Electric Plants Research Articles

Chemical Preintercalation Synthesis of Versatile Electrode Materials for Electrochemical Energy Storage.

ConspectusThe widespread use of electrical plants and grids to generate, transmit, and deliver power to consumers makes electricity the most convenient form of energy to transport, control, and use. Balancing electricity demand with electricity supply requires a mechanism for energy storage, which is enabled by electrical energy storage devices such as batteries and supercapacitors. In addition to the grid-level energy storage, we have all witnessed the quick growth of a number of applications that require autonomous power, illustrated by the Internet of Things, and electrification of transport. Batteries, when developed for targeted applications with specific requirements, require new materials with improved performance enabled by rational design on the atomic level. The material tunability knobs include chemical composition, structure, morphology, and heterointerfaces, among others. Synthesis methods that could enable control of these parameters while offering versatility and being facile are highly desired.In this Account, we describe a synthesis strategy for the creation of new intercalation host oxides, hybrid materials, and compounds with oxide/carbon heterointerfaces for use as electrodes in intercalation batteries. We begin by introducing a strategy called the chemical preintercalation synthesis approach and describing processing steps that can be used to tune the material's chemical composition, structure, and morphology. We then show how the chemical preintercalation of inorganic ions can be used to improve the ion diffusion and stability of the synthesized materials. We reveal how confined interlayer water can be controlled and how the degree of hydration affects the electrochemical performance. This is followed by a demonstration of the chemical preintercalation of organic molecules leading to unprecedented expansion of the interlayer region up to ∼30 Å and initial electrochemical characterization of the obtained hybrid materials. We then present evidence that the carbonization of the interlayer organic molecules is an efficient synthetic pathway for creating oxide/carbon heterointerfaces and improving the electronic conductivity of oxides, which leads to improved stability and rate capability during electrochemical cycling. The examples discussed in this Account show that the chemical preintercalation synthesis approach opens pathways for the preparation of materials that have not been synthesized previously, such as new phases, hybrid materials, and 2D heterostructures with advanced functionalities. We demonstrate that chemical preintercalation can be used to effectively tune the chemistry of the confined interlayer region in layered phases and form tight oxide/carbon heterointerfaces enabling control of the material properties at the atomic level.

Continuous pulsed electric field pilot plant for olive oil extraction process

The olive oil extraction industry often uses unit-constructed processing lines lacking in the necessary efficiency and sustainability. The development of efficient processing lines is seen as crucial in obtaining higher product quality and extraction yields. In recent years, numerous researchers and companies have explored the possibilities of assistance from pulsed electric fields (PEF) technology as a mean of reducing processing time and increasing extraction yields from different food crops. The current article shows the application of PEF technology in olive oil extraction, and specifically it researches the results from application of PEF technology in a pilot plant of industrial-layout olive oil extraction process. The experimental methodology involves construction of a plant meeting specific functional and cost criteria, capable of delivering unipolar electric pulses with amplitude <10 kV, current <200 A and 3 kW maximum average power. The analyses then focalize on the assessment of the results from PEF assistance on oil extraction, particularly in terms of extractability from crop and enhancement of bioactive substances content. The proposed PEF unit was found to be easy to install within existing plants, flexible in control and capable of continuous operation. Operating at different pulse and power levels, the plant results in increased process efficiency and content of desirable substances.

Using time-windowed solar radiation profiles to assess the daily uncertainty of solar thermal electricity production forecasts

This work is aimed at analysing the impact of real-time weather forecasting on the simulation of solar thermal electricity plants. A novel method is presented that allows generating random solar radiation profiles to assess the uncertainty of forecasting solar thermal electricity production. Rather than a weather prediction model, this work proposes a fast and simple method for the generation of synthetic solar radiation data that focuses on the dynamics relevant for electricity production, not requiring long historical data series or meteorological details. Variable window lengths are used to reproduce the growing uncertainty of forecasts with longer time horizons. In addition, a simplified model of solar thermal power plant is described and implemented in MATLAB®. Both the solar profile generator and the plant model are used to simulate massive cases for four representative days with eight forecasting hours based on electricity markets. The results show uncertainty values for day-ahead predictions from 15% to 60% in cloudy days and from 2% to 40% in sunny days, with decreasing ranges for intra-day forecasts.

An integrated approach to solving the technological problem of obtaining target cathodes from transition metal silicides for vacuum ion‑plasma sources

The article discusses the technological principles of improving the manufacturing process of consumable cathodes-targets of vacuum electric arc evaporation plants from complex silicides. Which are based on: the selection of chemical composition based on the analysis of state diagrams of double and triple systems, the production of fast-cooled ingots using high-speed induction melting, subsequent grinding and grinding to a powder of the required fraction, static or dynamic pressing of the cathode blank, its sintering and soldering of the current guide. The results of laboratory studies of the process are presented and prototypes of products are obtained.

Hydrogen Production in Catalytic Membrane Reactors Based on Porous Ceramic Converters

This article presents the results of the development of membrane-catalytic methods for obtaining purified hydrogen of various degrees of purity required for feeding high-, medium-, and low-temperature fuel cells. In order to conduct this, porous ceramic catalytic converters were obtained using self-propagating high-temperature synthesis. These converters are suitable for high-speed processes for producing synthesis gas with different carbon monoxide content (0.08–0.1 vol. %), which can be used to feed fuel cells of various types. Using a hybrid catalytic membrane reactor, in which the stage of catalytic conversion of organic substrates was combined with the stage of selective extraction of ultrapure hydrogen (content of H2 was not less than 99.9999 vol. %) from the reaction zone, combined carbon dioxide and steam reforming of organic substrates of various origins were carried out. The result of the work was the creation of a prototype of a small-sized electric generator plant in which a catalytic membrane reactor was combined with a solid-oxide fuel cell.

Design and performance of a long duration electric thermal energy storage demonstration plant at megawatt-scale

Long duration energy storage systems are needed at large scale to profoundly decarbonize the energy system with electricity from variable wind and solar energy. Electric Thermal Energy Storage (ETES) is an available technology solution using interim thermal energy storage in a packed bed of low-cost natural rocks. Electric air heating is used for charge and a heat recovery steam generator to either supply to a steam turbine for re-electrification or an industrial heat consumer at discharge. In this paper, the design, measurement results and performance of an ETES demonstration plant with a charging power of 5.4 MW is described in detail. The data demonstrates a stable operation of the storage plant, maintaining a storage capacity of 87.5 MWh over multiple cycles.

Sources of polychlorinated biphenyls to Upper Hudson River fish post-dredging

Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are persistent, bioaccumulative, and toxic chemicals that are the dominant contaminant in the Upper Hudson River (UHR) in New York State where two General Electric (GE) plants historically discharged PCBs to the river. Portions of the UHR were dredged from 2009 to 2015 to address PCB contamination. In 2017, the first post-dredging survey of yearling feeder fish and sediment PCB contamination was conducted to establish a baseline for the recovery of the river. Prior analysis of the sediment data from the 2017 survey indicated that ∼2% of the PCBs in the surface sediment were higher in molecular weight than the formulation used by GE and therefore arose from non-GE sources. In this work, the fish PCB data from the 2017 survey were analyzed using Positive Matrix Factorization (PMF). Empirical Bayesian Kriging (EBK) was used to estimate PCB concentrations in the sediment at the locations where fish were collected. The results suggest that PCBs that are the products of microbial dechlorination bioaccumulate in the fish and represent 7% of the PCB mass in the fish data set. Further, the results suggest that about 13% of the PCBs in the fish may have come from non-GE sources. This is higher than the percentage of non-GE PCBs in the sediment, but can be explained by the higher molecular weight of the non-GE mixture which causes it to bioaccumulate more effectively than GE PCBs. Concentrations of the non-GE PCBs averaged about 240 ppb wet weight (whole body) in yearling feeder fish. The remedial goals range from 50 to 400 ppb ww in fillet for fish including piscivorous species that are likely to have higher PCB concentrations than feeder fish.

MAGNETOELECTRIC VALVE MOTORS WITH TOOTHED MULTI-POLE WINDINGS BASED ON 6DVM 300

The paper considers valve motors with toothed windings with pole numbers 2, 4, 6, 8, the main dimensions of which correspond to the 6DVM 300 valve motor manufactured by JSC “Cheboksary electrical apparatus plant”. This approach allows us to evaluate the effect of the number of stator teeth on the electromagnetic moment and its harmonic composition. The three adjacent coils of the toothed windings in question belong to three different phases. The paper analyzes the MMF of the windings and magnets of the rotor. The distribution of magnetic induction in the gap, the EMF of the stator winding and the electromagnetic moment are found based on the method of the specific magnetic conductivity of the gap. It is shown that the MMF curve of the stator winding consists of two multipolar rectangles of unequal height and width. Due to the non-sinusoidal distribution of magnetic field sources and the jagged inhomogeneity of the air gap, the curves of the phase EMF of the stator winding are also significantly non-sinusoidal. It is found that with an increase in the number of poles (from 2 to 8 poles) of the stator winding, the maximum induction in the air gap decreases from level 1 to 0.75 Tl, the average value of the electromagnetic moment increases from 120 to 160 Nm, the amplitude of the phase EMF remains unchanged, and the maximum (height of the rectangle) of the MMF of the stator winding is reduced from 2000 to 500 A.

Health-aware multi-stage charging strategy for lithium-ion batteries based on whale optimization algorithm

Lithium-ion batteries are widely used in electronics, new energy electric vehicles and energy storage plants. They have become ideal energy storage devices for their excellent characteristics of high energy density, low self-discharge rate, low carbon and environmental protection. Thus, research on lithium-ion batteries has wide scientific and engineering significance. To promote the application of lithium-ion batteries, the charging speed and aging rate of the lithium-ion batteries should be optimized to improve the convenience and economics for using them. Therefore, in this paper, a health-aware multi-stage charging strategy is presented based on the whale optimization algorithm. Specifically, the electrical model, thermal model, and the semi-empirical aging model are established firstly. Then the multi-stage charging optimization strategy considering charging time and battery health loss is proposed. The whale optimization algorithm is presented to obtain the optimal current value at each stage, followed by exploring the factors affecting the charging performance which include fitness function weight, cut-off voltage and current stage number. Compared with constant current (CC) charging, the total fitness function loss decreased by 34.64%, and the charging time decreased by 11.45%. This paper provides audiences with a strategy to meet the trade-off between charging rapidity and battery life in different scenarios by setting the optimization weights.

Primary analysis of the phytoplanktonic community of the water capture channel of a thermal electric plant in Northeast Brazil

In the environmental policy of the Pernambuco Thermoelectric Power Plant, there are plans for monitoring the environmental quality. This study is about the marine phytoplankton community, in the area of ​​influence it has followed a regularity of studies in its catchment channel and in the area of ​​disposal of the submarine outfall. Collections were made every three months, between March 2020 and October 2021. Collections were carried out by trawling 20 µm nets in the area of the submarine outfall and using a Van Dorn oceanographic bottle, inside the catchment channel. from the plant. The taxonomic analyzes showed that in the water catchment channel the genera Chaetoceros and Navicula stood out for their abundance, being represented by 956 and 283 individuals, respectively. At the collection point, the most abundant genera were Pinnularia and Oscillatoria, with 1978 and 559 representatives, respectively.

How Does State-Level Carbon Pricing in the United States Affect Industrial Competitiveness?

Pricing carbon emissions from an individual jurisdiction may harm the competitiveness of local firms, causing the leakage of emissions and economic activity to other regions. Past research concentrates on national carbon prices, but the impacts of subnational carbon prices could be more severe due to the openness of regional economies. We specify a flexible model to capture competition between a plant in a state with electric sector carbon pricing and plants in other states or countries without such pricing. Treating energy prices as a proxy for carbon prices, we estimate model parameters using confidential plant-level Census data, 1982–2011. We simulate the effects on manufacturing output and employment of carbon prices covering the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic regions. A carbon price of $10 per metric ton on electricity output reduces employment in the regulated region by 2.1 percent, and raises employment in nearby states by 0.8 percent, although these estimates do not account for revenue recycling in the RGGI region that could mitigate these employment changes. The effects on output are broadly similar. National employment falls just 0.1 percent, suggesting that domestic plants in other states as opposed to foreign facilities gain the most jobs from state or regional carbon pricing.

Investigation of the drying process of moist materials under convective heat input conditions

One of the most important tasks of agricultural production is to obtain food products of plant origin, which include grain legumes, vegetables, fruits, etc. Long-term storage of many kinds of plants in their natural form under normal conditions is not possible and requires the use of processing, such as drying. A special niche is occupied by medicinal plants, on the basis of which medicinal preparations, biologically active additives (BAAs), as well as spices for food are produced. Nowadays, out of 100 thousand medicines used in the world medical practice, medicinal preparations made of plants make up more than 30%. In our country the share of such remedies and preparations is about 40%. In addition to natural methods of drying, artificial methods are widely used with the help of special drying units. This requires large amounts of electrical or thermal energy from fuel combustion, as more than 65,000 tonnes of medicinal raw materials are harvested in our country each year. It is not always possible to achieve the required product performance. The use of electric energy seems to be the most preferable, since it eliminates the costs of delivery, storage of solid or liquid fuel, reduces environmental damage, and obtains the necessary properties through “fine” control of the drying technology. Currently, farms and individual farms specialise in growing medicinal plants and supplying medicinal raw materials for homeopathic pharmacies and pharmacological industries. In this regard, improving drying methods and creating small capacity electric drying plants that ensure an efficient technological process and reduce the energy intensity of drying is an urgent task.

PV/Battery Grid Integration Using a Modular Multilevel Isolated SEPIC-Based Converter

Photovoltaic (PV) plants can be built rapidly when compared with other conventional electrical plants; hence, they are a competent candidate for supplying the electricity grid. The output power of the PV modules can be used in plug-in electric vehicles (PEVs) DC charging stations to reduce the burden on the electricity grid, particularly during peak load hours. To integrate PV modules and electric vehicles (EVs) with the electricity grid, the modular multilevel converters (MMCs) topologies producing staircase voltage waveforms are preferred as they are able to deliver less total harmonic distortion (THD) and higher efficiency in addition to lower voltage stress on semiconductor switches. In conventional centralized MMC topologies, a direct connection to a high-DC-link input voltage is required which is not appropriate for PV plants. A new MMC topology for PV/EV/grid integration is proposed in this paper, where the individual PV arrays are directly connected to each phase of the AC grid to harvest the maximum available power point. A current-source converter (CSC) based on a single-stage isolated SEPIC converter is adopted as the submodule (SM) for the proposed MMC topology given its outstanding features, such as low input ripple current, high efficiency, high power factor, and flexible output voltage higher or lower than the input voltage. The single-stage SMs can operate in both DC/DC and DC/AC operating modes. Proper controllers for each mode of operation are designed and applied to supply constant current from either the PV modules or the battery cells by eliminating the second-order harmonic component. The performance of the proposed converter is verified by simulations and a downscaled prototype controlled by TMSF28335 DSP.

The Virtual Fence Dynamic: a Breakthrough for Low-Cost and Sustainable Mitigation of Human-Elephant Conflict in Subsistence Agriculture?

Attempts to deter elephants from entering crop fields and human settlements in Africa have used various barriers (e.g. electric fences, chilli fences, beehive fences or plant barriers), situated on or very near the boundaries of fields or villages, with rather variable success. We explored a very simple new barrier concept based upon re-arranging the layout of foreign stimuli already known to arouse suspicion and fear among elephants. Deterrence involved deploying unnaturally scented objects on and across their pathways of habitual movement leading to crop field clusters. Elephants are suspicious of unpleasant olfactory stimuli, like string or cloth saturated with pungent-smelling chilli oil, old engine oil, or creosote and dislike ‘chilli smoke’. Foreign visual items like plastic bottles, reflective metal strips and cow bells possibly reinforced suspicion of these unpleasant scents and influenced the deterrent effect. These flimsy items deployed over very short distances merely acted as a bluff to ‘problem elephants’ that people were actively trying to impede their progress, and the vast majority chose to turn back or deviate substantially. Thus we coined the term a ‘soft virtual boundary’. We demonstrate that placing virtual boundaries away from village and agricultural lands, forces elephants to encounter them upon leaving their daytime refuges, while still in natural habitat. The suspicion and fear generated here considerably reduces elephants’ determination to proceed onwards to risk crop raiding. When multiple, small virtual boundaries are strategically moved around at intervals, a ‘virtual fence dynamic’ delivers an enduring deterrent effect. In ten study areas in two countries over seven years this technique led to considerable and consistent reductions in crop damage levels of up to 95% in places. Because these methods (i) completely rely on local knowledge, (ii) were exceptionally low cost and (iii) demonstrated rapid results, the ‘buy-in’ from affected communities of small-scale subsistence farmers was immediate and very enthusiastic. So this strategy has the potential to remove the most intractable stumbling block to the sustainability of human-elephant conflict mitigation efforts in smallholder agriculture – reliance upon conservation donor funding for very costly and problematic mitigation measures like fencing, compensation schemes and elephant translocations.

(Digital Presentation) Facile Fabrication of Graphene Quantum Dot- Doped Polyaniline Embedded Cu Metal-Organic Frameworks Composite Electrode As Improved Anode Electrocatalyst for Methanol Oxidation

Nonrenewable energy sources accounted for roughly 80% of total energy consumption [1]. Solar energy, wind energy, geothermal energy, hydropower, and fuel cells (FCs) have all recently been described as renewable energy sources. In commercial uses, renewable energy has experienced meteorological and logistical obstacles. Because of advantages such as simple fabrication/operation conditions, eco-friendly, high energy conversion efficiency, and long-term durability, FCs technologies are considered one of the most important renewable energy sources for many applications such as portable devices, cars, and electricity plants [2–5]. Methanol can be utilized in direct methanol fuel cells (DMFC) to produce clean energy that can be used in smart electronic gadgets or small automobiles in this regard [6]. However, before DMFC can be used commercially, the slow oxidation kinetics and catalyst toxicity [7] must be resolved. Therefore, the development of direct methanol fuel cells (DMFCs) is one of the most promising technologies for the applications of these devices in stationary power supplies and electric vehicles [8]. Apart from the future of mobile devices such as mobile chargers, phones, computers, and many other applications, this energy is environmentally benign because no gases are emitted and the waste is simply clean water. The biggest issue that this technique may encounter is its high cost due to the usage of noble metal catalysts (platinum (Pt) and ruthenium (Ru)) [9]. Methanol is oxidized via a multi-electron process and several products and/or intermediates can be formed, depending on the electrolyte and the nature of the electrode. Electrode materials are important parameters in the electrochemical oxidation of methanol, where high efficient electrocatalysts are needed. Several metal oxides such as Fe2O3, CeO2, MoOx, Co3O4, NiO, and CuO has been used in various applications, such as catalysis, water splitting photocatalysis, solar cells and gas sensing, besides their uses to enhance the electrocatalytic activity for methanol oxidation [10-11].This paper describes the preparation of graphene quantum dot-doped polyaniline embedded copper metal-organic frameworks composite catalysts for investigating methanol oxidation in alkaline solutions. The electrode surface was characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). After physicochemical characterizations of graphene quantum dot-doped polyaniline embedded copper metal-organic frameworks composite modified carbon ceramic electrode (Cu- MOF/GQDs-PAN/CCE), its electrocatalytic and stability characterizations toward methanol oxidation in alkaline media were investigated in detail by cyclic voltammetry and chronoamperometry. Results showed that, the electrocatalytic activity of the Cu- MOF/GQDs-PAN/CCE electrode is much higher than those of unmodified electrode under similar experimental conditions, showing the possibility of attaining good electrocatalytic anodes for fuel cells. Kinetic parameters such as the electron transfer coefficient (α) and the number of electrons involved in the rate determining step (nα) for the oxidation of methanol were determined utilizing cyclic voltammetry (CV). Keywords: Graphene quantum dot, Polyaniline, Metal-organic frameworks, electrocatalyst, MethanolReferences[1] S.K. Kamarudin, F. Ahmad, W.R.W. Daud, Overview on application of direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC) for portable electronic devices, Int. J. Hydrog. Energy 34 (2009) 6902–6916.[2] L. Carrette, K.A. Friedrich, U. Stimming, Fuel cells: principles, types, fuels and applications, ChemPhysChem 1 (2000) 162–193.[3] A.B. Stambouli, Fuel cells: The expectations for an environmental-friendly and sustainable source of energy, Renew. Sustain. Energy Rev. 15 (9) (2011) 4507– 4520.[4] P. Joghee, J.N. Malik, S. Pylypenko, R. O’Hayre, A review on direct methanol fuel cells – In the perspective of energy and sustainability, MRS Energy Sustain. 2 (2015), https://doi.org/10.1557/mre.2015.4.[5] D. Hassen, M.A. Shenashen, S.A. El-Safty, M.M. Selim, H. Isago, A. Elmarakbi, H. Yamaguchi, Nitrogen-doped carbon-embedded TiO2 nanofibers as promising oxygen reduction reaction electrocatalysts, J. Power Sources 330 (2016) 292– 303.[6] M. Mansor, S.N. Timmiati, K.L. Lim, W.Y. Wong, S.K. Kamarudin, N.H. Nazirah Kamarudin, Recent progress of anode catalysts and their support materials for methanol electrooxidation reaction, Int. J. Hydrogen Energy 44 (29) (2019) 14744–14769, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhydene.2019.04.100.[7] Z. Mousavi, A. Benvidi, S. Jahanbani, M. Mazloum-Ardakani, R. Vafazadeh, H. R. Zare, Investigation of electrochemical oxidation of methanol at a carbon paste electrode modified with Ni(II)-BS complex and reduced graphene oxide nano sheets, Electroanalysis 28 (12) (2016) 2985–2992, https://doi.org/10.1002/ elan.201501183.[8] S. Wasmus, A. Küver, Methanol oxidation and direct methanol fuel cells: a selective review, J. Electroanal. Chem. 461 (1-2) (1999) 14–31.[9] M. Liu, R. Zhang, W. Chen, Graphene-Supported Nanoelectrocatalysts for Fuel Cells: Synthesis, Properties, and Applications, Chem. Rev. 114 (2014) 5117– 5160.[10] N. Spinner, W.E. Mustain, Electrochim. Acta 56 (2011) 5656.[11] M.S. Risbud, S. Baxter, M. Skyllas-Kazacos, Open Fuels Energy Sci. J. 5 (2012) 9.

A Critical Review on Artificial Intelligence for Fuel Cell Diagnosis

In recent years, fuel cell (FC) technology has seen a promising increase in its proportion in stationary power production. Several pilot projects are in operation across the world, with the number of running hours steadily rising, either as stand-alone units or as part of integrated gas turbine–electric energy plants. FCs are a potential energy source with great efficiency and zero emissions. To ensure the best performance, they normally function within a confined temperature and humidity range; nevertheless, this makes the system difficult to regulate, resulting in defects and hastened deterioration. For diagnosis, there are two primary approaches: restricted input information, which gives an unobtrusive, rapid yet restricted examination, and advanced characterization, which provides a more accurate diagnosis but frequently necessitates invasive or delayed tests. Artificial Intelligence (AI) algorithms have shown considerable promise in providing accurate diagnoses with quick data collecting. This work focuses on software models that allow the user to evaluate many different possibilities in the shortest amount of time and is a vital method for proper and dynamic analysis of such entities. The artificial neural network, genetic algorithm, particle swarm optimization, random forest, support vector machine, and extreme learning machine are common AI approaches discussed in this review. This article examines the modern practice and provides recommendations for future machine learning methodologies in fuel cell diagnostic applications. In this study, these six AI tools are specifically explained with results for a better understanding of the fuel cell diagnosis. The conclusion suggests that these approaches are not only a popular and beneficial tool for simulating the nature of an FC system, but they are also appropriate for optimizing the operational parameters necessary for an ideal FC device. Finally, observations and ideas for future research, enhancements, and investigations are offered.

Experimental Investigation of Electrothermal Desorption of Steel Mill Gases from Activated Carbon

A bench-scale electric swing adsorption plant has been used to investigate electrothermal desorption behavior by varying technically relevant factors like maximum electric power, purge gas flow and desorption temperature. The study has been planned by design of experiments using a central composite design. Different quality criteria have been defined to describe a macroscopic behavior of the desorption for process development. The results are used to fit models by multiple linear regression. For technically relevant quality criteria good correlating models could be found and can be used for accurate prediction of, e.g., the energy demand, purge gas total volume or desorption time.

Promising directions for the use of heat from low-potential sources of chemical production

THE PURPOSE. Development of promising directions for improving the technology of an oil refinery (refinery) based on the use of heat from low-temperature sources of the primary oil distillation system.METHODS. The analysis of the technological scheme of the refinery carried out, in order to identify the most energy-intensive system, while using the methods of analytical and thermodynamic analysis. The analysis of energy use in the circuit of an electric desalination plant (EDP) is carried out according on the basis of the data of the technological regulations of the existing EDP-AVT-7. The assessment of the feasibility of the proposed directions and developed solutions was carried out on the basis of the methods of technical, economic and environmental analysis.RESULTS. This article shows the relevance of the problem and substantiates the importance of its consideration for improving energy and environmental efficiency. Based on a common scheme for the primary processing of crude oil, it is noted that this technology has significant energy saving potential. It is proposed to implement promising directions for the rational use of heat, and a modernization solution is presented aimed at improving the technological elements of the EDP-AVT-7 circuit based on the heat recovery of the hydrocarbon vapor-gas mixture.CONCLUSION. The proposed directions and developed measures for the use of heat from low-grade sources in the refinery scheme show their promise due to a significant reduction in technological energy losses, a reduction in fuel consumption and an increase in the efficiency of its use, which, in general, will positively affect the economic and environmental situation in the region.

Soybean Germplasms Performance to Soil Salinity

&lt;p class="teks"&gt;Saline soil is a prospective land for expanding the soybean planting area in Indonesia, but no variety with the ability to adapt to this soil has currently been released. That objective of this esearch was to identify the salt-tolerant soybean germplasm accessions. The experiment consisted of two treatments and these were arranged in a randomized complete block design with three replications. The first factor was three soil salinity levels i.e. 1.44-1.72 dS/m (used as a check), 6.75±0.40 dS/m, and 10.48±0.30 dS/m. The second factor was 25 soybean accessions selected from previous salinity screening activity. Parameters observed were soil electrical conductivity (EC), plant height, yield and yield attributes, as well as K, Ca, and Na concentration in soil and plant. The results showed that salinity treatment increased the soil EC, Na concentrations in shoot and root, and reduced K, thereby causing a reduction in soybean growth, seed weight, and seed size. Meanwhile, MLGG 0169, MLGG 0640, MLGG 0767 (Lokon variety), MLGG 1109 (Dega 1 variety), and MLGG 1098 (Detam 2 variety) were identified as tolerant tosalinity level up to 10.48±0.30 dS/m. The tolerant genotypes were characterized by high ITC index, high seed yield, fewer reduction of seed yield, and mild leaf damage. The tolerances were likely determined by the ability to absorb more K and less Na, translocate more K from root to shoot, and higher K/Na ratio in shoot and root than Ca/Na ratio. It means the K/Na ratio is more important in determining salinity tolerance than Ca/Na ratio. Therefore, accessions can be used as gene source for salt-tolerant breeding, and Lokon, Dega 1, and Detam 2 varieties were recommended for saline soil.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

Development of a MSW-fueled sustainable co-generation of hydrogen and electricity plant for a better environment comparing PEM and alkaline electrolyzers

Efficient conversion of Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) into useful energy by anaerobic digestion is a sustainable method which received growing interest, particularly for small-scale decentralized energy systems. This paper aims at development of an efficient combined cogeneration cycle for production of electricity and hydrogen from biogas generated using anaerobic digestion of MSW. When it comes to the topping cycle, the proposed system makes use of a micro gas turbine, whose waste heat is converted to electricity by an absorption power cycle. This additional electricity is provided to a water electrolyzer, which uses it to generate hydrogen. Two types of electrolyzers, including the Proton Exchange Membrane Electrolyzer (PEME) and the Alkaline Electrolyzer (AE) are considered, and their performances (as a component of the overall suggested combined systems) are compared from economic and thermodynamic viewpoints. The CO2 emission index is also addressed, and tri-objective optimization based on exergy, cost, and emission indices is carried out to compare the two systems. Obtained results indicated important outcomes, including that the system integrated with PEME is superior in terms of exergetic performance and emissions, whereas the system with AE is superior in terms of economics. The former has a 3.0% greater efficiency and a 3.3% lower emissions at optimal point established by tri-objective optimization, while it has a 9.3% higher levelized product cost.