Alternative Renewable Energy Sources Research Articles

Microalgae Oil Production: A Downstream Approach to Energy Requirements for the Minamisoma Pilot Plant

This study investigates the potential of microalgae oil production as an alternative renewable energy source, in a pilot project located at Minamisoma City in the Fukushima Prefecture of Japan. The algal communities used in this research were the locally mixed species, which were mainly composed of Desmodesmus collected from the Minamisoma pilot project. The microalgae oil-production processes in Minamisoma consisted of three stages: cultivation, dewatering, and extraction. The estimated theoretical input-energy requirement for extracting oil was 137.25 MJ to process 50 m3 of microalgae, which was divided into cultivation 15.40 MJ, centrifuge 13.39 MJ, drum filter 14.17 MJ, and hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL) 94.29 MJ. The energy profit ratio (EPR) was 1.41. The total energy requirement was highest in the HTL process (68%) followed by cultivation (11%) and the drum filter (10%). The EPR value increased along with the yield in the cultivation process. Using HTL, the microalgae biomass could be converted to bio-crude oil to increase the oil yield in the extraction process. Therefore, in the long run, the HTL process could help lower production costs, due to the lack of chemical additions, for extracting oil in the downstream estimation of the energy requirements for microalgae oil production.

Development of Powerhouse Using Fresnel lens

Solar energy is an alternative source of renewable energy. Sultanate of Oman government showed initiation on utilization of solar energy for domestic and industrial applications. Fresnel lens is one of the methods to collect maximum energy by gathering heat of the sun in the concentrated form (using solar collectors). Earlier research work discloses that Fresnel lens gave better result in terms of power output and produces lower heat loss as compared to linear –parabolic solar collectors. In this work, development of a proto Fresnel lens power house was made to generate electricity. The focused heat from Fresnel lens was used to heat the molten salt in a heat exchanger to produce the steam. The generated steam was used to rotate the steam engine coupled to a generator. In the current work, a maximum power of 30 W was produced. In addition, comparative study was carried out regarding solar salts and heat exchanger materials to understand the Fresnel powerhouse performance. Overall the present study gave valuable information regarding usage of Fresnel lens for electricity generation in Oman.

Development of Powerhouse Using Fresnel lens

Solar energy is an alternative source of renewable energy. Sultanate of Oman government showed initiation on utilization of solar energy for domestic and industrial applications. Fresnel lens is one of the methods to collect maximum energy by gathering heat of the sun in the concentrated form (using solar collectors). Earlier research work discloses that Fresnel lens gave better result in terms of power output and produces lower heat loss as compared to linear –parabolic solar collectors. In this work, development of a proto Fresnel lens power house was made to generate electricity. The focused heat from Fresnel lens was used to heat the molten salt in a heat exchanger to produce the steam. The generated steam was used to rotate the steam engine coupled to a generator. In the current work, a maximum power of 30 W was produced. In addition, comparative study was carried out regarding solar salts and heat exchanger materials to understand the Fresnel powerhouse performance. Overall the present study gave valuable information regarding usage of Fresnel lens for electricity generation in Oman.

Renewable Energy as Alternative Source of Power and Funding of Renewable Energy in Nigeria

Nigeria has been mainly dependent on the conventional electrical energy for a long time, with little effort being done to develop alternative renewable sources of energy. The electrical energy is insufficient to fulfill the energy needs in Nigeria, with statistics pointing out that 80% of the country’s population thrives on combustible biomass from the forest woods. USAID has estimated the current generation of electrical energy to be 12, 522MW with a peak generation that was recorded in 2017 being 5,222MW. The estimated energy gap in Nigeria is 170,008 MW, that could be catered for through renewable sources such as the solar energy, wind energy, Biomass energy, and Hydro power. Various financing models including Grants and Long-term Equity, Debt Financing, Results-Based Financing, NGO financing among others, can be instrumental in giving the financial resources that will help in advancing the renewable energy projects in Nigeria. EIA laws and the Land Use Cap 202 are some of the regulatory framework through which the renewable energy projects in Nigeria can be actualized.

Investigation of biomass gasification using indonesian clay as catalyst

Gasification is one of the technologies to process biomass as a renewable alternative energy source. Steam biomass gasification using various clays derived from Indonesia was carried out with laboratory scale fluidized bed reactor to evaluate the activities of clay as catalysts. At the same time to elucidated the relationship between material bed characteristics and gasification process activity. Tar capturing ability was compared for activated clay, silica sand and clay minerals derived from Indonesia by using a laboratory scale fluidized bed reactor. Even raw clay minerals were found to reduce heavy tar and water-soluble species emissions and increased carbonaceous materials deposited on the bed materials compared to activated clay. Activity of some Indonesian clay revealed high performance on the biomass gasification due to the amount of acid center.

Effect of torrefaction pre-treatment on physical and combustion characteristics of biomass composite briquette from rice husk and banana residue

Biomass is an alternative renewable energy sources that can generates energy almost same as fossil fuel. The depletion sources of fossil fuel had increase the potential use of biomass energy. In Malaysia, rice husk and banana residues are abundantly left and not treated with proper disposal method which later may contribute to environment and health problems. Thus the development of biomass composite briquette made from rice husk and banana residue is one of the potential ways to reduce the problems and hence may contribute the better way to treat the waste by recycling the waste into a form of biomass product. The biomass briquettes are used for thermal applications because it can produce a complete combustion as it has a consistent quality and high burning efficiency. However, the quality of the biomass briquette can be added by application of torrefaction pre-treatment method. Torrefaction is a thermal method that can produce more high quality of the briquette with high calorific value, high fixed carbon content, low volatile matter, and low ash content. This study was conducted to assess the physical and combustion characteristic of the biomass briquette from rice husk and banana residue which was produced through torrefaction process. The biomass briquette, were densified by using hot press machine with temperature of 180°C for about 30 minutes. The briquette produce are 150 μm in particle size with varies in mixing ratio of rice husk to banana residue which are 100:0, 80:20 and 60:40. After the briquetting process, the biomass fuel briquettes have been undergoes parameter testing and the data have been analysed. Result showed the best biomass briquette is developed from torrefied rice husk and banana residue mixed at ratio of 60:40. Moreover, SEM image reveal that torrefaction pre-treatment has shrinkage the fibres size which confirming the thermal stability of the briquette.

Bio-Fuels Algae, An Alternative Renewable Energy Source (A Review Paper)

Bio-Fuels Algae, An Alternative Renewable Energy Source (A Review Paper)

A review on characteristics, advantages and limitations of palm oil biofuel

Consumption and use of natural resources is a high concerning issue in modern days. Increase in fuel price, limited resources of fossil oil and great concerns on environmental matters has led the researchers and scientists to concerted and escalating research and development efforts in search of renewable and environmental friendly alternative energy sources. In this connection, recent strong demand for renewable fuels has resulted in increased production of biofuels worldwide for solving transportation fuel problems. Currently, biofuels from palm oil is being established as a great source of alternative fuel. Palm oil can be used to produce biodiesel, which is also known as palm oil methyl ester. Palm oil biodiesel is often blended with other fuels to create palm oil biodiesel blends. This paper highlights on biofuel/biodiesel production from palm oil, use, advantages and limitations.

A review on characteristics, advantages and limitations of palm oil biofuel

Consumption and use of natural resources is a high concerning issue in modern days. Increase in fuel price, limited resources of fossil oil and great concerns on environmental matters has led the researchers and scientists to concerted and escalating research and development efforts in search of renewable and environmental friendly alternative energy sources. In this connection, recent strong demand for renewable fuels has resulted in increased production of biofuels worldwide for solving transportation fuel problems. Currently, biofuels from palm oil is being established as a great source of alternative fuel. Palm oil can be used to produce biodiesel, which is also known as palm oil methyl ester. Palm oil biodiesel is often blended with other fuels to create palm oil biodiesel blends. This paper highlights on biofuel/biodiesel production from palm oil, use, advantages and limitations.

Optimal design and analysis of hybrid photovoltaic-fuel cell power generation system for an advanced converter technologies

Nowadays, the entire world is concentrated on alternative energy sources (AES) or renewable energy sources (RES) for developing the power in economical cost and the sources like tidal power, solar energy, geothermal energy, wind energy, biomass, fuel cells etc. Among all those sources solar energy and fuel cells are chosen for developing the hybrid power generation (HPG) system. The photovoltaic (PV) module is designed with an efficient maximum power point tracking (MPPT) technique of neuro-fuzzy (NF) tracking controller is developed to extract the maximum power and fed to boost DC-DC converter. In the meanwhile, air breathe fuel cell (ABFC) is designed and fed to the high step-up DC-DC converter with lesser duty cycle. The main concentration of this paper is to design the efficient HPG system for a competitive multilevel inverter (MLI) topology with less device count is the merit of this topology which is called packed U cell (PUC). In addition, this paper describes the mathematical analysis, design and operation of PV module, neuro-fuzzy (NF) MPPT controller based boost converter, ABFC, high step-up converter and PUC inverter. The P-V, I-V characteristics of PV module and ABFC stack effects on hydrogen pressure changes and temperature is examined. And also, the performance of HPG based PV-FC fed MLI is sifted for different load conditions. The overall performance is checked in terms of total harmonic distortion (THD) for phase voltages (Vph) and phase currents (Iph) which are accomplished through FFT analysis for each load case. The whole simulations are carried out in MATLAB/Simulink environment.

ОКРЕМІ ПРОБЛЕМИ МІЖНАРОДНО-ПРАВОВОГО РЕГУЛЮВАННЯ РОЗВИТКУ АЛЬТЕРНАТИВНИХ ДЖЕРЕЛ ЕНЕРГІЇ

The article examines topical problems of the role of international organizations in the direction of the development of alternative energy and strengthening of energy security in the world. Considerable attention is paid to the importance of the introduction and development of alternative energy in the context of ensuring environmental human rights and economic well-being. Analyzed the main international legal treaties regulating the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions into the atmosphere and the use of alternative renewable energy sources. The main international governmental and non-governmental organizations in the direction of ensuring environmental and energy security have been identified. Attention is drawn to the need to strengthen the role of these organizations by strengthening the functions of supervision and monitoring to increase the possibility of influencing states that do not comply with the provisions of signed and ratified international conventions. It is concluded that it is necessary to adjust the vector of development of instruments for the protection of environmental rights in the direction of its world globalization. The existing global concept for the development of alternative energy sources requires changes. Given that the environmental problem is universal and, although to one degree or another, it still affects every person, regardless of country or nationality, the obligation to protect the environment must be universal, fulfilled and enforced not only by the government bodies of sovereign states, but also international government organizations. It is noted that the programs and recommendations of international organizations are developed directly for individual states, taking into account their geographical and economic location when choosing the types and methods of developing alternative energy.

IMPORTANCE OF GEOTHERMAL ENERGY IN THE AREA OF SEMBERIJA IN THE REPUBLIC OF SRPSKA

The increasing demand for energy, and environmental protection in recent years, has given an even greater importance to the use of alternative renewable energy sources. One of the most important sources of energy, used worldwide for more than 100 years, is geothermal energy. Its presence in the waters and rocks opens the possibilities for its wider use for various purposes. It plays an important role in the developed countries or in the countries that are more focused on the use of geothermal energy. However, compared to the fossil fuels that are the main source of energy, geothermal energy is used only in negligible percentage. Sudden environmental pollution in recent years, opened more space for the use of geothermal energy. Balkan countries have an important place on geothermal map of Europe, and Bosnia and Herzegovina, i.e. the Republic of Srpska stands out as a significant area where geothermal energy is accumulated as an important resource. In the Republic of Srpska there are more characteristic areas with the presence of thermal waters, but the most important is Semberija, where the temperature at depths of 1200 – 2500 m ranges from 75 – 100 0 C. Possibilities of using this energy are multiple, such as heat for various purposes or in electric energy production. Its use, in the area from which it is exploited and in the area where it would be used, will change the quality of the environment because it will partially or completely replace the current use of fossil fuels.

Key Issues in Microalgae Biofuels: A Short Review

The fossil fuels accomplish almost 80% of the world energy needs. The ever increasing exploitation of fossil fuels has led to environmental pollution, global climate change and health problems to living beings. Hence to meet the needs of the future energy and to mitigate the environmental pollution, it is critical to look for the alternate fuels. Global energy infrastructure in the future is believed to be accomplished by the energy generated from the low-cost renewable resources. Algae biomass has emerged as a promising biofuel source, as microalgae-based biofuels are biodegradable, renewable, and eco-friendly in comparison to fossil driven fuels. This study aims to examine the importance of microalgae as an alternative renewable energy source and evaluate the key challenges in the production of microalgae biofuel.

PERFORMANCE, EMISSION AND EFFICIENCY ANALYSIS OF A DIESEL ENGINE OPERATED WITH DIESEL AND DIESEL-ETHANOL (E20) BLEND

Conventional fossil fuel sources face with scarcity risk. Therefore, researchers are trying to find new renewable alternative energy sources which have potential to replace conventional sources. Alcohol and biodiesel are prominent sources among others. In this study, performance and emission characteristics of a diesel fuel and ethanol added (20% vol.) diesel fuel (E20) operated compression ignition engine was studied in between 1000 - 2600 engine speed. Torque, power, specific fuel consumption curves as performance and carbon monoxide (CO), nitrogen oxides (NOx) curves as emission parameters with respect to engine speed were obtained. Energy and exergy efficiency curves versus engine speed in order to assess the system thermodynamically were also obtained. Results showed that, while torque, power, CO emission were decreased, specific fuel consumption, NOx emission were increased with use of diesel-ethanol blends. On the other hand, both energy and exergy efficiency values were decreased when alcohol was added to diesel fuel. Article DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.20319/mijst.2017.33.5161 This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Non-commercial 4.0 International License. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ or send a letter to Creative Commons, PO Box 1866, Mountain View, CA 94042, USA.

Sustainability of Renewable Sources of Energy for Rural Communities in Anambra State

This study assessed the sustainability of different alternative renewable sources of energy for rural communities in Anambra State. Through literature review a number of sustainability criteria were established and used in assessing the identified alternative sources of renewable energy in the state. A systematic SWOT analysis was further performed to synthesise the characteristics of individual renewable energy resource. 42 experts were engaged and given a structured questionnaire where they were expected to score each of the renewable energy sources on a 5-point scale based on the selected sustainability criteria. A scale of 1-5 was used to examine and rate the sustainability of each of the identified renewable energy options based on environmental social and economic criteria. Based on their individual scores, the total average score for each of the energy sources was computed and used in rating their level sustainability. The study found that among the six alternative renewable energy options considered, biomass was ranked the most sustainable renewable energy source for electricity provision in rural communities in the state with a sustainability score of 35.0. Solar and hydro energy resources were ranked 2nd and 3rd with scores of 31.2 and 31.0 respectively, while geothermal (24.5) energy was ranked the least. This implies that harnessing and investing in biomass, solar and hydro energy technologies in Anambra State could lead to sustainable energy provision in the rural Communities in Anambra State. The study further avers that genuine commitment through government investments in biomass, solar and hydro energy technologies with strong policy framework could minimise the electricity challenges of the rural communities in the state, and at the same time reduce pressure on urban infrastructure due to rural-urban migration.

Pathways and Thermodynamics of Oxygen Diffusion in [FeFe]-Hydrogenase.

The H2 production potential of [FeFe]-hydrogenase, a hydrogen-producing enzyme from green algae, is reported to be promising for economical and large-scale production of H2 as an alternative source of renewable energy. The production of hydrogen takes place at the catalytic center buried in the enzyme core. Unfortunately, binding of O2 to the catalytic center of the enzyme irreversibly inactivates it, essentially blocking hydrogen production. Therefore, a better understanding of the mechanism of O2 entry/exit is necessary to develop strategies for designing oxygen-tolerant enzymes. In this work, we investigated the pathways and diffusion channels of O2 gas in this hydrogenase. Through exhaustive mapping of oxygen-diffusion channels, we computed a full thermodynamic map of preferred binding locations of O2 gas within the enzyme interior, which showed that O2 can enter and exit the enzyme through multiple pathways along which are key residues that are known to perturb rates of O2 binding. The global minimum in the free-energy landscape is located near the H-cluster, a key metallic center within the enzyme. Along O2 diffusion channels, we further identified several residues that could be potential candidates for mutations to increase the oxygen tolerance of [FeFe]-hydrogenase.

Effects of pre-treatment on Biochemical Methane Potential (BMP) testing using Baltic Sea Fucus vesiculosus feedstock

Seaweeds are considered a viable feedstock for producing energy through the anaerobic digestion conversion process. Its exploitation and use as an alternative renewable energy source; however, remains marginal in the EU. This study aims to evaluate BMP in batch tests of the brown algae Fucus vesiculosus from the Baltic Sea and collected from the Latvian coast.The lab scale BMP tests were oriented towards the evaluation of the effects of mechanical and microwave pre-treatment methods, as well as the impact of a different algae-to-inoculum (A/I) ratio using: i) cutting blades together with mortar and pestle (C&PM) in combination with the use of a 700 W capacity microwave, ii) 1:3 and 1:5 A/I ratios. The cumulative CH4 yields show a value in the range of 68 ± 21 mL CH4/gVS – a trial with no microwave treatment and A/I of 1:3) and 144 ± 28 mL CH4/gVS – a trial including a microwave treatment for 3 min, and A/I ratio of 1:3.The results show effectiveness in the range of 7.8%–43.7%, when the microwave pre-treatment is applied for 1.5 min, and a range of 37.2%–45.2% when the pre-treatment is applied for 3.0 min. The results of this study suggest promising potential for F. vesiculosus for biogas production, especially in the Baltic region.

The potency of monoethanolamine in biogas purification and upgrading

Biogas has been exploited as one of the alternative sources of renewable energy having the potential to replace fossil fuels. It contains impurities when raw, as it consists of 50–70% methane (CH4), 30–50% carbon dioxide (CO2) and trace gases such as hydrogen sulfide (H2S). Chemical absorption is often a preferred purification technique in industrial applications because it has high efficiencies, removes H2S completely, operates at low pressures, and has higher reaction rates. The focus of this study is on amines as they are widely used worldwide to purify biogas. A continuous system was used where 1 L digester was used for biogas production which was bubbled through an absorbent in 500 mL gas washing bottle. The gas exiting the absorption column was analyzed using Gas Chromatography. The methane yield obtained in this study was higher because MEA is a good absorbent. The biomethane potential was found to be 0.40 m3 CH4/kg VS (volatile solids). An increase in concentration resulted in increased co2 absorption capacity and rate, an average of 76%, 78%, and 84% vol from an initial concentration of 52% vol were achieved for the respective concentrations. The CH4 content of the purified biogas improved with increasing temperature. The removal efficiency of carbon dioxide increased from 66% at room temperature to 77% at 40 °C. Temperature of the solvent increased the absorption capacity and carbon dioxide removal efficiency of the process.

Electrical Power Generation using Human Locomotive Energy and its analysis Alternative Renewable Energy Source

Electrical Power Generation using Human Locomotive Energy and its analysis Alternative Renewable Energy Source

Biodiesel production process optimization from Spirulina maxima microalgae and performance investigation in a diesel engine

Biodiesel is a renewable, easily biodegradable, eco-friendly and sustainable alternative energy source. In this investigation, crude oil was extracted from Spirulina maxima microalgae through biochemical conversion method with the help of soxhlet apparatus. Biodiesel production process parameters were optimized through base transesterification. Maximum biodiesel yield achieved was 87.75 % at optimal reaction condition after transesterification, when methanol to oil ratio was 6:1, catalyst loading was 1 % KOH (wt.%), temperature was 65 °C, and stirring speed was 600 rpm for a reaction time of 70 minutes. All the physicochemical properties of the produced biodiesel were determined and compared with the ASTM D6751 specification. Finally, performance and emission of an unmodified diesel engine was evaluated with 20 % and 40 % (v/v) biodiesel blends and compared the results with ordinary Diesel fuel (DF). Using biodiesel blends improves Hydrocarbon (HC) emission by 10-15 % and Carbon monoxide (CO) emission by 9.3-13.9 %. However, Brake specific fuel consumption (BSFC), Oxides of nitrogen (NOX), Carbon dioxide (CO2) and smoke opacity were found to be slightly higher for biodiesel blends, and Brake thermal efficiency (BTE) was found slightly lower than DF. Thus, Spirulina maxima serves as a potential feedstock for biodiesel production and prospective fuel in diesel engine application.