Energy Retention Research Articles

Ni3V2O8 Marigold Structures with rGO Coating for Enhanced Supercapacitor Performance.

In this work, Ni3V2O8 (NVO) and Ni3V2O8-reduced graphene oxide (NVO-rGO) are synthesized hydrothermally, and their extensive structural, morphological, and electrochemical characterizations follow subsequently. The synthetic materials' crystalline structure was confirmed by X-ray diffraction (XRD), and its unique marigold-like morphology was observed by field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM). The chemical states of the elements were investigated via X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), Galvanostatic charge-discharge (GCD), and cyclic voltammetry (CV) were used to assess the electrochemical performance. A specific capacitance of 132 F/g, an energy density of 5.04 Wh/kg, and a power density of 187 W/kg were demonstrated by Ni3V2O8-rGO. Key electrochemical characteristics were b = 0.67; a transfer coefficient of 0.52; a standard rate constant of 6.07 × 10-5 cm/S; a diffusion coefficient of 5.27 × 10-8 cm2/S; and a series resistance of 1.65 Ω. By employing Ni3V2O8-rGO and activated carbon, an asymmetric supercapacitor with a specific capacitance of 7.85 F/g, an energy density of 3.52 Wh/kg, and a power density of 225 W/kg was achieved. The series resistance increased from 4.27 Ω to 6.63 Ω during cyclic stability tests, which showed 99% columbic efficiency and 87% energy retention. The potential of Ni3V2O8-rGO as a high-performance electrode material for supercapacitors is highlighted by these findings.

High Performance Flexible Supercapacitor Based on Single Precursor Derived NiFe2O4 Spinel with Tailored Cationic Distribution and Oxygen Vacancies in Acidic Medium

AbstractSpinel metal oxides are extensively studied for supercapacitors (SCs) in alkaline electrolytes, where charge storage capacity is limited by surface site availability due to surface reconstruction forming metal hydroxides/oxyhydroxides. The use of an acidic medium, which can boost the charge storage capacity of spinel oxides offering an additional channel of intercalation‐deintercalation of protons, is underexplored. Moreover, the impact of chemical compositions and the cationic distributions is crucial on the electrocatalysis performance of spinel oxides, however, such a correlation is first time reported for charge storage properties of spinel ferrite NiFe2O4 nanoparticles (NFO NPs). Besides, a low‐cost and scalable synthesis of NFO NPs involving the thermal decomposition of Ni‐Fe glycolate, followed by controlled air‐calcination is reported. Thus crafted NFO NPs‐based device shows impressive specific capacitance (2112 F g−1 at 10 A g−1) in half‐cell configuration. A flexible all‐solid‐state asymmetric device (full‐cell) configuration depicts impressive energy density (20.7 Wh kg−1), power density (4000 W kg−1), gravimetric capacitance (140 F g−1 at 2 A g−1), and retention of its performance (≈75% after 10,000 charging/discharging cycles). The results depict a new insight toward the tuning of electronic and charge storage properties in NFO, which otherwise are predominately attributed to only the crystallite size and morphological effects.

The effect of feeding level on protein and energy utilization in young and mature Kacang goats

Abstract A study was conducted to evaluate the amount of feeding on nutrient utilization of Kacang goats. This study used 16 heads, consisting of 8 young Kacang goats (5-6 months old), weighing 12.75 kg (CV = 2.4%), and 8 mature Kacang goats (12-15 months old), weighing 17.34 kg (CV = 2.7%). The diet was in the form of pellets, consisting of 25% wheat straw, 32% soybean meal, 39% rice bran, 3% sugarcane molasses, and 1% minerals. This study used a completely randomized design (CRD) in a nested structure. The main factor (the nest) was the age of the goat, i.e. young and mature, while the second factor (the nested factor) was feeding level, i.e. low (maintenance level) and high (twice maintenance level). The parameters were dry matter intake (DMI), dry matter digestibility (DMD), protein and energy intake, protein and energy digestibility, protein and energy retention, body weight gain (BWG), and feed conversion. The results showed the goat of high feeding level had higher DMI (P<0.05) than that of low feeding level, both in the young goat (243 g/d vs 466 g/d) and the mature goat (303g/d vs 657). There was no significant difference (P>0.05) in DMD between feeding levels and between age of goats (averaged 73.67%). The goats of high level had higher (P<0.01) nutrients retention in goats and the mature goats. The goats of high feeding level had significantly higher (P<0.05) BWG than that of low feeding level (14.64 g/d vs 41.95 g/d in the young goat and 18.35 g/d vs 58.77 g/d in the mature goat). The high feeding level resulted in lower FCR (P<0.01) than the lower feeding level, both in the young goats (16.40 vs 11.44) and in the mature goats (16.47 vs 11.47). It can be concluded that young and mature Kacang goats had similar abilities in feed digestion. The higher feeding level resulted in the better utilization of dietary protein and energy, and productivity of the goat.

Dried porcine soluble augments dietary fishmeal replacement by poultry by-product meal for large yellow croaker Larimichthys crocea

Two concurrent feeding trials was conducted to assess the effects of replacing fishmeal with poultry by-product meal (PBM) and supplementing dried porcine soluble (DPS) in large yellow croaker Larimichthys crocea diets at the optimal dietary protein level. In trial I, the reference diet (F40) contained fishmeal at 400 g/kg, and 40%, 60% and 80% of the fishmeal was substituted with PBM (the diets were termed as F24, F16 and F8). In trial II, the control diet (F16D0) contained fishmeal at 160 g/kg, and DPS was added at 4, 8, 12 and 16 g/kg in F16D0 (the diets were termed as F16D4, F16D8, F16D12 and F16D16). Fish initially weighing 20.0 ± 0.2 g were fed the test diets for 10 weeks. Fishmeal replacement level significantly influenced final body weight (FBW), weight gain, feed conversion ratio, nitrogen and energy retention efficiencies, ratio of fish-in to fish-out (FIFO), feed cost, activity of superoxide dismutase and catalase in plasma and liver, activity of glutathione peroxidase in plasma, and malondialdehyde content in liver. However, neither fishmeal replacement level nor DPS supplementation level resulted in significant change in condition factor, hepatosomatic index and body composition. There were no significant differences in weight gain and FBW either between F40, F24 and F16 or between F40 and F16D0, F16D4, F16D8, F16D12 and F16D16. The FBW of F16 declined by 3.2% relative to F40, while the FBW of F16D12 increased by 10.1% relative to F16D0. This study reveals that dietary fishmeal level for large yellow croaker could be reduced to 160 g/kg by using PBM as a sole substitute, and DPS supplementation could augment dietary fishmeal replacement by PBM.

Achieving High-Performance Na3V2(PO4)2F3 Cathode Material through a Bifunctional N-Doped Carbon Network.

Na3V2(PO4)2F3 (NVPF) is emerging as a popular cathode for sodium-ion batteries owing to its stable structure, high operating voltage, and large energy density. However, its practical application is hindered by its low conductivity. In addition, due to the loss of fluorine during synthesis, Na3V2(PO4)3 (NVP) impurity is often easily generated, resulting in a decrease in actual operating voltage. Herein, a bifunctional carbon network composed of an N-doped carbon layer and carbon bridge is constructed around NVPF particles. Through pyrolysis of polydopamine (PDA), the NVPF particles are covered in situ by an N-doped carbon layer, and the carbon bridge generated by polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) is also coated with N-doped carbon. Besides, PTFE also serves as a fluorine supplement to ensure that pure NVPF is obtained. As a result, the bifunctional N-doped carbon network-modified NVPF delivers a high reversible capacity (125.7 mA h g-1 at 0.2 C) and appreciable cycle stability (92.7% at 1 C over 300 cycles, and 89.8% at 10 C over 1500 cycles). When assembled into a full cell with a commercial hard carbon anode, it displays a discharge median voltage of up to 3.62 V at 0.2 C. Furthermore, it achieves a high energy density of 373.7 W h kg-1 at a power density of 461.2 W kg-1, with an excellent specific energy retention of 78.2% after 200 cycles. Therefore, this modification method is expected to be extended to other fluorine-containing materials with poor electrical conductivity.

Relationship between stocking rate and production of stocker hybrid tilapia and water quality in a mixtotrophic biofloc system

AbstractIntensified production of stocker‐size tilapia can be accomplished using the biofloc technology production system. Stocker‐size tilapia (ca. 10–200 g/fish) are raised for subsequent stocking for grow‐out to market size. The relationship between stocking rate and the production of stocker‐size hybrid tilapia (Oreochromis aureus × O. niloticus) was evaluated in two studies in outdoor mixotrophic biofloc tanks. Hybrid tilapia were stocked in 18.6‐m2 (15.7‐m3) tanks at 50–150 fish/m2 (59–178 fish/m3) in 25 fish/m2 (30 fish/m3) increments in Study 1 and grown for 141–143 days. Stocking rates evaluated in 4.7‐m2 (3.6‐m3) tanks during Study 2 over 78–79 days ranged from 100 to 300 fish/m2 (132–396 fish/m3) in 25 fish/m2 (33 fish/m3) increments. Linear regression models best described growth to stocker size in both studies. Fish yield increased linearly with stocking rate and ranged from 20.1 to 38.3 kg/m3. Individual weight at harvest was inversely related to stocking rate and ranged from 389.8 to 163.4 g/fish and 155.2 to 81.4 g/fish in Studies 1 and 2, respectively. Partial budget analyses suggested positive net changes in profit with incremental increases in stocking rate for producing a 75‐g stocker. Water quality concentrations were impacted directly by daily feed ration and total feed fed, which increased linearly with stocking rate. In Study 2, whole‐body dry matter, protein, protein retention, and lipid were unaffected by stocking rate, whereas whole‐body ash increased with stocking rate. Whole‐body energy retention significantly decreased with stocking rate. The outdoor mixotrophic biofloc production system is well suited for intensive production of hybrid tilapia stockers. However, additional replicated research and economic analysis are needed to evaluate stocking rate and culture duration to produce specific‐sized stocker hybrid tilapia.

Use of a mixture design to optimize dietary macronutrients for large turbot (Scophthalmus maximus Linnaeus, 1758)

Aim of study: Studies on the dietary needs of turbot fish (Scophthalmus maximus Linnaeus, 1758) have largely focused on the juvenile stage; however, there are not many on the larger (300–500 g) species. The purpose of this experiment was to determine the ideal dietary levels of protein, fat, and carbohydrate for large turbot. Area of study: Demre, Antalya, Türkiye. Material and methods: A three-component mixture design model was created to adjust the quantities of dietary protein between 45.6% and 63.4%, carbohydrates between 4.9% and 30.5%, and fat between 5.6% and 17.7%. The components of the model were fish meal (FM), fish oil (FO), and wheat flour (W). Fish initially weighing 301.6±0.1 g on average were fed 14 different diets for 10 weeks. The ideal dietary macronutrient levels were estimated by examining the prediction profiler at the highest desirability based on the variables that were selected to maximize final weight, daily growth coefficient, protein efficiency ratio, nitrogen and energy retentions, and minimize feed conversion ratio, nitrogen and carbon losses. Main results: The optimal diet formulation yielded the highest desirability of 0.87 for all selected responses and resulted in dietary inclusion levels of FM, W and FO as 63.6%, 20.8%, and 9.4%, respectively. The proposed optimal nutrient concentrations for large turbot (growing from 300 to 500 g) are 54% protein, approximately 17% lipid, and 15.8% carbohydrate on dry matter basis. Research highlights: The mixture design successfully allowed us to estimate the optimum levels of dietary protein, lipid and carbohydrate for large turbot.

Review on preheating systems for Lithium-ion batteries of electric vehicles under low temperature circumstance

Nowadays, energy and environmental protection issues have become the focus of most attention. The development of electric vehicles which depends on lithium ion battery as power source is one of the most applicable way in dealing with these issues. Lithium-ion battery (LIB) is highly favoured for its outstanding features in energy density, cycle life and energy retention. However, its severe sensitivity to working temperatures leads to problems when driving electric vehicles. Therefore, researchers and engineers have explored approaches to guaranteeing a suitable working temperature for LIB, one of which is the battery preheating system. To clarify the advancement of this system, both internal and external preheating methods studied in recent years are summarized, and the discussion for future research is included.

Comparative responses of Lohmann Select Leghorn-lite and Shaver Heritage White Leghorn hens when fed diets containing fine and coarse oat hulls

A standard commercial mash (control), or a mixture of control and fine (FOH) or coarse oat hulls (COH) at a ratio of 80:20 w/ w were fed to 57-week old Lohmann Select Leghorn-lite (LSL) and 44-week old Shavers Heritage White Leghorns (SHW) for 28 days. There was no ( P > 0.05) strain and diet interaction or diet effects on egg production indices (EP) and feed intake (FI). However, LSL hens had similar ( P > 0.05) FI but higher ( P > 0.05) EP than SHW. There was no strain and diet interaction observed on apparent retention of gross energy (ARGE) and gizzard weight ( P > 0.05). However, the control hens had higher ARGE, and lighter gizzards compared to oat hull-fed hens ( P < 0.01). In addition, COH hens had higher ARGE and heavier gizzards compared to FOH hens. The SHW hens exhibited greater jejunal crypt depth ( P = 0.011) compared to LSL hens. An interaction ( P = 0.041) between strain and diets on ceca digesta short chain fatty acids (SCFA) was such that oat hulls reduced SCFA in LSL but not in SHW hens. In conclusion, despite differences in age, relative to predecessors the modern hen is adaptable to ingestion of structural material rich insoluble fiber without negative impact on egg production and feed intake.

Paecilomyces variotii (PEKILO®) in novel feeds for Atlantic salmon: Effects on pellet quality, growth performance, gut health, and nutrient digestibility and utilization

Filamentous fungi have potential as an alternative protein source for use in aquafeeds due to their high protein content and bioactive components. Paecilomyces variotii (PEKILO® mycoprotein) is a β-glucan- and nucleotide-rich filamentous fungi with a crude protein (CP) content of 60–70%. A 9-week feeding trial was conducted to evaluate the effects of P. variotii in diets for Atlantic salmon (initial average body weight of 24 g fish−1) reared in freshwater. Four experimental diets were formulated. Diet 1 was a control diet based on fish meal, soy protein concentrate, and wheat gluten meal. Diets 2, 3, and 4 were formulated so that P. variotii replaced 5, 10, and 20% of the CP content of the diets, respectively. Results showed that dietary inclusion of P. variotii was associated with changes in physical pellet quality, including significant linear (p < 0.0001) and/or quadratic (p < 0.01) decreases in pellet length, width, expansion, and durability. Conversely, significant linear (p < 0.0001) and quadratic (p < 0.025) increases in water activity, bulk density, and water stability index were associated with increasing replacement of the CP content of the diets with P. variotii. There were no significant differences in weight gain, growth rate or feed intake among fish fed the experimental diets (p > 0.05), but a significant linear improvement (p < 0.025) in feed conversion ratio (FCR) with increasing dietary inclusion of P. variotii was observed. The apparent digestibility coefficients for CP and gross energy of the experimental diets decreased linearly (p < 0.01) with increasing dietary levels of P. variotii. Similar results were observed for the essential and non-essential amino acids. Despite reduced digestibility, linear increases in nitrogen (p < 0.01), energy (p < 0.025), and mineral (p < 0.001) retention efficiencies were associated with increasing dietary levels of P. variotii. In the distal intestine, dietary inclusion of P. variotii resulted in significant (p < 0.05) upregulation of several cytokines (ifng, il10, and tgfb), effector molecules (inos, arg1, sod), and transcription factors (irf4), suggesting both activation and control of the inflammatory response in this key mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue. Overall, replacement of 20% of the CP content of the diet with P. variotii reduced digestibility of the experimental diets, but did not affect growth performance and improved FCR and nutrient utilization efficiency of salmon. Thus, P. variotii is a promising ingredient with potential for use in salmonid aquafeeds to improve fish performance and health.

Efficiency of Utilization of Metabolizable Energy for Carcass Energy Retention in Broiler Chickens Fed Maize, Wheat or a Mixture

The study aimed to quantify carcass fat and protein retention, and the efficiency of carcass energy utilization (Kre) resulting from feeding broiler chickens diets containing wheat, maize or mixtures of both as the major cereal ingredient. The apparent metabolizable energy (AME) of the four cereal samples was determined in adult cockerels. There was a linear (p &lt; 0.001) increase in AME with increasing amounts of maize within the four cereal mixtures, with analyses indicating that the AME of maize was 1.4 MJ/kg greater than that of wheat. A second bioassay with growing chickens was used to determine Kre in each cereal, measured as carcass fat and protein from 7 to 21d age. Increasing proportions of maize resulted in linear increases in carcass fat and energy retained from fat (p &lt; 0.001). However, the carcass protein and energy retained from protein did not follow the same pattern as fat (p = 0.121), but rather decreased numerically (L = 0.032). The Kre tended (p = 0.060) to increase with greater proportion of maize in a linear fashion (L = 0.009). Although AME values of cereals were confirmed to be additive, this could not be confirmed for Kre. This data can be used for optimizing energy utilization models for growing broilers.

Tuning the physical properties of inorganic novel perovskite materials Ca3PX3 (X=I, Br and Cl): Density function theory

In photovoltaic technology, inorganic perovskite solar cells formed from halide have developed into a noteworthy prospect, primarily attributable to their exceptional efficiency, cost-effectiveness, and straightforward manufacturing techniques. Lead-free A3BX3 inorganic perovskites have generated significant attention within the environmentally friendly solar industry thanks to their extraordinary characteristics encompassing thermoelectricity, optoelectronics, and elasticity. This research focuses on the attributes of the structural, electrical, and optical inorganic halide perovskites Ca3PX3 (X = I, Br, and Cl) using the first-principles density-functional theory (FP-DFT). According to the electronic band structures, Ca3PI3, Ca3PBr3, and Ca3PCl3 show semiconductor characteristics with a straight bandgap of 1.4909 eV, 1.9502 eV, and 2.2058 eV, respectively, at the Γ(gamma)-point. Whenever one takes consideration into account the spin-orbital coupling (SOC) effect, the bandgap of the Ca3PI3, Ca3PBr3, and Ca3PCl3 perovskites is minimized to 1.2382 eV, 1.6456 eV, and 1.9056 eV. All these structures' bandgaps are compressed under compressive strain while they expand with tensile strain. The optical properties indicate that these materials have outstanding visible light consumption capabilities due to their distinct band features, comprising functions of dielectric, consumption coefficient, and function of electron collapse. Observations indicate that the dielectric constant peaks of Ca3PX3 (where X represents I, Br, or Cl) exhibit a redshift, moving towards lower photon energy levels as compressive strain increases. Conversely, they show a blueshift behavior, shifting to a greater amount of photon energy levels by applying tensile strain. Therefore, these characteristics render Ca3PX3 perovskites highly suitable for optimizing light guidance for solar power and energy retention tools.

From energy to environmental solutions: Harnessing ZrS:BaS:Ni9S8 thin film for supercapacitor and water purification

The present study aims to provide a comprehensive analysis on thin film, ZrS:BaS:Ni9S8. ZrS:BaS:Ni9S8 thin film was fabricated in a resistive heating unit from a single source precursor. With 21 nm crystallite size for ternary metal sulfide through XRD, a 2.5 eV optical band gap was elucidated. The chemical composition was assessed by the X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, which revealed core level peaks associated with Zr3d, S2p, Ba3d and Ni2p. A remarkable specific capacitance value of 540.7 F g−1 was assessed through cyclic voltammetry. This notable performance, coupled with the thin film's excellent cycling stability, established the thin film as a capable contender for diverse applications of energy retention. Moreover, a comprehensive investigation on the removal through photocatalysis of environmental pollutants; zoxamide, methylene blue, and phenol was done. The pesticide zoxamide depicted the degradation rate constant 3.9 × 10−2 min−1. The results present persuasive proof of the multifaceted opportunities presented by the ZrS:BaS:Ni9S8 thin film, outspreading its application outside energy retention to incorporate innovative functionalities.

New insights into early-stage time-dependent dielectric characteristics coupled with frequency dependency and hydration-driven reaction of hydraulic cement pastes: Experiments and statistical modelling

In the field of cement and concrete materials engineering, a comprehensive understanding of dielectric properties is crucial for optimising hydraulic cement paste mix designs. This study examines the relationships among the dielectric constant (ε’), loss tangent (tan δ), frequency, hydration time, water content and admixture dosage in different compositions of hydraulic cement paste. A consistent pattern can be observed across the frequency spectrum, where dielectric constants decrease as frequency increases. This aligns with the expected behaviour of cementitious materials. The most notable finding is the inversely proportional relationship between the loss tangent and frequency. As the frequency increases, the loss tangent consistently decreases, indicating improved energy retention and reduced dissipation. This characteristic is of significant value for various applications, including sustainable infrastructure and smart materials. Furthermore, the interactions among hydration time, water content and admixture dosage present an opportunity for dynamic optimisation within the cement paste matrix. These factors collectively impact dielectric properties, providing insights into the potential for tailored material performance and durability, especially in applications where dielectric properties are critical, such as sensing applications and structural health monitoring of concrete structures. This study emphasises the importance of customising cementitious compositions for specific applications in cement and concrete materials engineering. It achieves this through a detailed comparative analysis of different compositions, each representing varying water content and admixture dosage levels. This approach has the potential to significantly transform the field by enabling engineers to create hydraulic cement pastes with customised dielectric properties that meet the specific requirements of construction, infrastructure and other related applications.

Effect of supplementing zilpaterol hydrochloride during different periods on energetics, growth performance, carcass traits and fatty acid profile in meat of finishing lambs

To determine the effect of adding β2 agonist zilpaterol hydrochloride during different periods on growth performance, dietary energetic, carcass traits and fatty acid profile, forty male lambs Pelibuey × Katahdin (37.70 ± 0.83 kg) were blocked by body weight and randomly assigned to pens. Treatments consisted in: 1) control, no zilpaterol supplementation, 2) zilpaterol supplementation for 20 d (ZIL20), 3) zilpaterol supplementation for 30 d (ZIL30), and 4) zilpaterol supplementation for 40 d (ZIL40). Compared with control treatment, zilpaterol supplementation increased final live weight (FLW) (3.5 %; P = 0.0563), average daily gain (ADG, 14.8 %; P = 0.0598) and gain:feed ratio (10.3 %; P = 0.0324). As well as hot carcass weight (6.1 %; P = 0.0064), dress out percentage (2.6 %; P = 0.0139) and Longissimus dorsi muscle area (13.7 %; P = 0.0015). Compared to control group, zilpaterol increased (P = 0.0413) observed vs. expected dietary of NEm (net energy requirements for maintenance) and NEg (net energy requirements for growth) (5.7 and 8.1 %, respectively). Twenty days of zilpaterol treatment improved FLW (4.4 %, P = 0.0566) and tended to improve ADG (17.4 %, P = 0.0718) when compared to control group. Only intramuscular fat showed a positive linear effect (P = 0.0006) in stearic fatty acids proportion and negative linear effect (P = 0.0585) in araquidonic fatty acid proportion. We conclude that zilpaterol hydrochloride improved variables of growth performance, energy retention and carcass traits with noticeable effects from 20 d of zilpaterol supplementation.

Charge exchange of slow highly charged ions from an electron beam ion trap with surfaces and 2D materials

Abstract Electron beam ion traps allow studies of slow highly charged ion transmission through freestanding 2D materials as an universal testbed for surface science under extreme conditions. Here we review recent studies on charge exchange of highly charged ions in 2D materials. Since the interaction time with these atomically thin materials is limited to only a few femtoseconds, an indirect timing information will be gained. We will therefore discuss the interaction separated in three participating time regimes: energy deposition (charge exchange), energy release (secondary particle emission), and energy retention (material modification).

Optimal charge scheduling and on-board control of an urban electrified BRT fleet considering synthetic representative driving cycles

This paper presents a comprehensive approach for optimal charge scheduling and on-board vehicular control of electrified fleets based on synthetic driving cycles. The proposed approach is conducted within a real case-study in Cairo, Egypt, whereto a representative distance-based driving cycle has been synthesized using K-means clustering over a sliding horizon of gathered data-sets. Two multi-objective problems defining optimal charge scheduling and vehicular control have been formulated to achieve minimal energy consumption and operating cost of the fleet . Non-dominant genetic algorithm (NSGA-II) has been implemented to solve the optimization problems jointly considering fluctuating electricity cost of the grid. The comparative evaluation of results reveals an improvement of 19% and 28% in energy consumption and retention of on-board energy accordingly, with less than 2% mitigation of driveability. Moreover, a reduction of 40.8%, 20%, and 21.9% in fleet size, required charging stations, and annual recharging cost respectively has been realized. The main innovation of this work can be put forward as the ability to address the above-mentioned quadrilateral objectives of electrified fleets in a single comprehensive approach, considering synthetic driving cycles and electricity prices to yield a customized-optimal solution.

149 Using respiratory gas flux and backward dietary energy partitioning to estimate energy intake by beef cattle fed a high concentrate diet

Abstract Twelve Charolais steers (BW = 498 ± 47.4 kg) were used in a 73-d feeding experiment. Our objective was to determine if CH4 and CO2 emissions, and O2 consumption could be used as biomarkers to estimate energy intake in growing beef cattle when integrated with backward dietary energy partitioning calculations when fed a high concentrate diet. Steers were housed in a pen equipped with individual feed bunks with access to an automated head chamber system (AHCS; GreenFeed, C-Lock, Inc., Rapid City, SD). Steers were randomly assigned to 1 of 3 treatments according to DMI as multiple of maintenance, which are 1.1 (1.1 M, n = 4), 1.4 (1.4 M, n = 4), and 1.8 (1.8 M, n = 4). The diet fed was 35% chopped sorghum hay (CP = 6.39% of DM; in vitro OM digestibility = 57.77%) and 65% concentrate (CP = 19.10% of DM; in vitro OM digestibility = 91.84%). The concentrate consisted of 41.75% flaked corn, 8.5% cottonseed meal, 13% distillers’ grain and 1.75% limestone. Steers were supplemented daily with 0.85 kg of alfalfa pellets (Medicago sativa; CP= 16.55%; in vitro OM digestibility = 87.01%) that were fed through the AHCS as bait. Methane tended (P = 0.09) and CO2 emissions and O2 consumption (P &amp;lt; 0.01) increased with the increasing feeding rates. Measured gross energy (GE; 21.9, 24.8, 29.5 Mcal/d, respectively), digestible energy (DE; 19.7, 22.0, 25.8 Mcal/d, respectively), and metabolizable energy (ME; 17.2, 19.2, 22.7 Mcal/d, respectively) intake levels increased with the increases in energy retention and heat production. The predicted values for GE (17.4, 23.6, 28.2 Mcal/d), DE (15.1, 20.8, 24.4 Mcal/d), and ME (12.6, 17.9, 21.3 Mcal/d) intake rates increased with the increase from 1.1 M to 1.8 M. Comparison of measured and predicted GE, DE, and ME intake rates agreed closely (r = 0.95, 0.93, 0.92 Pearson correlation, respectively). This experiment shows that together with multiple short-term breath measurements from an AHCS, BW, and an estimate of average daily gain, GE, DE, and ME intakes by cattle consuming a high concentrate diet can be predicted.

Performance analysis of indirect solar dryer with natural heat energy retention substances for drying red chilli

The world is grappling with substantial food waste after cultivation, mostly due to increased moisture contents. Therefore, the objective of this study concentrates on developing an innovative indirect methodsolar dryer designed to eliminate moisture content by incorporating glass pieces and paraffin wax as Natural Heat Energy Retention Substances (NHERS) in the solar collector. Three distinct dryer setupshave been designed to assess the effectiveness of the suggested innovation namely a collector without NHERS, a collector with glass pieces as NHERS and a collector with combined glass pieces and paraffin wax as NHERS for drying red chilli. Along with these three different dryer setups, open solar drying was done. From the experimental observations, the drying kinetics, energy, exergy and colour analyses were conducted. Red chilli's wetnesscontent dropped from 83.8% (wet basis) in the beginning to 7.3% at the end in 28, 44, 54 and 72 h under the dryer with combined glass pieces and paraffin wax as NHERS, dryer with glass pieces as NHERS, dryer without NHERS and traditional sun drying respectively. The maximum thermal efficiency of the solar collector is determined to be 57.9% and the highest dryer efficiency is 67.2% in the same setup. The maximum exergy efficiency in the dryer with combined glass pieces and paraffin wax as NHERS is 53.7%. Moreover, ten drying models were employed to forecast the MR and the optimal model to describe red chillies drying properties wasthe logarithmic model with the lowest χ2 (0.0008843) and maximum R2 (0.9682) value. The colour of dried red chilli was best in the dryer with combined glass pieces and paraffin wax as NHERS. From these investigations, the developed indirect solar dryer with combined glass pieces and paraffin wax NHERS indicates sustainable drying time and improved product quality.

Improvement of biogas yields in an anaerobic digestion process via optimization technique

AbstractAnaerobic digestion for biogas production was first used in 1895 for electricity generation and treating municipal solid waste in 1939. Since then, overcoming substrate recalcitrance and methane production has been one way to assess the quality of biogas production in a sustainable manner. These are achieved through pre-treatment methods and mathematical modeling predictions. However, previous studies have shown that optimisation techniques (pre-treatment and mathematical modeling) improve biogas yield efficiently and effectively. The good news about these techniques is that they address the challenges of low efficiency, cost, energy, and long retention time usually encountered during anaerobic digestion. Therefore, this paper aims to comprehensively review different promising pre-treatment technologies and mathematical models and discuss their latest advanced research and development, thereby highlighting their contribution towards improving the biogas yield. The comparison, application, and significance of findings from both techniques, which are still unclear and lacking in the literature, are also presented. With over 90 articles reviewed from academic databases (Springer, ScienceDirect, SCOPUS, Web of Science, and Google Scholar), it is evident that artificial neural network (ANN) predicts and improves biogas yield efficiently and accurately. On the other hand, all the pre-treatment techniques are unique in their mode of application in enhancing biogas yield. Hence, this depends on the type of substrate used, composition, location, and conversion process. Interestingly, the study reveals research findings from authors concerning the enhancement of biogas yield to arrive at a conclusion of the best optimization technique, thereby making the right selection technique. Graphical Abstract