Energy Generation Processes Research Articles

Fuzzy Logic Algorithms Based Measurement and Control System for Intermixed Biogas and Photovoltaic Systems

Renewable energies in the form of biogas and photovoltaic systems are now widely adopted as baseline or complimentary energies for many rural households and farms. Often these energy systems stand alone or exist alone, and they are lack of monitoring and are independently operated. It is necessary to develop a measurement and control system for integrating these energies into an intermixed biogas and photovoltaic system, which can achieve safe and optimal usage of the energy. In this paper, a fuzzy logic algorithm based measurement and control system is developed for the intermixed biogas and photovoltaic system. The overall objective of this system is to evolve an approach to optimize the output capabilities of intermixed biogas and photovoltaic systems. To achieve this objective, the fuzzy logic algorithms are chosen and used for the measurement and control of the intermixed biogas and photovoltaic energies due to the complexity of the energy generation processes involved and the powerful intelligent ability solving nonlinear dynamics of fuzzy logic algorithms. Fuzzy logic algorithms are developed for each measurement and control unit. Based on MPLABX, which is an Integrated Development Environment (IDE), some simulations have been done using C source codes, and the simulation results show the efficiency of using fuzzy logic algorithms to predict system failures, troubleshoot system faults, and control methane and photovoltaic electricity output levels.

Experimental studies of charge of non-superconductive magnetic energy storage

One of the urgent tasks of railway transport development connected with the problem of power saving according to “The strategic directions of scientific and technical development of OAO RZD for the period of up to 2015” is a wide use of power-intensive energy storages in the main technological processes of power consumption and energy generation. Owing to the progress in the field of manufacturing high temperature superconductors of the second generation, the use of superconducting magnetic energy storages (SMES) is the most promising. A feature of induction coils, which are inductive energy storage as receivers and sources, according to the laws of commutation is inability to change current quickly through induction. This makes difficult to connect superconducting magnet directly to energy sources and receivers of traditional performance. This means that SMES require special charging circuits. The most viable is to charge coil via intermediate capacitor (capacitance storage (CS)). In this case, coil charge will be on phased basis, taking character of pulse pump of energy. The advantages of this modification are that energy source released from handling large, slowly varying currents, resulting in possibility to flexibly adjust magnitude and duration of coil charge depending on the required charging mode. To verify that the scheme of charging inductive energy storage via intermediate capacitor non-superconductive magnetic energy storage which, unlike superconductive has a finite resistance, has been used. The authors confirmed working capacity of charging scheme for inductive energy storage via intermediate capacitor on phased basis. It is noted that maximum current value during charge of CS increases with capacitance value of the intermediate storage and with decreasing series included with CS inductance.

Process Technology for insitu Generation of Green Energy & Potable Water Without Emission of Green House Gases by Utilisation of Sunlight, Natural Water and Nano Particles (as Photocatalysts)

Energy, fertiliser, bio-fuels and potable water are vital input for social and economic development of a nation. As a result of the generalization of agricultural, industrial and domestic activities, the demand for energy, fertilisers, fuels,& potable water have increased remarkably, especially in emergent countries like India. These have meant rapid growth in the level of greenhouse gas emissions in the existing process of energy generation, fertiliser/fuel production , the increase in fuel & fertiliser prices, crisis of potable/drinking waters specially in coastal/desert area and requirement of organic waste management which are the main driving forces behind efforts to utilize this renewable energy/fertiliser/fuel sources more effectively, i.e. energy/fuel/fertiliser /potable water which come from natural resources and are also naturally replenished. Despite the obvious advantages of renewable energy, it presents important drawbacks, such as the discontinuity of generation, as most renewable energy resources depend on the climate, which is why their use requires complex integrated process technology design, planning and control optimization. This paper presents the current state of the art in the process technology applied for renewable and sustainable energy/fuels/potable water generation by utilising available natural resources, with a clear vision for advancement in this field. I. Background Information

Quantitative proteomic analysis of cell envelope preparations under iron starvation stress in Aeromonas hydrophila.

BackgroundIron homeostasis is an essential process over the entire lives of both hosts and bacterial pathogens, and also plays roles in many other metabolic functions. Currently, knowledge is limited on the iron scavenging mechanism of the cell envelope in the aquatic pathogen, Aeromonas hydrophila. To understand the iron homeostasis mechanism in A. hydrophila, a dimethyl labelling based quantitative proteomics method was used to compare the differential expression of cell envelope proteins under iron starvation.ResultsA total of 542 cell envelope proteins were identified by LC-MS/MS, with 66 down-regulated and 104 up-regulated proteins. Bioinformatics analysis showed that outer membrane siderophores, heme and iron receptors, periplasmic iron binding proteins, inner membrane ABC transporters and H+-ATP synthase subunits increased in abundance while iron-cluster proteins, electron transport chain and redox proteins were down-regulated. Further q-PCR validation, in vivo addition of exogenous metabolites, and an enzyme inhibition assay revealed that redox, the energy generation process, and ATP synthase elevated the susceptibility of A. hydrophila to iron starvation.ConclusionsOur study demonstrates that the redox and energy generation process, and ATP synthase in A. hydrophila may play critical roles in iron acquisition under conditions of iron-stress. An understanding of the iron scavenging mechanism may be helpful for the development of strategies for preventing and treating A. hydrophila infection.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12866-016-0769-5) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Combined CO2 absorption/regeneration performance enhancement by using nanoabsorbents

The reduction of in the emissions of CO2, which is the representative greenhouse gas, is actively investigated worldwide because of its contribution to global warming. Energy generation processes involving the gasification of fossil fuels separate the constituent gases before combustion occurs, rendering the capture of CO2 more attainable. Generally, CO2 is captured through an absorption method by using a liquid absorbent in large scale gasification systems. According to Henry’s solubility law, the absorption and regeneration processes should be operated at low and high temperatures respectively, and these require high energy consumption. As a solution, nanoparticles are added to the absorbent (methanol) to reduce energy consumption required in the absorption and regeneration processes. In this study, the absorption/regeneration performance was evaluated through a lab-scale combined CO2-absorption/regeneration system. The nanoparticles used are SiO2 and Al2O3, which are added at a 0.01vol% concentration. In the case of the Al2O3/methanol nanoabsorbent, the performance decreases as the number of cycle increases, whereas the performance is improved steadily in the case of the SiO2/methanol nanoabsorbent. Thus, the SiO2 nanoparticles are more suitable for the combined CO2 absorption/regeneration process. Furthermore, the mass transfer enhancement mechanisms of the absorption/regeneration process according to the addition of nanoparticles are presented.

The Influence of Eco Maintenance on Power Consumption of the Lathe Machines

Generally, a maintenance process of a machine tool is oriented to maintain its reliability and availability in a relation of its productivity. This productivity will make a direct impact on the economic aspect of its plant. Ecomaintenance is a maintenance concept which sees maintenance in a different perspective. There is another effect on a machine that is maintained well on the environmental aspect beside its benefit of technology and economic aspects. If a machine is maintained with a proper maintenance, it will have a performance suitable with its age design condition. A machine with a good maintenance generally has a minimum rate of pollutant and waste which is possible emerging from the machining process. Then, if it uses for a machining process, it will produce a good quality product on its surface roughness and dimension accuracy. The electrical energy consumption of the machine also can be saved. It means that the GHG which usually emerges from the process of electrical energy generation in the power plant can be minimized, also the coal as fuel can be saved. The result of experiment has proven that the machine with bad maintenance will consume the electrical power higher in range 10%-60.81% than the machine with a good maintenance.

Delta-proteobacterial SAR324 group in hydrothermal plumes on the South Mid-Atlantic Ridge.

In the dark ocean, the SAR324 group of Delta-proteobacteria has been associated with a chemolithotrophic lifestyle. However, their electron transport chain for energy generation and information system has not yet been well characterized. In the present study, four SAR324 draft genomes were extracted from metagenomes sampled from hydrothermal plumes in the South Mid-Atlantic Ridge. We describe novel electron transport chain components in the SAR324 group, particularly the alternative complex III, which is involved in energy generation. Moreover, we propose that the C-type cytochrome, for example the C553, may play a novel role in electron transfer, adding to our knowledge regarding the energy generation process in the SAR324 cluster. The central carbon metabolism in the described SAR324 genomes exhibits several new features other than methanotrophy e.g. aromatic compound degradation. This suggests that methane oxidation may not be the main central carbon metabolism component in SAR324 cluster bacteria. The reductive acetyl-CoA pathway may potentially be essential in carbon fixation due to the absence of components from the Calvin-Benson cycle. Our study provides insight into the role of recombination events in shaping the genome of the SAR324 group based on a larger number of repeat regions observed, which has been overlooked thus far.

Protein Network of the Pseudomonas aeruginosa Denitrification Apparatus.

Oxidative phosphorylation using multiple-component, membrane-associated protein complexes is the most effective way for a cell to generate energy. Here, we systematically investigated the multiple protein-protein interactions of the denitrification apparatus of the pathogenic bacterium Pseudomonas aeruginosa During denitrification, nitrate (Nar), nitrite (Nir), nitric oxide (Nor), and nitrous oxide (Nos) reductases catalyze the reaction cascade of NO(3-)→ NO(2-)→ NO → N2O → N2 Genetic experiments suggested that the nitric oxide reductase NorBC and the regulatory protein NosR are the nucleus of the denitrification protein network. We utilized membrane interactomics in combination with electron microscopy colocalization studies to elucidate the corresponding protein-protein interactions. The integral membrane proteins NorC, NorB, and NosR form the core assembly platform that binds the nitrate reductase NarGHI and the periplasmic nitrite reductase NirS via its maturation factor NirF. The periplasmic nitrous oxide reductase NosZ is linked via NosR. The nitrate transporter NarK2, the nitrate regulatory system NarXL, various nitrite reductase maturation proteins, NirEJMNQ, and the Nos assembly lipoproteins NosFL were also found to be attached. A number of proteins associated with energy generation, including electron-donating dehydrogenases, the complete ATP synthase, almost all enzymes of the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle, and the Sec system of protein transport, among many other proteins, were found to interact with the denitrification proteins. This deduced nitrate respirasome is presumably only one part of an extensive cytoplasmic membrane-anchored protein network connecting cytoplasmic, inner membrane, and periplasmic proteins to mediate key activities occurring at the barrier/interface between the cytoplasm and the external environment. The processes of cellular energy generation are catalyzed by large multiprotein enzyme complexes. The molecular basis for the interaction of these complexes is poorly understood. We employed membrane interactomics and electron microscopy to determine the protein-protein interactions involved. The well-investigated enzyme complexes of denitrification of the pathogenic bacterium Pseudomonas aeruginosa served as a model. Denitrification is one essential step of the universal N cycle and provides the bacterium with an effective alternative to oxygen respiration. This process allows the bacterium to form biofilms, which create low-oxygen habitats and which are a key in the infection mechanism. Our results provide new insights into the molecular basis of respiration, as well as opening a new window into the infection strategies of this pathogen.

Janus Membranes with Asymmetric Wettability for Fine Bubble Aeration

A superaerophobic-hydrophobic Janus membrane is fabricated by single-sided polydopamine/polyethyleneimine codeposition. The Janus membrane significantly promotes fine bubble generation and gas/liquid mass transfer. Its application is exemplified by highly efficient dopamine oxidization and enzymatic CO2 hydration. The Janus membrane aerator shows great potential in many gas-involved energy generation and environmental remediation processes. As a service to our authors and readers, this journal provides supporting information supplied by the authors. Such materials are peer reviewed and may be re-organized for online delivery, but are not copy-edited or typeset. Technical support issues arising from supporting information (other than missing files) should be addressed to the authors. Please note: The publisher is not responsible for the content or functionality of any supporting information supplied by the authors. Any queries (other than missing content) should be directed to the corresponding author for the article.

Removal of naphthalene by activated carbons from hot gas

The gasification of biomass and waste is a potentially high efficiency process for energy generation. However, the appropriate cleaning of the produced fuel gas is a major issue, in particular for tar removal. This study investigates the performance of three new-generation activated carbons, which are able to adsorb a wide spectrum of tars at high temperature, from 750°C up to 900°C. For this purpose, a laboratory-scale hot gas filtration apparatus was designed and set-up. Experimental tests were carried out with naphthalene as the reference tar compound. The selected activated carbons were tested under different conditions of temperature, test duration and naphthalene concentration. The procedure allows evaluating the contributions of adsorption and cracking phenomena on the overall tar removal efficiency. Complete naphthalene removal was obtained with two of the selected activated carbons, at 850°C and 900°C respectively. Simultaneously, a partial reforming of adsorbed naphthalene was observed, and molecular hydrogen was detected in the gas phase. Results were correlated to the differences in porosimetry and chemical surface of the selected activated carbons, as well as to those highlighted by Scanning Electronic Microscopy and X-ray analyses. Finally, a procedure for activated carbon regeneration by carbon dioxide is reported, together with results from preliminary tests.

Оптимальное управление структурой и эксплуатационными режимами интегрированных энергетических систем

Background: At present, a lot of attention is paid to the optimal load distribution between the thermal power plant units, on the one hand, and, within the concept of «smart grids», to the optimal transportation of energy from the supplier to consumers, on the other hand. And the problems of optimal generation and optimal transport of energy are considered separately, although energy generation and transmission processes are closely related to each other. A joint analysis of the generation and transport will allow getting an additional effect from optimization that cannot be achieved by separate consideration of these processes. Thus, the joint analysis of the generation and transmission of energy in order to minimize the total costs of energy resources at a given energy supply of consumers is a current research priority. Materials and methods: The power equipment models were constructed based on the energy characteristics of the units, while the formulation of and solution to the optimization problem is based on the approaches and mathematical programming techniques. Results: The paper formulates a problem of optimal energy generation and transport in inter-related thermal and electric networks in order to obtain the minimum energy costs for the given power consumption. It also describes a solution to the optimization problem, in which the optimal load of generating units and optimal transport of energy flows in the system are found. Conclusions: The proposed approach ensures energy supply to consumers at the minimum resource cost. This solution is a prerequisite for the creation of intelligent energy-saving systems, that allow online maintenance of the given energy supply with the minimum total cost of energy resources.

The Thermodynamic Efficiency of Energy Complex Enterprises Processing Raw Gas Condensate

This paper provides analysis of thermodynamic efficiency of an energy complex of gas and gas condensate processing enterprises interrelated with primary technological facilities involved in continuous fuel, heat and electrical energy generation and consumption processes. The analysis is based on aggregate-decomposition method used for system analysis and synthesis of complex objects. Exergy balance sheets for gas condensate processing enterprise are drawn up as a Grassmann diagram. Potential of several production facilities of an enterprise involved in processing raw hydrocarbons from gas condensate is evaluated and the possibility of using their engineering design for fuel and heat production systems is discussed.

Exergy and Energy Efficiencies in High Temperature Gas Reactors (PBMR)

The aims of this work are to determine the maximum efficiency in the generation and conversion of energy to electricity, and to obtain the exergy efficiency in a pebblebBed modular reactor. The dynamics of the process of energy generation in the nuclear fuel is represented by a point reactor kinetics model, and the process of transport of this energy toward the coolant fluid was based on the conservation laws of mass, energy, and momentum. The conversion to mechanical energy in the turbo-generators, as well as the operation of the heat exchangers, was also made on the simplified models based on physical laws. The results obtained of the energy and exergy balances were applied in order to calculate the maximum efficiency considering a change in the original design and the utilization of the energy lost in the cooling process, respectively.

Exploring the Process of Energy Generation in Pathophysiology by Targeted Metabolomics: Performance of a Simple and Quantitative Method.

Abnormalities in mitochondrial metabolism and regulation of energy balance contribute to human diseases. The consequences of high fat and other nutrient intake, and the resulting acquired mitochondrial dysfunction, are essential to fully understand common disorders, including obesity, cancer, and atherosclerosis. To simultaneously and noninvasively measure and quantify indirect markers of mitochondrial function, we have developed a method based on gas chromatography coupled to quadrupole-time of flight mass spectrometry and an electron ionization interface, and validated the system using plasma from patients with peripheral artery disease, human cancer cells, and mouse tissues. This approach was used to increase sensibility in the measurement of a wide dynamic range and chemical diversity of multiple intermediate metabolites used in energy metabolism. We demonstrate that our targeted metabolomics method allows for quick and accurate identification and quantification of molecules, including the measurement of small yet significant biological changes in experimental samples. The apparently low process variability required for its performance in plasma, cell lysates, and tissues allowed a rapid identification of correlations between interconnected pathways. Our results suggest that delineating the process of energy generation by targeted metabolomics can be a valid surrogate for predicting mitochondrial dysfunction in biological samples. Importantly, when used in plasma, targeted metabolomics should be viewed as a robust and noninvasive source of biomarkers in specific pathophysiological scenarios.

Nitrogen Doped Reduced Graphene Oxide Based Pt–TiO2 Nanocomposites for Enhanced Hydrogen Evolution

Electrochemical hydrogen production from water is an attractive clean energy generation process that has enormous potential for sustainable development. However, noble metal catalysts are most commonly used for such electrochemical hydrogen evolution making the process cost ineffective. Thereby design of hybrid catalysts with minimal use of noble metals using a suitable support material is a prime requirement for the electrolysis of water. Herein, we demonstrate the superior hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) activity of the platinum nanoparticles (Pt NPs) supported on faceted titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanocrystals (Pt–TiO2) and nitrogen doped reduced graphene oxide (N-rGO) based TiO2 nanocomposite (Pt–TiO2–N-rGO). The ternary Pt–TiO2–N-rGO nanocomposite exhibits a superior HER activity with a small Tafel slope (∼32 mV·dec–1), exchange current density (∼0.22 mA·cm–2), and excellent mass activity (∼3116 mA·mgpt–1) at 300 mV overpotential. These values are better/higher than that of several support materials i...

Movers and Shakers: Kinetic Energy Harvesting for the Internet of Things

Numerous energy harvesting wireless devices that will serve as building blocks for the Internet of Things (IoT) are currently under development. However, there is still only limited understanding of the properties of various energy sources and their impact on energy harvesting adaptive algorithms. Hence, we focus on characterizing the kinetic (motion) energy that can be harvested by a wireless node with an IoT form factor and on developing energy allocation algorithms for such nodes. In this paper, we describe methods for estimating harvested energy from acceleration traces. To characterize the energy availability associated with specific human activities (e.g., relaxing, walking, cycling), we analyze a motion dataset with over 40 participants. Based on acceleration measurements that we collected for over 200 hours, we study energy generation processes associated with day-long human routines. We also briefly summarize our experiments with moving objects. We develop energy allocation algorithms that take into account practical IoT node design considerations, and evaluate the algorithms using the collected measurements. Our observations provide insights into the design of motion energy harvesters, IoT nodes, and energy harvesting adaptive algorithms.

Acoustic energy generation by the burning fuel layer

This article studies the process of acoustic energy generation by layer of burning solid fuel in an oscillating air flow. Studied the results obtained for combustion in an open tube. It has been shown that the introduction of the correlation function can be used to determine the acoustic energy generated in the combustion chamber of device capacity-tube type. Received the empirical expression for this correlation function.

A Holistic Comparative Analysis of Different Storage Systems using Levelized Cost of Storage and Life Cycle Indicators

Abstract In this study, a detailed economic analysis is combined with an ecological analysis of electricity storage systems. On the economic side, a “Levelized Cost of Storage (LCOS)” analysis is conducted, which assesses the cost of stored electricity. The LCOS is determined for a specific case of a private household in combination with a PV system. On the ecological side a “Life Cycle Assessment” (LCA) is used to calculate the environmental impact of electricity storage as well as the CO 2 abatement costs. In the parameterized LCA the energy generation process used to feed the storage system, the material and the energy demand during the life cycle of the storage options is considered. With the parameterized LCA approach, the ecologically most rational storage systems can be identified. Results show that PV storage systems at household level are an environmental friendly option to increase the self-consumption and will be economically attractive in about ten years.

Energy recovery from effluents of supercritical water oxidation reactors

Supercritical water oxidation (SCWO) reactors can process waste effluents achieving high conversions, but the required extreme pressure and temperature operational conditions entail high-energy operational expenditure. SCWO has the potential to be considered a clean energy generation process, as the process effluent is a high temperature, high pressure stream with a high enthalpy content that can be converted to heat and shaft work. This ensures the self-sustained reaction and can generate excess shaft power to drive both the high-pressure pump and the air compressor. On the contrary, an efficient heat and power recovery from SCWO reactors outlet streams using conventional procedures presents several problems. First, Rankine cycles impose indirect heat transfer to the working fluid and are unable to recover the pressure energy and second, direct expansion of the effluents entails costly development of specific, efficient expansion equipment.In this work, we investigate the options for energy recovery of SCWO reactors coupled with commercial gas turbines (GT). SCWO outlet streams are mainly composed of water, nitrogen and carbon dioxide. These operating values nearly resemble the well-known and already-implemented GT steam injection procedures. The temperature of the flue gases (approx. 500°C) and the direct shaft work usage offers adequate energy integration possibilities for both feed preheating and compression. The wide range of commercially available GT sizes enables process scaling.

Glass and Polymeric Mirrors Ageing under different Moroccan Weathers, an Application for CSP Power Plants

Abstract CSP technology has a huge potential. However, all the components used in the energy generation process are not yet optimized. Reflectors are one of the most important devices to improve, asthe efficiencyof the power plant is directly linked to their high performance. Because reflectors are costly and cannot be changed frequently, their reflectivity should be maintained as long as possible.For this reason it is important to study their durability under real operation weather conditions. Natural ageing allows the determination of real lifetime mirrors characteristics and better understanding of their degradation mechanisms. For this investigation, polymeric and glass mirrors were exposed in two Moroccan sites with characteristic weather conditions, one close to the ocean and one in the desert, for more than one year of natural ageing. Different characterization techniques such as optical microscopy and UV-Visible-NIR spectophotometry were used to detect and analyze degradation mechanisms. The obtained results are shown in this paper and acomparison of mirrors behavior is proposed depending on the outdoor exposure sites. It can benoted that the desertic conditions are less aggressive than coastal conditions regarding tophysico-chemical degradation of both investigated mirror materials.