Energy Conservation Applications Research Articles

Application of green building thermal energy conservation based on light imaging equipment in landscape optimization of waterfront space

As the global focus on sustainable development intensifies, green buildings have become an important way to reduce energy consumption and improve environmental quality. The purpose of this study is to explore the application of technology based on optical imaging equipment in the heat saving of green buildings, especially in the landscape optimization of waterfront space, and evaluate its effectiveness and feasibility. In this study, light imaging equipment was used to monitor the heat distribution of different green buildings in the waterfront space, and combined with environmental data and energy consumption, the influence of architectural design and landscape configuration on heat energy conservation was analyzed. Through case study and quantitative analysis, the optimization effect of different design schemes on thermal effect is evaluated. The study found that rational allocation of buildings and surrounding landscape can significantly reduce heat loss, reflecting the importance of heat management. Light imaging technology effectively reveals the thermal energy dynamics of buildings under different weather conditions, verifying the potential of green buildings to reduce energy consumption. Therefore, the research based on optical imaging equipment provides a new perspective and method for the energy saving of green buildings in the waterfront space, and demonstrates the important role of optimizing landscape design in improving building energy efficiency.

Transformation of Fly Ash-Based Oxide Particles into a Functional Silica-Alumina Aerogel and Its Potential Application as an Anti-icing Surface.

Lightweight, surface hydrophobic, highly insulating, and long-lasting aerogels are required for energy conservation and ice-repellent applications. Here, we present the conversion of fly ash to a silica-alumina aerogel (SAA) by utilizing its high silica content. The extracted silica component replaces expensive precursors typically used in conventional aerogel production. Ice adhesion performance was compared to that of polypropylene (PP), an insulating commodity polymer. First, we removed some salt impurities and heavy metals via water and alkaline washing protocols. Then, we produced SAA via the ambient pressure drying method by using trimethylchlorosilane (TMCS) as an adhesion promoter. The newly produced SAA has a surface area of 810 m2 g-1 and shows hydrophobic properties with a contact angle of 140 ± 5°. The thermal conductivity of SAA is 0.0238 W m-1 K-1 with C P = 1.1922 MJ m-3 K-1. The ice adhesion strength of the PP substrate was calculated as 188.30 ± 51.24 kPa, while the ice adhesion strength of the SAA was measured as 1.21 ± 0.40 kPa, which was about 150 times lower than that of PP. This indicated that SAA had icephobic properties since ice adhesion strength was less than 10 kPa. This study demonstrates that fly ash-based SAA can be utilized as an economical material with a large surface area and exceptional thermal insulation capacity and is free of harmful compounds (heavy metals), making it potentially suitable as an anti-ice thermal insulation material.

Durotaxis and Antidurotaxis Droplet Motion onto Gradient Gel-Substrates.

The self-sustained motion of fluids on gradient substrates is a spectacular phenomenon, which can be employed and controlled in applications by carefully engineering the substrate properties. Here, we report on a design of a gel substrate with stiffness gradient, which can cause the spontaneous motion of a droplet along (durotaxis) or to the opposite (antidurotaxis) direction of the gradient, depending on the droplet affinity to the substrate. By using extensive molecular dynamics simulations of a coarse-grained model, we find that the mechanisms of the durotaxis and antidurotaxis droplet motion are distinct, require the minimization of the interfacial energy between the droplet and the substrate, and share similarities with those mechanisms previously observed for brush substrates with stiffness gradient. Moreover, durotaxis motion takes place over a wider range of affinities and is generally more efficient (faster motion) than antidurotaxis. Thus, our study points to further possibilities and guidelines for realizing both antidurotaxis and durotaxis motion on the same gradient substrate for applications in microfluidics, energy conservation, and biology.

Ca2+-doped DyTa3O9: A novel rare-earth tantalate high emissivity material

This work aims to investigate the influence of Ca[Formula: see text] doping on the infrared emission properties of DyTa3O9 ceramics. DyTa3O9 is considered a promising high-temperature thermal protection material due to its low thermal conductivity and good high-temperature stability. However, there is currently no research on the infrared radiation performance of such materials. We synthesized DyTa3O9 ceramics with different Ca[Formula: see text] doping concentrations using the solid-phase reaction method and systematically investigated the effect of doping concentration on the infrared emissivity of DyTa3O9 ceramics. When Ca[Formula: see text] is doped into the DyTa3O9 lattice, the original Dy elements are replaced by Ca, resulting in an increase in lattice constants and enhanced lattice distortion. The doping of Ca[Formula: see text] introduces impurity energy levels, making it possible for some low-energy electron transitions, achieving an enhancement in infrared absorption and emission capabilities. When the Ca[Formula: see text] doping concentration reaches 7.5% mol, the average infrared emissivity in the 3–5[Formula: see text][Formula: see text]m and 8–12[Formula: see text][Formula: see text]m ranges are 0.85 and 0.92, respectively, representing a 19.7% and 21% increase compared to DyTa3O9. This novel high-infrared-emissivity ceramic holds great potential for applications in high-temperature energy conservation and aerospace thermal protection.

Nanomaterials for advanced energy applications: Recent advancements and future trends

Nowadays, one of the most promising and significant challenges for our society is achieving highly efficient energy utilization. To address the upcoming demands in energy applications, which demonstrate considerable potential for future trends, continuous efforts are necessary to develop improved and higher-performing inorganic multifunctional nanomaterials. Multifunctional inorganic nanomaterials have been extensively researched to meet the requirements of various energy applications or to enhance them further. Specific attention is given to inorganic nanomaterials for advanced energy storage, conservation, transmission, and conversion applications, which strongly rely on the optical, mechanical, thermal, catalytic, and electrical properties of energy materials. At the nanometer-scale range, triboelectric, piezoelectric, thermoelectric, electrochromic, and photovoltaic materials have made significant contributions to numerous energy sector applications. Functional inorganic materials possess unique properties, including excellent thermal and electrical conductivity, chemical stability, and a large surface area, which enhance their competitiveness in energy-related applications. Herein, recent research, development, and advances in inorganic multifunctional nanomaterials to enhance their performance are discussed, highlighting how devices combine the functionalities of nanomaterials. In this manner, we aim to provide insights into future applications and elucidate the ongoing research challenges currently facing this field.

Strain induced modulations in the thermoelectric properties of 2D SiH and GeH monolayers: insights from first-principle calculations

The present paper is primarily focused to understand the strain driven alterations in thermoelectric (TE) properties of two-dimensional SiH and GeH monolayers from first-principle calculations. Electronic band structures and the associated TE properties of the compounds under ambient and external strains have been critically unveiled in terms of Seebeck coefficients, electrical conductivities, power factors and electronic thermal conductivities. The phonon dispersion relations have also been investigated to estimate the lattice thermal conductivities of the systems. The TE figure of merits of SiH and GeH monolayers under ambient and external strains have been explored from the collective effects of their Seebeck coefficients, electrical conductivities, electronic and lattice thermal conductivities. The present study will be helpful in exploring the strain induced TE responses of SiH and GeH compounds which in turn may bear potential applications in clean and global energy conservation.

Strong double networked hybrid cellulosic foam for passive cooling

Up to now, energy conservation, emission reduction, and environmental protection are still the goals that humanity continuously pursues. Passive radiative cooling is a zero-consumption cooling technology, which gains more and more attention. However, the contraction between mechanical strength and cooling performance of traditional radiative cooling materials still limits their scalable production. In this work, we developed a strong double-networked hybrid cellulosic foam via crosslinking recyclable CNF and PVA with a silane coupling agent in the freeze-drying process. Meanwhile, nano zinc oxide and MOF were added to improve the mechanical and solar scattering of foam. Benefiting from the synergistic solar scattering of ZnO and MOF and the stable double crosslinking network, the as-prepared hybrid cellulosic foam exhibits high solar reflectivity of 0.965, high IR emissivity of 0.94, ultrahigh mechanical strength of and low thermal conductivity. Based on above results, the hybrid cellulosic foam shows high-performance daytime cooling efficiency of 7.5 °C under direct sunlight in the hot region (Nanjing, China), which can serve as outdoor thermal-regulation materials. This work demonstrates that biomass materials possess the enormous potential of in thermal regulating materials, and also provides great possibilities for their applications in energy conservation, environmental protection and green building materials.

Multi-objective optimization design and sensitivity analysis of proton exchange membrane electrolytic cell

Proton exchange membrane electrolytic cells (PEMECs) are considered cleaner energy-conversion devices with potential commercial applications in hydrogen production. However, the heat- and mass-transfer characteristics inside the cell remain unclear, and its performance should be optimized to achieve future commercial applications. A three-dimensional multi-physical field-coupling model is developed for the PEMEC. Subsequently, a multi-objective optimization design is used to optimize the structural and operational parameters of the cell based on a neural-network regression model. The results of the sensitivity and response-surface analyses indicate that the initial working temperature has the most significant impact on the reaction temperature, the current density is increased by up to 65.22% under the coupling effects of temperature and flow rate. The cell performance is also enhanced by the increased channel width and depth, although this is accompanied by limitations. Under the combined effects of increasing the working temperature and channel width or height, the current density can be increased by a maximum of 65.22% and 38.61%, respectively. The improvement in cell performance requires a trade-off between improved mass and heat transfer and larger pressure drop, and the optimal design achieves this trade-off. In optimal design, the current density is improved by up to 16.56%, the oxygen mass fraction of the catalytic layer is reduced by 40.90% compared with the original design, accompanied by a reasonable pressure drop and uniform temperature distribution. This study provides a novel perspective for the optimization of the PEMEC to promote its commercial application, offering a reference for further advanced optimization of cell performance and reducing trial-and-error costs. It is also expected to have practical applications in energy conservation and sustainable development.

Flow Behavior of Complex-Shaped Particle Mixtures in Rotary Drums: A DEM Study

Metal matrix composites hold great potential as functional materials for energy conservation applications. These composites are manufactured using powder metallurgy, which involves the incorporation of fine particles with diverse shapes. Understanding the flowability of particle mixtures with varying shapes is crucial for optimizing industrial processes. This study focuses on analyzing the flowability and flow behavior of mixtures composed of alumina and aluminum alloy particles using the discrete element method. The particle shapes are modeled to closely resemble actual particles, and their flow behavior in a rotating drum is simulated. The upper and lower dynamic angles of repose, outlines of particle bed surface, particle displacements, and particle velocity distributions were analyzed to understand the flow characteristics of complex-shaped particles. The results reveal the influence of particle shape on the flow behavior of powder mixtures, providing valuable insights for process optimization and design.

Antidurotaxis Droplet Motion onto Gradient Brush Substrates.

Durotaxis motion is a spectacular phenomenon manifesting itself by the autonomous motion of a nano-object between parts of a substrate with different stiffness. This motion usually takes place along a stiffness gradient from softer to stiffer parts of the substrate. Here, we propose a new design of a polymer brush substrate that demonstrates antidurotaxis droplet motion, that is, droplet motion from stiffer to softer parts of the substrate. By carrying out extensive molecular dynamics simulation of a coarse-grained model, we find that antidurotaxis is solely controlled by the gradient in the grafting density of the brush and is favorable for fluids with a strong attraction to the substrate (low surface energy). The driving force of the antidurotaxial motion is the minimization of the droplet-substrate interfacial energy, which is attributed to the penetration of the droplet into the brush. Thus, we anticipate that the proposed substrate design offers a new understanding and possibilities in the area of autonomous motion of droplets for applications in microfluidics, energy conservation, and biology.

Superlubricity of Materials: Progress, Potential, and Challenges.

This review paper provides a comprehensive overview of the phenomenon of superlubricity, its associated material characteristics, and its potential applications. Superlubricity, the state of near-zero friction between two surfaces, presents significant potential for enhancing the efficiency of mechanical systems, thus attracting significant attention in both academic and industrial realms. We explore the atomic/molecular structures that enable this characteristic and discuss notable superlubric materials, including graphite, diamond-like carbon, and advanced engineering composites. The review further elaborates on the methods of achieving superlubricity at both nanoscale and macroscale levels, highlighting the influence of environmental conditions. We also discuss superlubricity's applications, ranging from mechanical systems to energy conservation and biomedical applications. Despite the promising potential, the realization of superlubricity is laden with challenges. We address these technical difficulties, specifically those related to achieving and maintaining superlubricity, and the issues encountered in scaling up for industrial applications. The paper also underscores the sustainability concerns associated with superlubricity and proposes potential solutions. We conclude with a discussion of the possible future research directions and the impact of technological innovations in this field. This review thus provides a valuable resource for researchers and industry professionals engaged in the development and application of superlubric materials.

Absorption-compression hybrid refrigeration analysis and application for energy conservation of cryogenic separation in propane dehydrogenation

Cryogenic separation is an energy extensive process in chemical industries and compression refrigeration (CR) is the most common refrigeration technology with huge energy consumption and carbon emission. Based on the principle and thermodynamic analysis of absorption refrigeration (AR) and CR, this paper puts forward serial AR-CR combined absorption-compression hybrid refrigeration (ACHR) technology as a substitution for traditional CR to conserve both power consumption and carbon emission. Industrial propane dehydrogenation is employed and the ACHR is introduced to accomplish the cryogenic separation by refrigerating temperature and load division. The phase transition of refrigerated streams encompassed by AR is crucial to the performance of ACHR. When the inter-connected temperature is determined to be 6 °C, the optimal refrigeration scenario is obtained. Through partial substitution of AR driven by waste heat for CR, the results show that the hybrid refrigeration can save 48.73% of power consumption and 110.8 GW h of energy per year, which is equivalent to the annual reduction of 39.8 kt standard coal and 0.12 Mt carbon emission. This work demonstrated that absorption-compression hybrid refrigeration is prospective in energy consumption and emission reduction industrially.

Promoting photocatalytic nitrogen reduction for aqueous nitrogenous fertilizer from organic wastewater over p-BiOBr/n-Bi2MoO6 hetero-nanofibers

Photocatalytic nitrogen reduction (PNR) is a potential routine for producing aqueous nitrogenous fertilizer via a green chemistry process but is still limited by a relatively poor efficiency. Considering the dynamic coupling of excited electrons and holes, we introduced organic wastewater oxidation process to substitute the sluggish water oxidation for promoting the PNR reaction. We developed p-BiOBr/n-Bi2MoO6 Z-scheme hetero-nanofibers and experimentally studied their interface charge transfer mechanism in detail. Their strong redox ability and high charge separation efficiency enabled efficient PNR with simultaneous organic pollutant degradation. They have exhibited a PNR rate of up to 911.6 µmol g−1 h−1 L−1 in Rhodamine B (RhB) solution, about 2.5 times higher than that in pure water. Meanwhile, their RhB removal rate reached ∼91.2% in the PNR process (i.e., in N2 saturated solution), close to that in the air (∼96.6%) due to the strong oxidation ability of valence band holes. The proper loading ratio of BiOBr on the hetero-nanofibers and their super-long one-dimensional structures were essential for tuning the charge separation and photocatalytic activity. Moreover, the dual-functional system exhibited efficient photocatalytic performance in a natural water matrix and simulated flowing wastewater scene. Based on a comparative plant cultivation study, the system could effectively convert pollutant solutions into aqueous nitrogenous fertilizers that could promote the healthy growth of nitrogenous sensitive plants. The green and sustainable strategy of PNR for aqueous nitrogenous fertilizer from organic wastewater would have broad applications in energy conservation and environmental remediation.

Rational design of CdS/BiOCl S-scheme heterojunction for effective boosting piezocatalytic H2 evolution and pollutants degradation performances

Piezocatalysis as an emerging technology is broadly applied in hydrogen evolution and organic pollutants degradation aspects. However, the dissatisfactory piezocatalytic activity is a severe bottleneck for its practical applications. In this work, CdS/BiOCl S-scheme heterojunction piezocatalysts were constructed and explored the performances of piezocatalytic hydrogen (H2) evolution and organic pollutants degradation (methylene orange, rhodamine B and tetracycline hydrochloride) under strain by ultrasonic vibration. Interestingly, CdS/BiOCl presents a volcano-type relationship between catalytic activity and CdS contents, namely firstly increases and then decreases with the increase of CdS content. Optimal 20 % CdS/BiOCl endows superior piezocatalytic H2 generation rate of 1048.2 μmol g−1h−1 in methanol solution, which is 2.3 and 3.4 times higher than that of pure BiOCl and CdS, respectively. This value is also much higher than the recently reported Bi-based and most of other typical piezocatalysts. Meanwhile, 5 % CdS/BiOCl delivers the highest reaction kinetics rate constant and degradation rate toward various pollutants compared with other catalysts, which also exceeds that of the previously numerous results. Improved catalytic capacity of CdS/BiOCl is mainly ascribed to the construction of S-scheme heterojunction for enhancing the redox capacity as well as inducing more effective charge carriers separation and transfer. Moreover, S-scheme charge transfer mechanism is demonstrated via electron paramagnetic resonance and Quasi-In-situ X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy measurements. Eventually, a novel piezocatalytic mechanism of CdS/BiOCl S-scheme heterojunction has been proposed. This research develops a novel pathway for designing highly efficient piezocatalysts and provides a deeper understanding in construction of Bi-based S-scheme heterojunction catalysts for energy conservation and wastewater disposal applications.

Hierarchical gradient mesh surfaces for superior boiling heat transfer

• Hi-GM exhibits 313% and 811% enhancements in CHF and HTC over the plain surface. • Microchimney effect coupling with superior capillary enhances the performance. • Hi-GM transcends the classical predictions of capillary and bubble dynamics theory. • The concept of inducing bubble and liquid transport sheds light on thermal design. Engineered surfaces enabling remarkable phase change heat transfer have elicited increasing attention due to their ubiquitous applications in energy conservation and thermal management. Despite extensive efforts, designing micro/nanostructures that accelerate both the liquid wicking and bubble cycles to extend the boiling performance remains challenging. Here, we develop a hierarchical gradient mesh surface that exhibits exceptionally high critical heat flux (CHF) of 300 W/cm 2 and heat transfer coefficient (HTC) of 34.52 W/(cm 2 K), which are 313% and 811% larger than those of the plain surface with de-ionized water under 1 atmosphere pressure. By simply sintering multilayer meshes with controllable porosity and superhydrophilic micro/nanostructured coating, the surface developed is cost-effective, and capable of exhibiting strong wicking effect and rapid small bubble detachment characteristic via a chimney-like architecture. Such a rational design transcends the classical predictions of the capillary wicking model and bubble dynamics theory for superior boiling. The proposed concept of tailoring structures to induce bubble and liquid transport for efficient phase change heat transfer may point in a new direction for thermal engineering.

Evaluasi Konservasi Energi dan Air sebagai Aspek Program PBLHS pada Penerapan Konsep Green Building

The green building criteria of GBCI are an effort to maintain environmental stability. The concept of being environmentally friendly is applied by schools in the form of the PBLHS (Care and Culture for the Environment in Schools) program. The adiwiyata school used as the object of research is SDN Bareng 3. Green building assessment focuses on energy and water conservation, which are relevant for green building and the PBLHS program. This study aims to determine the percentage of energy and water conservation implementation in SDN Bareng 3, and compile recommendations to improve the application of green building according to the study aspect. The research method is descriptive quantitative guided by GREENSHIP Existing Building Version 1.1. The results shows that SDN Bareng 3 obtained a percentage of energy conservation application of 52.78%, and 15% for water conservation. The recommendations are to make energy and water efficient SOPs, make energy displays, use alternative energy, conduct laboratory tests on water quality, have a water recycling system, and use auto stop faucets.

Tailoring 2D carbides and nitrides based photo-catalytic nanomaterials for energy production and storage: a review

Abstract 2D carbides and nitrides-based nanomaterials because of their unusual physical and chemical properties and a vast range of energy-storage applications have attracted tremendous attention. However, 2D carbides and nitrides-based nanomaterials and their corresponding composites have many intrinsic constraints in terms of energy-storage applications. The nano-engineering of these 2D materials is widely investigated, to improve their performance for practical application. In this Review article, the current progress and research on 2D carbides and nitrides-based nanostructures are presented and debated, concentrating on their methods of preparation, and energy conservation applications for example Lithium-ion-battery, supercapacitors, and Sodium-ion-battery. In conclusion, the problems, and recommendations essential to be discussed for the progress of these 2D nanomaterials for energy-storage applications based on carbides and nitrides are displayed.

Lightweight and Strong Ceramic Network with Exceptional Damage Tolerance.

Lightweight materials such as porous ceramics have attracted increasing attention for applications in energy conservation, aerospace and automobile industries. However, porous ceramics are usually weak and brittle; in particular, tiny defects could cause catastrophic failure, which affects their reliability and limits the potential use greatly. Here we report a SiC/SiO2 nanowire network constructed from numerous well-bonded SiC nanowires coated by a biphasic structure consisting of amorphous SiO2 and nanocrystal SiC. The as-obtained SiC/SiO2 nanowire network is lightweight (360 ± 10 mg cm-3), mechanically strong (compressive strength of 16 MPa), and damage-tolerant. The high strength of the network is attributed to the biphasic mixed structure of the binding coating which can restrict the deformation of nanowires upon compression. The lightweight and strong SiC/SiO2 nanowire network shows potential for engineering applications in harsh environments.

Silane modified MXene/polybenzazole nanocomposite aerogels with exceptional surface hydrophobicity, flame retardance and thermal insulation

Lightweight, surface hydrophobic, flame retardant and thermal insulating aerogels are highly needed for energy conservation and fire safety application. Herein, we reported silane modified MXene and polybenzazole (F-MP) nanocomposite aerogels prepared by using sol-gel, freeze-dry and thermal treatment approaches. The silane molecules produced multiple interactions with 2D MXene sheet and 1D polybenzazole nano-fiber and thus effectively promoted the formation of interconnected network in the nanocomposite aerogel. The optimized F-MP aerogel demonstrates low density (30–70 mg cm−3), good surface hydrophobicity (water contact angle of ∼141°) and stale mechanical robustness after strain = 50% compression. In addition, this aerogel exhibits a reliable flame resistance and structural stability even after 60 s flame attack. Meanwhile, the F-MP nanocomposite aerogel shows an excellent thermal insulating performance and structure stability when compared with the traditional polymer foam materials. This work provides an innovative strategy for creating hydrophobic, flame retardant and thermal insulating aerogel materials, holding great promise for extensive applications.

Static Structural Analysis of Automobile Hood using Natural Hybrid Fiber Composite

Natural fibres are a kind of renewable source and a replacement generation of reinforcements and supplements for polymer-based materials. The event of natural fibres composite materials or environmentally friendly composites has been a hot topic recently because of the increasing environmental awareness. Natural fibres are one such skilful material that replaces the artificial materials and its connected product for the less weight and energy conservation applications. the appliance of natural fibres bolstered compound composites and natural-based resins for replacement existing synthetic polymer or glass fibres reinforced materials in large. Automotive and aircrafts industries are actively developing different styles of natural fibres, primarily on hemp, flax and sisal and bio resins systems for their interior components. High specific properties with lower costs of natural fibres composites are making it attractive for various applications. within the gift study automobile hood is analysed for hybrid material. From the analysis it's evident that the material is maintaining its structural integrity for given loading condition.