Effects Of Operating Parameters Research Articles

Dielectrophoretic separation/classification/focusing of microparticles using electrified lab-on-a-disc platforms

BackgroundSeparation, classification, and focusing of microparticles are essential issues in microfluidic devices that can be implemented in two categories: using labeling and label-free methods. Label-free methods differentiate microparticles based on their inherent properties, including size, density, shape, electrical conductivity/permittivity, and magnetic susceptibility. Dielectrophoresis is an advantageous label-free technique for this objective. Besides, centrifugal microfluidic devices exploit centrifugal forces to move liquid and particles. The simultaneous combination of dielectrophoretic and centrifugal forces exerted on microparticles still needs to be scrutinized more to predict their trajectories in such devices. ResultsAn integrated system utilizing two categories in microfluidics is proposed: dielectrophoretic manipulation of microparticles and centrifugal-driven microfluidics, followed by a numerical analysis. In this regard, we assumed a rectangular microchannel with internal unilateral planar electrodes equipped with three equal-sized outlets placed radially on a centrifugal platform where microparticles flow toward the disc's outer edge. The effect of different coordinate-based parameters, including radial and lateral distances (X and Y offsets)/tilting angles toward the radius direction (α), on the particles' movement was investigated. Additionally, the effect of operational parameters, including applied voltage, the microchannel width, the number of enabled electrodes, the diameter of particles, and the configuration of electrodes, were analyzed, and the distributions of particles toward the outlets were monitored. It was found that enhanced particle focusing becomes possible at lower rotation speeds and higher electric field values. Furthermore, the proposed centrifugal-DEP system's efficiency for classifying red blood cells/platelets and Live/Dead yeast cells systems was evaluated. SignificanceOur integrated system is introduced as a novel method for focusing and classifying various microparticles with no need for sheath flows, having the ability to conduct particles at desired routes and focusing width. Furthermore, the system effectively separates various bioparticles and offers ease of operation and high-efficiency throughput over conventional dielectrophoretic devices.

A Cold Flow Model of Interconnected Slurry Bubble Columns for Sorption-Enhanced Fischer–Tropsch Synthesis

For technical application with continuous operation of sorption-enhanced (SE) reactions, e.g., Fischer–Tropsch, a special reactor concept is required. SE processes are promising due to the negative effects of water on conversion and catalyst. The reactor concept of two interconnected slurry bubble columns combines the reaction with in situ water removal in the first, and sorbent regeneration in the second column with continuous exchange of slurry between the two. The liquid circulation rate (LCR) between the columns is studied in a cold flow model, measured by an ultrasonic sensor. The effects of different operating and geometric parameters, e.g., superficial gas velocity, liquid level and tube diameter on gas holdup and LCR are discussed and modelled via artificial intelligence methods, i.e., extremely randomized trees and neural networks. It was found that the LCR strongly depends on the gas holdup. The maximum of 4.28 L min−1 was reached with the highest exit, widest tube and highest superficial gas velocity of 0.15 m s−1. The influence of liquid level above the exit was marginal but water quality has to be considered. Both models offer predictions of the LCR with errors < 6%. With an extension of the models, particle circulation can be studied in the future.

Membrane role in heat and mass transfer resistance distribution and performance of hollow fiber membrane contactor for SGMD desalination

Hollow fiber membrane contactor (HFMC) is the core device of heat mass exchange between seawater solution and sweeping air in sweeping gas membrane distillation (SGMD) desalination. In order to reveal the distribution of heat and mass transfer resistance on feed solution side, porous membrane side and sweeping air side, a mathematical model considering the simultaneous heat mass transfer and water vapor diffusion mechanism in the membrane pores was established for the cross-flow HFMC. The simulation results of the model were compared with experimental results and literature results. Comparison shows that the deviation of simulation results of the model is less than 13.4 %, which verifies the accuracy and reliability of the simulation results. Influences of the main structural characteristics of porous membrane on the resistance distribution of heat and mass transfer, efficiency and membrane flux were explored. Air side dominates the heat transfer process, while the membrane side accounts for less than 39 % of the total heat transfer resistance for the main range of membrane microstructure parameters investigated. The mass transfer is controlled by the porous membrane except for thin membrane with a thickness of less than 100 μm. Membranes with porosity above 0.8 and as thin as possible can achieve better mass transfer efficiency and freshwater flux. Increasing mean pore diameter has a strong promotion effect on the increase of membrane flux before it reaches 150 nm, and beyond this critical value, the water vapor diffusion mechanism changes from Knudsen collision to molecular collision. Effects of different operating parameters and membrane microstructure parameters on air temperature distribution and humidity distribution were also analyzed.

Local entropy generation optimization and thermodynamic irreversibility analysis of oval-shaped coaxial ground heat exchangers: A detailed numerical investigation

Optimizing the heat transfer and thermodynamic efficiency of Ground Heat Exchangers (GHE) is crucial for maximizing the energy efficiency of Ground-coupled Heat Pump (GCHP) systems utilized in building heating and cooling applications. This study pioneers an effective approach of both the first and second laws of thermodynamics of the newly oval-shaped coaxial GHEs (oval-CGHEs), assessing heat transfer, thermohydraulic performance, and local entropy generation rate to explore the optimum design and operational conditions for heat exchange maximization and entropy generation minimization. Utilizing a three-dimensional numerical model validated by experimental results, this study examines the trade-offs between heat transfer improvements and entropy generation rate intensification of the oval-CGHEs in comparison to the typical circular-shaped CGHE (circle-CGHE) further than exploring the effect of key operational and design parameters and performing sensitivity analysis. The results reveal that oval-CGHEs exhibit higher irreversibility as a penalty for their superior heat transfer capabilities compared to traditional circular-shaped CGHEs (circle-CGHE), which can be mitigated by optimizing the position of the inner tube. Moreover, the study underscores the criticality of maintaining a balance between enhanced heat transfer and the associated rise in irreversibility, particularly concerning the factors of mass flow rates and installation depths.

Evaporating crystallization effect of ammonium sulfate at atmospheric pressure under the action of ultrasound

Ultrasound enhanced evaporating crystallization has been proposed to solve the problems of low crystallization yield and uneven particle size in the evaporating crystallization process of ammonium sulfate solution at atmospheric pressure. The effects of key operating parameters, including the ultrasound power, stirring speed, pH value, and ultrasound time, on the yield of ammonium sulfate product and the duration of solid–liquid transformation time are studied. The results show that the ultrasound crystallization can increase the ammonium sulfate yield by 52.9 %, reduce the solid–liquid transformation time of ammonium sulfate by 10 %, and obtain ammonium sulfate products with higher crystallinity and more uniform particle size. Ultrasound promotes the crystallization of ammonium sulfate by enhancing the transfer of heat in the solution and reducing the supersolubility of the ammonium sulfate solution from 937.5 g/L to 833.33 g/L. This study provides experimental justification for the use of ultrasound in atmospheric evaporative crystallization.

High-efficiency ternary CeO2/WO3/AC photocatalyst supported by biomass waste-derived activated carbon for efficient doxycycline photodegradation: Optimization of synthesis conditions and operational parameters

Herein, a stable and reusable photocatalyst based on activated carbon (AC) with varying CeO2/WO3 loadings is synthesized and optimized using Central Composite Design (CCD) with the intention of Doxycycline (DOX) degrading as an organic pollutant. Prepared optimum photocatalyst have been characterized through XRD, BET, FE-SEM, EDS-Mapping, TEM, FT-IR, and UV–Vis band gap analyses. Additionally, the effect of operational parameters including catalyst dosage (0.2–1.4 g.L−1), DOX concentration (10–50 ppm), irradiation time (20–140 min), and pH (2–10) on DOX degradation is investigated by CCD in order to highly-efficient DOX degradation. The best working condition shows an experimental degradation efficiency of 97.23%. Moreover, selected CeO2/WO3/AC photocatalyst remove 83.11% of COD from DOX solution. The h+ and •O2− radicals are found to be essential for the destruction of the DOX due to heir strong and nonselective oxidation characteristics. Furthermore, the stability of the selected photocatalyst observed after undergoing five degradation cycles.

Evaluation of different operating parameters in the photocatalytic oxidative desulfurization process to degrade dibenzothiophene sulfur compound in the presence of BiOI/CeO2/NaY zeolite heterojunction

In this study, BiOI/CeO2/NaY zeolite composite was applied to remove sulfur compounds in gasoline model fuel to reduce environmental pollution and increase clean fuel production. First, the parent NaY zeolite was transformed into mesoporous zeolite during the sequential dealumination-desilication process. Then, the binary structures of BiOI/NaY zeolite and BiOI/Meso NaY zeolite were successfully synthesized by hydrothermal method. Next, in order to increase the photocatalytic performance in the desulfurization process, cerium ion was impregnated on the synthesized binary samples, so that the ternary combination of BiOI/CeO2/Meso NaY zeolite was investigated for the first time in the application of photocatalytic oxidative desulfurization in the presence of air as an oxidant. Furthermore, XRD, XPS, FT-IR, FE-SEM, EDS-MAP, TEM, BET, UV–vis DRS, PL and EIS analyzes were used to identify the structure, evaluate the compounds and determine the performance of the synthesized samples. In addition, the effect of operational parameters in the photocatalytic oxidative desulfurization process including photocatalyst dosage, model fuel concentration, reaction temperature, type of oxidant, type of extractant, the volume ratio of model fuel to extractant, different sulfur compounds, reusability and scavengers were assessed. The results showed that the BiOI/CeO2/Meso NaY zeolite ternary sample with an amount of 50 mg at the temperature of 25 ℃ and the concentration of 500 ppm of the sulfur compound was able to eliminate 98.8 % of the pollutant in 30 min. Moreover, the effect of the active species in the process was evaluated using various electron-removing agents to remove the sulfur compound from the fuel on an industrial scale.

Effect of surfactants (cetyl trimethyl ammonium-bromide, ethyl di-tetra amine and polyacrylamide) on the synthesis of zinc oxide for photocatalytic application

In this work, we report the effect of cetyl trimethyl ammonium bromide (CTAB), ethyl di-tetra amine (EDTA) and polyacrylamide as surfactants on synthesis of zinc oxide for photocatalytic application. The ZnO nanoparticles were synthesized with and without the surfactants and characterized using powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD), and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). In addition to this, the morphology of zinc oxide prepared in the absence and presence of these surfactants investigated through scanning electron microscopy (SEM). As confirmed from XRD and FTIR characterization results, the use of different surfactants did not affect the composition of ZnO nanomaterials. The photocatalytic activities were investigated by the degradation of methylene blue (MB) dye under sunlight irradiation. To optimize the effects of operational parameters, the study was carried out as a function of dye concentration, catalyst dose, and pH on the degradation efficiency of the photocatalysts. The optimum values of catalyst dose, dye concentration and pH of solution were found to be 0.09 g, 5 mg/L and 10, respectively. The ZnO nanomaterials prepared with CTAB surfactant showed highest degradation efficiency of 98% indicating potential application for practical decontamination of wastewater from toxic organic pollutants. KEY WORDS: Surfactants, Zinc oxide nanoparticles, Photocatalysis, Methylene blue Bull. Chem. Soc. Ethiop. 2024, 38(4), 923-935. DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.4314/bcse.v38i4.9

Efficient removal of short-chain perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) using asymmetric membrane capacitive deionization

Concerns have been raised over the persistence and potential health risks of perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). PFAS pose significant challenges in water treatment owing to their chemical stability and the difficulty of treating them with conventional purification methods. Although traditional water treatment methods for contaminant removal have been explored, their effectiveness against PFAS remains limited. This gap in knowledge highlights the need for innovative approaches. This study introduces asymmetric membrane capacitive deionization (ACDI) as a novel method for short-chain PFAS removal to address the shortcomings of existing techniques. ACDI refers to a configuration in which an anion exchange membrane is removed from a conventional membrane capacitive deionization with both a cation exchange membrane and an anion exchange membrane. Among the PFAS, perfluorobutanesulfonic acid (PFBS), which is known to be difficult to remove because of its short chain, has been the focus. The ACDI system demonstrated superior deionization capacity (28.75 mg/g) and energy efficiency (energy consumption of 0.46 Wh/g) compared to conventional CDI and membrane CDI systems. In addition, the effects of key operating parameters, such as voltage (0.5 ∼ 1.2 V), initial concentration (50 ∼ 500 mg/L), and flow rate (1 ∼ 5 mL/min), on the PFBS removal were systematically investigated and superior at 1.2 V, 500 mg/L, and 2 mL/min. This study suggests the need for further exploration of real-world applications considering the presence of competing ions in wastewater. This study provides valuable insights into advancing CDI technology for the sustainable treatment of industrial wastewater containing PFAS.

Large eddy simulation for jet noise characteristics of liquid rocket engine with guide groove

The study of jet noise characteristics of liquid rocket engines is a prerequisite for evaluating the noise level of rockets and effectively controlling the noise. To obtain the effect of engine operating and structural parameters on jet noise, the Large Eddy Simulation combined with the FW-H integration method is applied for the scaled engine with guide groove under different chamber pressures and nozzle expansion ratios. The simulation results show that the noise field distribution of the jet with a guide groove is highly symmetrical and has obvious directivity. The noise caused by jet impingement on the guide groove is strongly correlated to the distribution of high vorticity regions. Remarkably, higher chamber pressure leads to longer potential jet length, higher noise sound pressure levels, and greater enhancement effect of impact on noise. However, the frequency spectral characteristics are basically invariant. When the chamber pressure is constant, the increment of the nozzle expansion ratio in a certain range results in lower noise peak frequency and weaker impact effect.

Experimental parametric evaluation of adsorption characteristics for silica gel - water based open-bed system for seasonal thermal energy storage

This study aims to investigate the potential of using commercial silica gel as an energy storage material in a bulk-scale open bed adsorption-based system to achieve efficient domestic heating using renewable energy sources. Designing an efficient thermal energy storage (TES) system for practical use requires understanding of the sorption properties of the adsorbent and the effects of different operating and physical parameters on the sorption process. One critical parameter that significantly affects the energy storage density when scaling up from a laboratory to a prototype system is the amount of adsorbent in the reactor. Surprisingly, this aspect has been overlooked in previous studies. To address this research gap, a laboratory-scale test rig was designed and constructed. This rig enables the evaluation of the effects of different operating parameters (such as relative humidity, flow rate, and regeneration temperature) and physical parameters (such as the quantity of adsorbent and particle diameter) on the energy storage density of silica gel and the temperature lift in the process. The water adsorption capacity of the silica gel was measured in-house to assist in future theoretical modelling of a prototype TES system. Optimum operating conditions were determined for the system, with a relative humidity of 80 %, an air flow rate of 100 L/min, and material regeneration at 120 °C. The system's performance in terms of material energy storage density and maximum temperature lift was observed for varying amounts of adsorbent, particle diameter, and regeneration temperature at these optimal operating conditions. Finally, the required storage volume to meet domestic space heating demands was estimated based on optimal discharging conditions and compared to other experimental and theoretical studies involving silica gel-based energy storage systems.

Numerical investigation on the effect of feed operating parameters and inlet structure on a cyclone utilizing flow splitting for performance enhancement

The shunting technique is regarded as one of the most crucial approaches for suppressing localized secondary flow within a cyclone. This study employs the Reynolds stress model and discrete phase model to investigate the impact of inlet structure and feed operating parameters on the performance of enhanced cyclone with split flow (ECSF), aiming to further enhance its efficiency. The findings demonstrate that the optimum feed velocity of ECSF is 29 m/s, which surpasses that of Lapple cyclone at 23 m/s. In addition, both a contracting inlet and multiple inlets contribute to enhancing the separation efficiency of ECSF. Specifically, ECSF with a contracting inlet exhibits a total separation efficiency of 86.8% for 2.5 μm particles, representing an improvement of 12.3% compared to ECSF with a straight inlet configuration. The enhancement in separation efficiency achieved through the implementation of the four-inlet design is even more pronounced. The segregated particles are directed into the discharge pipe via either underflow or bypass flow, and the trajectory of particle entry into the discharge pipe is closely associated with their cross-sectional positioning prior to entering the cylinder.

Research on the Grinding Process of Superhard Particles in the Fluidized Bed Opposed Jet Mill Based on the CFD-DEM Methodology

The process of superhard particle breakage in the grinding zone of the fluidized bed opposed jet mill is investigated using the CFD-DEM (computational fluid dynamics-discrete element method) coupling method with the Tavares UFRJ Breakage Model in the present study. The effects of structural and operational parameters, such as target plate structure, nozzle position, air inlet velocity, and feed rate, on the equipment stress distribution, airflow velocity, pressure field, particle velocity, and cumulative particle size distribution are thoroughly studied to determine the optimal structural and operational parameters. Experimental validation is conducted, including scanning electron microscope (SEM) observation of particle morphology and analysis of particle size distribution of ground product particles. The simulation results indicate that the wear rate of the structure without a target plate is lower than that of the structure with a target plate in the grinding central zone. Therefore, the structure without a target plate is chosen for further investigation. The cumulative particle size distribution after grinding is influenced by nozzle position, air inlet velocity, and feed rate. The particle D50 is positively correlated with nozzle spacing and feed rate, while it is negatively correlated with air inlet velocity. The optimal grinding effect is achieved when the distance between the nozzle and the center of the grinding zone ranges from 52.5 mm to 72.55 mm, the air inlet velocity is 950 m/s, and the feed rate is 10.5 g/s. Through experimental investigation, it has been observed that when the feed rate is 10 g/s, the particle size distribution becomes more uniform. Furthermore, consistent trends in the cumulative particle size distribution in the experiment and simulation results can be found, which validates the present numerical model. It was observed that particles at low feed rates retain certain angular edges, while particle roundness increases at high feed rates.

Development and performance assessment of different squeal index metrics based on experimental data

As an NVH problem observed in automotive brake systems, the significance of brake squeal phenomenon still persists; and the estimation of squeal propensity is a crucial operation. Thus, developing different means to define squeal propensity is an important task. As being one metric, squeal index is widely used for this purpose; and there already exists several different squeal index formulations in the available literature. The main objective of this study is to develop new squeal index formulations and assess their performances. Though, unlike the existing formulations, not only the measured data but also the operating and design parameters of the system of interest are also incorporated in the proposed formulations. The experimental data used for squeal index formulations are obtained on a mass-sliding belt experiment, where squeal-like behavior can successfully be observed. Experiments are conducted at different operating and design parameter conditions. First, cases with presence and absence of squeal-like behavior are observed on the measured data in time and frequency domains. Then, eight different squeal index formulations are developed, where different set of parameters are utilized in each formulation. Some of these parameters are extracted from the measured data (time and frequency domains), and the rest are adopted from the key operating and design parameters. Finally, the performances of proposed squeal indexes are assessed through their relative amplitude variations. In conclusion, the second squeal index formulation is found to have superior performance for distinguishing the effects of operating and design parameters on the occurrence of squeal-like behavior. Furthermore, the sixth squeal index formulation is found to have the best performance for differentiating the effect of spring stiffness on the initiation of squeal-like behavior.

Energy efficiency analysis of novel combined open absorption multifunctional heat pump and FlashME desalination system with a compressed air dryer

Energy intensive thermal desalination and compressed air-drying processes coupled with low grade heat recovery units can significantly contribute to carbon and energy footprint reduction. In this paper, a novel combined system based on an open absorption multifunctional heat pump and FlashME desalination system with a compressed air dryer is proposed to recover the latent heat from flue gas and efficiently utilize it to drive the desalination process for seawater treatment and supply the compressed dry air. The energy performance of the combined system is analyzed under the effect of various key operational parameters by simulating the validated process model. The results of energy analysis indicate that the novel system can recover the latent waste heat from flue gas with an efficiency of 83.02 % and supply the compressed dry air at low humidity of 1.41 g/kg by operating at a thermal COP of 1.95. Furthermore, the system can efficiently utilize the recovered low-grade heat to produce freshwater at a recovery rate of 23.14 %. The findings of the critical performance analysis show that the drying, and latent heat recovery performance of the coupled system is dependent mainly on the inlet parameters of the spray solution and the flue gas humidity. However, the water recovery of FlashME is totally dependent on heat capacity and the regeneration pressure such that the performance ratio increases from 1.51 to 4.03 by operating with hot seawater of 60–80 °C, when the regeneration pressure is raised up to 53.48 kPa. Moreover, the coupled system configured in parallel double stage can lower 11.43–37.78 % regeneration load along with 54.24 % improvement in distillate productivity when the operating pressure is raised up to 800 kPa and the rise in airflow rate in dryer can decrease the 10.41–52.45 % regeneration load on external heat source.

Studying removal of anionic dye by prepared highly adsorbent surface hydrogel nanocomposite as an applicable for aqueous solution

In this study, a Sodium alginate-g-poly (acrylamide-clay)/TiO2 hydrogel nanocomposite [SA-g-p(AM-Bn)/TiO2] was synthesized using the biopolymer sodium alginate (SA), acrylamide (AM), and bentonite clay (Bn) as hybrid materials embedded with titanium dioxide nanoparticles (TiO2NPs) for the removal of toxic Congo Red (CR) dye from an aqueous solution. The [SA-g-p(AM-Bn)/TiO2] nanocomposite has been described on the basis of thermal stability, morphological analysis, estimation of functional group, and crystalline/amorphous character by TGA, EFSEM/EDX, TEM, FT-IR, and XRD analysis, respectively. The effects of operational parameters toward the CR dye adsorption on [SA-g-p(AM-Bn)/TiO2], including contact time, adsorbent dosage, initial concentration, initial pH, and temperature were investigated. The maximum adsorption efficiency was found to be 185.12 mg/g for [SA-g-p(AM-Bn)/TiO2] in 100 mg/L of solution CR at pH 6.0 within 1 h. The equilibrium isotherms, kinetics, and thermodynamics parameters of adsorption were examined, and results showed that the isotherm fitted the Freundlich model and the kinetics adsorption model of CR followed pseudo-first-order, thus indicating physisorption of anionic-CR onto the sorbent due to the development of an electrostatic attraction bond. Thermodynamic parameters for [SA-g-p(AM-Bn)/TiO2] have values (ΔG and ΔH) reflecting the spontaneous and endothermic nature of the adsorption processes. Moreover, [SA-g-p(AM-Bn)/TiO2] presented outstanding excellent reusability and recyclability with a relatively best removal percentage as compared to [SA-g-p(AM-Bn)] and suggested their applicability towards the textile industry and water purification purposes.

Application of ultrasonic-enhanced active seed crystals in the removal of sodium oxalate from alumina refinery waste liquor

When organic matter, especially sodium oxalate (Na2C2O4), accumulates to a certain extent, it will seriously affect the alumina production process in the refinery and therefore urgently needs to be removed. This work attempts to illuminate the benefits of ultrasonic intensification of the crystallization process of Na2C2O4, taking the alumina refinery waste liquor, i.e., flat plate washing liquor, as a case study. The effects of different operating parameters (seed crystal addition amount, caustic soda concentration, reaction time, ultrasonic power) on the crystallization behavior and yield are discussed, and it is found that ultrasonic can increase the Na2C2O4 removal rate to 70.4%. The addition of ultrasonic promotes the morphological evolution of Na2C2O4 and is of great significance to the optimization of the components of the precipitated Na2C2O4. Specifically, the proportion of Na2C2O4 in the crystallized product reaches 64% with conventional conditions, while it reaches 77% with ultrasonic conditions. Therefore, ultrasonic can greatly reduce the alkali loss caused by the crystallization process of Na2C2O4 in flat plate washing liquor, which has great economic benefits.

Effect of hydrogen permeation and operating parameters on thermochemical performance of solar-driven steam methane reforming membrane reactor

When the steam methane reforming membrane reactor is coupled with trough solar collector to achieve solar thermochemical energy storage, the dimension of the membrane reactor is enlarged and the catalyst filling amount increases dramatically. As a results, the hydrogen permeation property should be well addressed to match the permeation and the reaction characteristics for a better energy storage performance. In the present paper, the effect of hydrogen permeation, including the effective permeation area and the membrane permeance was investigated by numerical simulations. Results show that the sensitivity factors of the membrane surface area on CH4 conversion, H2 yield and H2 recovery are 0.379, 0.325 and 2.196 respectively while that of membrane permeance are 0.007, 0.009 and 0.488 respectively. This indicates that influence of membrane surface area is more remarkable and H2 recovery is the most sensitive to the hydrogen permeation. The reactor with a membrane tube diameter of 50 mm and a permeance of 1.07 × 10−2 mol/(m2·s·Pa0.62) can achieve best reaction performance. Besides the reaction performance, a solar thermochemical system is proposed and a solar-to-fuel efficiency is defined to evaluate the thermochemical performance. Again the aforementioned reactor has the highest solar-to-fuel efficiency which can exceed 70 %. Furthermore, for a better thermochemical performance, lower inlet mass flow rate and higher inlet temperature are recommended, but too small or too high values should be avoided to maintain the operating temperature of the membrane. A suitable combination of pressures in the reaction side and the permeating side is also suggested. The results of the present paper reveal the role of hydrogen permeation and helps the reactor design.

3E analyses and multi-objective optimization of a liquid nitrogen wash based cogeneration system for electrical power and LNG production

A liquid nitrogen wash based novel system is proposed for electricity generation and LNG production. This system utilizes cold energy of methane rectification for power generation, and realizes the LNG production through methane recovery from exhaust gas. Effects of operational parameters on net generation capacity (NEG) and energy efficiency are studied. Exergy destruction/efficiency and exergy cost are obtained. Advanced exergy/exergo-economic analyses are conducted to clarify the improvement potential and improvement strategy. Finally, the optimal solutions are obtained in multi-objective optimization. Results show that propane could be used as the organic working medium and the maximum NEG is 675.95 kW and the energy efficiency is 19.34 %. As 88.8 % of the system investment cost is for the equipment, reduction on exergy destruction cost of equipment should be considered. Advanced analysis indicates that 27.27 % of the exergy destruction, 30.02 % of the exergy cost and 7.20 % of the investment cost can be avoided. The thermodynamic optimization shows that the highest energy efficiency is 67.26 %, the highest exergy efficiency is 76.95 % and the lowest exergy cost per unit is 28.45 $/GJ. The economic optimization shows that exergy efficiency is improved by 2.83 % and NEG is improved by 47.95 % when increasing the investment cost for 6.13 %.

Modeling and exergy-economy analysis of residential building energy supply systems combining torrefied biomass gasification and solar energy

A novel hybrid energy system driven by torrefied biomass gasification and solar energy is proposed for the first time, and their complementarity to enhance the system’s energy efficiency is analyzed and shown. The system mainly combines biomass torrefaction, biomass gasification subsystem, solar heat collection and absorption refrigeration technology. The effects of different operating parameters on the gasification products were studied. The economic analysis is carried out based on the theory of exergy economy. The results show that torrefaction pretreatment of biomass can significantly improve its fuel quality and gasification performance. With the increase of torrefied temperature, the volume fraction of CO2 and H2 decreased while the volume fraction of CH4 and CO increased. The economic analysis shows that the expected annual income is $72,735, and the investment recovery period is 2.89 years. Through the calculation of the energy-saving and environmental benefits, it can be concluded that the hybrid energy system can save 1.05 × 106 MJ of heat per year. This equates to about 358.26 tons of standard coal or a CO2 emission reduction of 550.59 tons, the participation of solar energy is conducive to the system emission reduction. By tuning the parameter sensitivity, the influence of biomass price change on the unit exergy cost of system products was more obvious.