models performed in the YRB rarely simulated the SWC explicitly to quantify its spatiotemporal impacts. This study developed a SWC parameterization scheme based on the distributed physically-based model named Geomorphology-Based Ecohydrological Model (GBEHM). The hillslope SWC (HSWC) was parameterized as an additional surface storage capacity and simulated together with hillslope hydrological processes. The check dams along the river networks (i.e., river-networks SWC, RSWC) were parameterized as reservoirs and simulated together with the flow routing. The enhanced model (GBEHM-SWC) was first calibrated and validated using natural streamflow and remote sensing-based evapotranspiration. Then it was applied to analyze the hydrological changes from 1982 to 2019 in the YRB. Our simulation showed that, compared with the first period (1982–2000), the climatic factors (especially an increase of annual precipitation by 27.3 mm) would cause an increase of annual natural runoff by 2.9 mm (2.17 billion m3) in the second period (2001–2019). But in fact, the observed annual natural runoff decreased by 4.3 mm in the second period, which was caused by the reduction effects of the HSWC and RSWC by 3.8 and 3.7 mm (2.84 and 2.74 billion m3), respectively. Regarding the spatial distribution, the simulated natural runoff increased above Lanzhou and decreased on the Loess Plateau. The SWC impacts showed high spatial heterogeneity over the YRB, which offered useful information to evaluate the SWC measures.

Linking geological and infrastructural requirements for large-scale underground hydrogen storage in Germany

Hydrogen storage might be key to the success of the hydrogen economy, and hence the energy transition in Germany. One option for cost-effective storage of large quantities of hydrogen is the geological subsurface. However, previous experience with underground hydrogen storage is restricted to salt caverns, which are limited in size and space. In contrast, pore storage facilities in aquifers -and/or depleted hydrocarbon reservoirs- could play a vital role in meeting base load needs due to their wide availability and large storage capacity, but experiences are limited to past operations with hydrogen-bearing town gas. To overcome this barrier, here we investigate hydrogen storage in porous storage systems in a two-step process: 1) First, we investigate positive and cautionary indicators for safe operations of hydrogen storage in pore storage systems. 2) Second, we estimate hydrogen storage capacities of pore storage systems in (current and decommissioned) underground natural gas storage systems and saline aquifers. Our systematic review highlights that optimal storage conditions in terms of energy content and hydrogen quality are found in sandstone reservoirs in absence of carbonate and iron bearing accessory minerals at a depth of approx. 1,100 m and a temperature of at least 40°C. Porosity and permeability of the reservoir formation should be at least 20% and 5 × 10−13 m2 (∼500 mD), respectively. In addition, the pH of the brine should fall below 6 and the salinity should exceed 100 mg/L. Based on these estimates, the total hydrogen storage capacity in underground natural gas storages is estimated to be up to 8 billion cubic meters or (0.72 Mt at STP) corresponding to 29 TWh of energy equivalent of hydrogen. Saline aquifers may offer additional storage capacities of 81.6–691.8 Mt of hydrogen, which amounts to 3.2 to 27.3 PWh of energy equivalent of hydrogen, the majority of which is located in the North German basin. Pore storage systems could therefore become a crucial element of the future German hydrogen infrastructure, especially in regions with large industrial hydrogen (storage) demand and likely hydrogen imports via pipelines and ships.

Cost-Optimal Sector Integration and Energy Balancing Strategies for Reaching Carbon Neutrality

Sectoral integration will play a major role in the clean energy transition to increase the utilisation rates of available renewable energy sources (RES). Preliminary studies have shown that the decarbonisation of power generation can be reached through well-developed technical solutions such as the integration of hydro, wind, and solar energy. However, emissions in the buildings, transport, and industrial sectors remain stubbornly high. Therefore, the electrification of these sectors and interconnection through smart grids have been identified as promising future development trends to avoid the usage of fossil fuels. The TIMES optimisation model is used to evaluate the future cost-effective pathways for reaching carbon neutrality in the Latvian energy sector. The model includes both the end-use sectors such as transport, buildings, industry and agriculture and the energy sector with a well-developed database of existing and future RES and storage technologies. The modelling framework allows for identifying the cost-optimal future energy mix by considering the electrification potential of each sector. Therefore, it allows analysing of the impact of different policy strategies at sectoral integration levels and the necessity for additional energy storage capacities. The preliminary results show that one of regret-free solutions for reaching the energy efficiency targets in 2030 is the wide expanse of heat pump utilisation in residential buildings instead of inefficient biomass boilers. The building heat supply transformation also brings higher power consumption and interacts with the wider utilisation of wind power. In addition, sensitivity analyses have been performed to evaluate the impact of high uncertainties related to fuel costs, resource availability and other conditions.

Evaluation of solar thermal energy capture and storage alternatives for indirect steam generation: A case study

AbstractThis study analyzes the integration of a solar thermal plant for indirect steam generation in a typical industrial process with thermal energy requirements. Solar irradiation is computed using a validated predictive model in Santa Fe province, Argentina. Three configurations are proposed, consisting of parabolic trough collectors and thermal storage tanks. Performance indicators, such as generated energy, resulting solar fraction (the fraction of the industrial process' thermal requirements met by solar energy), and necessary solar field area, are evaluated for each configuration. A specific energy map is generated, showing the solar generation potential at each location. For required solar fractions of 20%‐25%, incorporating a thermal storage system does not provide any benefits as the solar plant does not produce enough energy to contribute to the industrial process during winter months. For required solar fractions of 30%‐35%, the resulting solar fraction can be increased to 42%‐45% with additional capture area and thermal storage capacity. For required solar fractions of 37%‐40%, the thermal storage improves the efficiency of the solar plant, resulting in a solar fraction of 50%‐60%, allowing the industrial process to receive energy for at least 6 h a day throughout the year. It is concluded that these configurations are suitable for providing a portion of the industrial process' thermal requirements.

Cost-Optimal Policy Strategies for Reaching Energy Efficiency Targets and Carbon Neutrality

Abstract The TIMES Latvia optimization model was developed to evaluate cost-effective pathways for reaching energy efficiency targets in 2030 and carbon neutrality in the Latvian economy by 2050. The model includes both the end-use sectors such as transport, buildings, industry and agriculture and the energy sector, with a well-developed database of existing and future RES and storage technologies. The modelling framework allows to identify the cost-optimal future energy mix by considering the electrification potential of each sector. Therefore, it allows the analysing of the impact of different policy strategies on sectoral integration levels and the necessity for additional energy storage capacities. The results show that one of the optimal solutions for reaching the energy efficiency targets in 2030 is the wide expansion of heat pump utilization merged with ambitious building renovation policy to increase energy efficiency. The building heat supply transformation also brings higher power consumption and interacts with the wider utilization of wind power. Alternative pathway could rely on increased solar power installation for self-consumption coverage which shows lower costs than building energy efficiency increase.

Evaluation of Hydrological Response of an Agricultural Watershed to Conservation Measures and Land Use Changes: A Case Study

An agricultural watershed falling in the catchment of Godavri basin was selected for the study. Paddy, Maize, Cotton, Red gram, and Vegetables are the major crops grown in the watershed. Severe soil erosion consequent degradation of land and lack of water resources for supplementary irrigation and high dependence on rainfed farming leading to poor crop yields were the major problems in the watershed. With a view to address the issues in rainfed farming compounded by increasing adverse effects of climate change, soil and water conservation measures including area and drainage line treatments from ridge to valley were implemented in the watershed from the year 2009 to 2015 with the active participation of local people with facilitation support by a local civil society organization. With the implementation of the conservation measures, visible impact in terms of increased water availability, change in the land use and increased area under cultivation were reported in the watershed. The present study aimed at assessing the hydrological response of the watershed to the conservation measures and land use changes. As the study watershed is an ungauged one, the hydrological response of watershed was simulated with commonly used SCS-CN model duly validated with additional surface storage capacity created in the watershed. The study revealed highly positive impact of conservation measures and land use changes on hydrological behaviour of watershed. The main observed change in hydrological response of watershed was the decrease in the monsoon seasonal runoff by 33% (from 15 % before taking up catchment management measures to 10 % of seasonal rainfall after the project). The conservation measures were found to facilitate storing excess runoff in the watershed itself contributing to improved soil moisture, groundwater recharge and availability of water. Further, the additional storage capacity of 336 cubic m per hectare as estimated from the present hydrological response study was found to be in very close agreement with actual storage capacity of 322 cubic m per hectare, created with different conservation works taken up in the watershed.

Sengkang City Runoff Management in Primary Drainage Channels with One Dimensional SWMM model

The main problem in Sengkang City is the occurrence of flood with a height between 0,5 to 1 m in the city center which is an economic area, these is visually caused by the insufficient capacity of the drainage channel to drain runoff water. Topographically, the economic center of Sengkang city is a basin area which is the downstream part of 4 primary channels, namely channels A, B, C, and D. The purpose of this study was to analyze the existing conditions of inundation and volumes and to make modification plans to reduce the area and volume of flooding in Sengkang City. In this study, topographic measurements, data on channel cross-sectional conditions and elevations were carried out as well as data collection on rainfall and land use to be used as input data for the rainfall-runoff SWMM simulation that was appropriate and under existing conditions. Simulations were carried out using rainfall intensity 5-year and 10-year return periods and modifications were made to an additional storage capacity of 2.000 m3 in primary channel A. From the simulation results, the flood volume for 5-year return periods (R5) of 96.375m3 (11 inundation areas), 10-year return periods (R10) of 148.901 m3 (12 inundation areas), and modification of 10-year return periods (R10) of 43.990 m3 (9 inundation areas) with a percentage decrease of 70,46% and reduce of 3 inundation areas.

IMPLEMENTASI CLOUD STORAGE MENGGUNAKAN OWNCOULD DI SD NEGERI LEMPUYANGAN 1 YOGYAKARTA

Cloud storage is a cloud-based data storage technology that makes it easy for us to do storage without the need for physical storage. At SD Negeri Lempuyangan 1 Yogyakarta the storage media still uses physical storage media such as flash drives and one of the cloud storages, namely Google Drive. Limitations of physical storage media such as physically damaged, bad sectors, exposed to viruses, lost and subscription prices or additional storage capacity on Google Drive are quite expensive. The way to overcome damage or obstacles in data storage, researchers use owncoud as a cloud computing technology with cloud storage services with several advantages, including being able to access data anytime and anywhere, the capacity is not limited (depending on hosting), can share data easily, quickly , and accurate, and most importantly free of charge. By having their own server, data security can be monitored in real time and data management and users can be carried out more freely. The results of the blackbox test conclude that the processes that run from the login process to the occurrence of business processes are in accordance with the design made. All forms and features run according to their functions.

Rainfall interception by common mistletoe (Viscum album L. ssp. album): An additional water loss from infected forests

AbstractMistletoes have a global distribution and are the largest group of parasitic plants living within the canopies of woody plants. In European forests, Viscum album L. ssp. album (common mistletoe) is a common sight and, despite being considered a pest, can play beneficial roles in the ecosystem. However, mistletoe infections are becoming more severe and widespread throughout Europe, including recent reports of large‐scale host tree mortality events. These mortality events are hypothesized to be a result of increased water stresses from severe mistletoe infections in tandem with drought. In this study, we estimate an additional water loss from mistletoe‐infected forests that has not yet been described: interception, or the storage and evaporation of rainfall. Results from rainfall simulations on mistletoes sampled from Gostynin Forest District (central Poland) indicate mistletoes can store 0.16–1.32 mm of rainwater. Inputting this additional water storage capacity from mistletoes into a rainfall interception model suggests that, depending on the severity of the infection, mistletoes could reduce annual rainwater supply beneath the canopy by 2–11%. In forests experiencing water stress from mistletoe infection and climate change, the rainfall interception by mistletoes represents an additional water loss of a magnitude worthy of future investigation.

Highly conductive MXene binder enabling Ge anode for stable sodium storage

Traditional binders and conductive agents are important electrode additives that contribute to the mechanical integrity and conductivity of sodium ion batteries (SIBs), but they affect the energy density of the batteries. In this study, Ti3C2Tx MXene was used as a conductive binder for a Ge anode owing to its high conductivity and clay-like property, which not only combined the functionality of the binders and additives but also provided additional sodium ion storage capacity. Ultra-long lifetime (high-capacity retention of 88% after 20 000 cycles) and enhanced rate performance (124.5 at 1500 mA g−1) were observed for the as-designed Ge-Ti3C2Tx anode. The Ge-Ti3C2Tx anode exhibited a specific capacity of 125.7 mA h g−1 at a current density of 100 mA g−1 after 100 cycles even at −20 °C. This Ti3C2Tx MXene conductive binder may enhance the electrode performance of the SIBs and other energy storage devices.

Ensuring vaccine potency and availability: how evidence shaped Gavi's Immunization Supply Chain Strategy

BackgroundIn 2014, Gavi and partners developed a global Immunization Supply Chain (iSC) Strategy, 2015–2020, which prioritized functioning cold chain equipment (CCE) and additional storage capacity. In 2016, Gavi launched the Cold Chain Equipment Optimization Platform (CCEOP) as a funding mechanism to improve CCE availability. In 2018, Gavi commissioned an evaluation of CCEOP in Guinea, Kenya and Pakistan. The global iSC Strategy has recently been revised, drawing on findings from effective vaccine management assessments and practical experiences. This case study presents the CCEOP evaluation and how its findings reinforced the revision of the iSC strategy.MethodsThe CCEOP evaluation used a prospective mixed-methods research design in all three countries involving key informant interviews at multiple levels of the health system, document reviews, direct observation (as and when possible), and a health facility assessment.ResultsResults show that CCEOP was effective at increasing the number of available and reliable CCE, and establishing improved management processes using the project management team (PMT) approach for country management systems and the service bundle provider approach for installation and maintenance. CCEOP also extended the iSC and immunization services in countries. The evaluation results also show gaps in the overall supply chain system, including CCE maintenance.DiscussionGavi has recently revised its iSC strategy, which has addressed gaps identified through assessments and practical experiences from stakeholders. Results of the CCEOP evaluation reinforce many of these findings. The strategy now provides more emphasis on supporting the fundamental infrastructure and establishing strong processes for maintenance. It also emphasizes strategic planning and forward thinking for iSC decisions, building on the processes established for the PMT through CCEOP. The original iSC strategy was an impetus for the establishment of CCEOP. The new strategy reflects shifting trends and priorities to fill gaps identified through practical experience, advocated for by stakeholders and thought leaders engaged in the iSC, and validated by the evaluation. It demonstrates the importance of aligning stakeholders with clear objectives and a sound strategy.

CO2 storage potential of basaltic rocks, Mpumalanga: Implications for the Just Transition

South Africa is the largest CO2 emitter on the African continent. These emissions stem from a heavy reliance on coal as the primary energy fuel and contributor toward socio-economic development. The South African government has targeted reducing CO2 emissions by more than half in the next 10 years. To meet climate change mitigation scenarios, while alleviating continued emissions, South Africa will look to technologies such as carbon capture, utilisation and storage. Initial assessments of South Africa’s potential for CO2 storage have focused on deep saline aquifers within volcano-sedimentary sequences along the near and offshore regions. Sustaining the Just Transition will, however, require additional storage capacity. In this study, we make an initial assessment of possible CO2 storage in basaltic sequences of the Ventersdorp Supergroup. Geological and mineralogical information was ascertained from borehole data. The geological information suggests that the subsurface extent of the Ventersdorp Supergroup is at least 80 000 km2 larger than previously mapped, extending beneath major point-source CO2 emitters and active coalfields. Furthermore, petrographic analyses suggest pore space of up to ca 15% with minimal alteration, and preservation of mafic silicate minerals that would enable reactive carbonation of injected CO2. Notable metasomatic and hydrothermal alteration is confined to significant contact horizons, such as the lowermost Ventersdorp Contact Reef. These results suggest that basaltic sequences may exponentially increase South Africa’s CO2 sequestration storage capacity and may have a significant impact on the country’s Just Transition. Significance: This study shows that basaltic sequences may support the permanent storage of anthropogenic CO2 in South Africa, in particular, proximal to significant point-source CO2 emitters. South Africa has voluminous and widespread basaltic sequences, which, in combination, increase South Africa’s geological CO2 storage potential by several orders of magnitude. These storage reservoirs can have a direct impact in South Africa by enabling a sustainable Just Transition toward a low-carbon economy while meeting intended climate change mitigation scenarios.

"Effect of Integrated Watershed Management Programmes on Farming in Rainfed Tracts of Tamil Nadu: An Evaluation"

"As a holistic approach, watershed development activities turn out to be very effective and convenient to manage water and land resources efficiently in the rainfed areas. The present study aimed to conduct an impact assessment of watershed development programmes in Thoothukudi, Krishnagiri, Perambalur districts of Tamil Nadu by using indicators on biological, physical, social and economic aspects. In the study area, watershed development structures are found to be satisfactory and contributed for additional storage capacity, rise in water table and prolonged water availability, increasing irrigation intensity and cropping intensity which resulted from enhanced gross cropped area, crop productivity and assured access to water. More number of water harvesting structures has to be developed by engaging private investments in constructing check dams, farm ponds, percolation ponds etc. in the farms. Creating awareness about responsibilities of stakeholders in maintenance of all the assets created in the watershed areas will ensure more empowerment of the community."

Energy efficient large-scale storage of liquid hydrogen

The world’s largest liquid hydrogen storage tanks were constructed in the mid-1960s at the NASA Kennedy Space Center. These two vacuum-jacketed, perlite powder insulated tanks, still in service today, have 3,200 m3 of useable capacity. In 2018, construction began on an additional storage tank at Launch Complex 39B. This new tank will give an additional storage capacity of 4,700 m3 for a total on-site storage capacity of roughly 8,000 m3. NASA’s new Space Launch System (SLS) heavy lift rocket for the Artemis program includes an LH2 tank that makes up the bulk of the vehicle, holding 2,033 m3 of LH2 in its 8.4-m diameter by 40-m height. The new storage tank includes two new energy-efficient technologies: a glass bubbles insulation system in lieu of perlite, and an Integrated Refrigeration and Storage (IRAS) heat exchanger for controlled storage capability. The evacuated glass bubbles insulation system is based on the prior two decades of research to prove the thermal performance benefits as well as the mechanical and vacuum integrity; and has been shown to reduce LH2 boiloff by 46% versus perlite in field demonstrations. The IRAS capability is centered on a heat exchanger system that is built within the inner vessel to reject heat from the bulk liquid through the future implementation of an external helium refrigerator. Controlled storage via IRAS, when fully implemented, will provide full control of the ullage pressure, zero boiloff, and even production of densified LH2 pending its adoption on future launch vehicles. The design basics are described along with main construction and testing processes involved. The key features of the new technology items and implications on simplified operations and long-term energy savings are addressed.