Energy-saving Method Research Articles

Copper-Driven Formation of Prothioconazole Nanocomplex: An Innovative Strategy to Prepare Nanopesticide with Improved Bioactivity and Reduced Environmental Impacts.

Developing cost-effective, energy-saving, and eco-friendly methods to construct nanopesticides fulfill the requirement of modern agriculture. Benefiting from the versatility of metal-based complexes, a facile copper-driven method is discovered for the formation of a fungicide prothioconazole nanocomplex (Cu-Pro) with the particle size of ≈300 ± 85 nm. Interestingly, adding 0.5-1% of anionic surfactants could generate nanocomplexes within 60 ± 12 nm and form stable dispersed nanosuspensions. Both nanocomplexes exhibit remarkable control efficacy against six plant pathogenic fungi, and the EC50 values are 1.4-4.8 times lower than that of prothioconazole technical concentrate (Pro TC). In addition, the novel nanocomplexes demonstrate better resistance against UV irradiation and the half-lives are 3.27- and 1.56-times longer than that of Pro TC, respectively. The acute toxicity of prothioconazole nanocomplexes against non-target organism zebrafish is decreased. Due to the small size and chelation with metals, the uptake and accumulation of prothioconazole in wheat plant is promoted, and the metabolites prothioconazole-desthio is significantly decreased by 42-48% than that of Pro TC. This metal coordination-based strategy seeks to open a new avenue for the high-throughput preparation of nanopesticides, providing an innovative toolbox for reducing the input of agrochemicals in sustainable plant protection.

Research on Energy-Saving Transformation of Rural Residential Building Envelope Structures and Heating Modes in Northeast China

Rural areas in Northeast China present a large demand for heating energy in winter, but there are problems in such areas with poor thermal performance of building envelopes and poor indoor thermal comfort. In addition, coal-fired boilers are still widely used. China’s “Dual-Carbon Goals” and “Clean Heating” policy call for the creation of a green and comfortable living environment for rural residential buildings. This paper considers the impact of the improvement of the thermal performance of envelope structures on the initial investment of the transformation program and the rated power of the ASHP and proposes an energy-saving transformation method to replace traditional coal-fired boilers with the ASHP on the basis of the improvement of the thermal performance of envelope structures. By establishing a typical rural residential building model in Northeast China, this energy-saving method is simulated based on TRNSYS. The results show that the payback period of investment of the transformation method of “envelope structure + heating system” is not superior to that of the transformation method of only improving the thermal performance of the envelope structure, but it has advantages in the comprehensive life-cycle benefits and it has great advantages in improving the satisfaction of rural residents in the use of heating systems.

Thermodynamic Justification for the Effectiveness of the Oxidation—Soda Conversion of Ilmenite Concentrates

This article presents the results of a thermodynamic analysis of the oxidation soda conversion reactions of minerals in ilmenite concentrates in the temperature range of 373–2273 K. The thermodynamic parameters of pseudorutile, pseudobrukite, and the new minerals, zhikinite and spessartine, were calculated for the first time. It has been established that the most important criterion relating to the stability of titanium minerals and related elements, as well as the reaction properties of the structural oxides of metals and silicon, is their degree of oxidation. Oxides of silicon (IV) and manganese have the best reactivity in solid-phase oxidizing alkaline environments (VI). Modeling this process scientifically substantiates the mechanism involved in the destruction of minerals in ilmenite concentrates in the low-temperature region in the presence of atmospheric oxygen and sodium oxide of soda ash, which are decomposed through the absorption of heat and the evaporation of moisture during the dehydration of hydrated minerals of iron and manganese and the dehydration of the soda–ilmenite batch. Tests conducted during pilot metallurgical production at the Institute of Metallurgy and Enrichment (PMP of JSC) confirmed the feasibility of processing high-chromium and siliceous rutile leucoxene ilmenite concentrates, which are unsuitable for traditional pyro- and hydro-metallurgical enrichment methods, through single-stage oxidation soda roasting, followed by the leaching of easily soluble sodium salts of iron and associated impurities with water and a dilute hydrochloric acid solution. The proposed energy-saving method ensures the production of high-purity (>98%) synthetic rutile while eliminating the formation of strong deposits on the lining of roasting units.

Low-Temperature Sintering of Colloidal Gold Nanoparticles by Salt Addition

AbstractGold nanoparticles synthetized by pulsed laser ablation in liquid with a mean diameter of 4 nm were joined together by adding potassium bromide solution at various concentrations. By increasing the salt concentration, there is a significant increase of the particle size up to a mean diameter of 18 nm. We have studied the nanoparticle merging by using atomic force and electron microscopy characterizations, also demonstrating that it is possible to deposit sintered nanoparticles on silanized substrates in a fast, simple, cost-effective, energy-saving method with relevance in industrial manufacturing.

Application of electro-activated persulfate oxidation enhanced with an ultraviolet process in a multi-stage flow-through filtration system for antibiotics abatement

The treatment of antibiotic wastewater from various water matrices remains challenging because of some complex pollutants in nature. Single treatment methods are often inadequate for eliminating these contaminants. The integrated technology is brilliantly effective over an individual process alone. The electro-activated persulfate oxidation enhanced with an ultraviolet process (EO/PS/UV) was established as a novel technology in antibiotic wastewater treatment. It exhibited to be highly effective with much more efficiency in degrading amoxicillin (AMX) (97.10 %) than the two couple and individual processes in a multi-stage flow-through reactor. The Box-Behnken design’s quadratic model using the response surface methodology (RSM) revealed a reasonable prediction with a suggestive correlation of R2 = 0.9986. This study shows that the AMX degradation mechanism in the EO/PS/UV process involves coordinating of SO4·-, and OH, with OH playing a more significant role. It could effectively treat the tetracycline and sulfamethoxazole within 40 min in both simulated wastewater and secondary effluent, except for tetracycline, which took only 30 min in simulated wastewater. However, AMX did not undergo sufficient removal within 100 min and required a higher EE/O compared to other pollutants. Lastly, the integrated technology has proven to be an efficient and energy-saving method for eliminating antibiotics with promising standpoints for various wastewater treatments.

Energy-saving cruise control method for heavy-duty transport vehicle based on pump-valve coordinated drive

In order to realize the dual-goal of the improvement in the cruise performance and fuel economy of the heavy-duty transport vehicle (HDTV) for the transfer of the prefabricated box-girder in the construction of high-speed railway, a pump-valve parallel coordinated drive scheme is designed on the basis of the hydrostatic drive system of the HDTV, which combines the load-sensing valve control system and hydrostatic pump control system. Furthermore, the pump-valve coordinated controller (PVC) is also proposed to ensure the cooperation of the two systems, which adopts power following control strategy to control engine speed, the pump and motor displacement respectively, thus achieving the rough adjustment of the cruise velocity. The linear quadratic regulator (LQR) based on the full-state closed-loop feedback is introduced in PVC to control the proportional direction-valve (EPDV) and compensate for the velocity errors, thus realizing the fine adjustment of cruise velocity. A semi-physical experimental test-platform for the HDTV is established to conduct contrast tests between the rule-based controller (RBC) and the proposed PVC under different operating conditions. The results indicate that the PVC effectively reduces the velocity error, the total error is decreased by 80.6% and that of the maximum error is 43.4% under empty-load conditions, and under heavy load conditions, the total error is lowered by 82.1% and that of the maximum error is 46.8%. Moreover, the PVC also brings down the fuel consumption rate of the HDTV, with a maximum reduction of 27.6% and a minimum of 11.4%.

Enhanced adsorption and regeneration performances for methyl mercaptan capture by a metal–organic framework incorporated in a mesoporous silica

Cu-modified adsorbent is widely used in removing S-containing odor pollutant, such as methyl-mercaptan (CH3SH). Increasing the dispersion of adsorptive sites and improving the regeneration cycle efficiency are two important problems. In this work, a copper metal–organic framework (MOF) was synthesized by in-situ growing the Cu-MOF on SBA-15. Micro-morphology characterizations revealed that the Cu-MOFs grew inside the SBA-15 mesopore channels and showed a good dispersion. When the hybrid (Cu-MOF in SBA-15) and the Cu-MOFs were compared for the CH3SH removal, the hybrid removed 1.70-mol CH3SH per mol of Cu in the adsorbent. This adsorbent capacity was far bigger than Cu-MOFs (0.70 mol·mol−1) and resulted from a better Cu-MOFs dispersion in SBA-15. Additionally, an easy and energy-saving hydrothermal method was put forward for the regeneration of the used adsorbent at 80 °C. The capacity of the regenerated material was higher than 70 % for at least 6 cycles. In addition, the regeneration temperature was far lower than that (> 350 °C) generally utilized in previous reports investigating cycled adsorption of CH3SH. The enhanced regeneration performances were attributed to the confinement effect of the SBA-15, which restrained the ligand around the Cu coordination centers. This work confirms the effective removal of odor-gas using a cost-effective regenerable adsorbent.

Two Energy-Efficient Backhauling Solutions for Small Cell Networks of 5G Using Green Communications

To meet the problem of ever-increasing wireless data congestion, the fifth-generation (5G) wireless communication system is projected to employ tiny cellphone networks for the needs of consumers heavily. One of the most significant elements of 5G networks will be sustainable interactions, as the quantity of power utilized by the information and communication technology (ICT) sector is expected to rise significantly by the end of the century. Therefore, scientists have focused much attention in recent years on developing strategies for designing small cell networks that use electricity optimistically. In addition, service providers need energy-efficient backing-up technologies to aid in using packed tiny cells. This research presents an interaction model that is well-suited to 5G HetNets and has a low power footprint. The model here accounts for an internet connection’s contact and backup portions. We create and present a mathematical framework to calculate the optimum number of tiny mitochondria that need to be maintained active at numerous hours of the day to minimize power consumption while still satisfying quality of service requirements set by customers. Our investigation into the backhaul’s electrical consumption led us to discover and put forward two energy-saving backing-up methods for 5G HetNets. Computer simulations show that the provided sustainable communication framework can reduce energy consumption by as much as 49% compared to the status quo.

Determinants of Carbon Inventory and Systematic Innovation Methods to Analyze the Strategies of Carbon Reduction: An Empirical Study of Green Lean Management in Electroplating an Factory

This study explored the relationship between lean management, carbon inventory, and carbon reduction, along with the main factors affecting factory carbon inventory and carbon reduction, and proposed a set of carbon emission reduction strategies based on green value stream mapping. An electroplating factory and its production line in Taiwan was selected. Fourteen carbon inventory records, three work circle meetings, and green value flowcharts were utilized to collect and analyze data. Furthermore, this study applied the DMAIC framework and TRIZ to solve the issue of carbon emissions. The key factor affecting factory carbon inventory and carbon reduction was found to be electricity waste, which could be reduced through energy-saving methods. After analyzing the green value stream mapping, effective carbon emission reduction can be implemented in the manufacturing process. The company was found to gradually progress towards carbon reduction after investigating seven major green wastes. This study confirms that lean management can help organizations achieve their carbon emission reduction goals and is valuable in improving the organization’s environmental performance and competitiveness.

Preparation of biomass fiber/polylactic acid foam using an oven-type free foaming method for energy savings and performance enhancement

Given the inherent challenges of low melt strength and slow crystallization rate associated with polylactic acid (PLA), this study introduces a sustainable and efficacious approach to enhance PLA crystallization utilizing biomass tomato peel pomace powder (TP) as a heterogeneous nucleating agent. ZnO-modified azodicarbonamide (ADC) was used as the chemical blowing agent. The blends were prepared with the aid of a torque rheometer, and TP/PLA composite foams were successfully prepared by the oven-type free foaming method. The empirical results demonstrate that the TP/PLA composite foam exhibits reduced processing requirements and superior comprehensive properties compared to pure PLA foam. Specifically, the composite containing 5 wt% TP achieved optimal foaming performance with 3 phr blowing agents and a foaming duration of 10 min. Furthermore, the annealing treatment markedly enhanced the compression modulus and strength of the foams. Under annealing conditions of 110 °C for 30 min, the compressive strength of the foam increased by 483.5 % relative to the untreated sample. The development of this composite foam signifies a novel direction for energy-efficient performance enhancement and holds significant potential for applications in building insulation and packaging industries.

A Survey on Reduction of Energy Consumption in Fog Networks-Communications and Computations.

Fog networking has become an established architecture addressing various applications with strict latency, jitter, and bandwidth constraints. Fog Nodes (FNs) allow for flexible and effective computation offloading and content distribution. However, the transmission of computational tasks, the processing of these tasks, and finally sending the results back still incur energy costs. We survey the literature on fog computing, focusing on energy consumption. We take a holistic approach and look at energy consumed by devices located in all network tiers from the things tier through the fog tier to the cloud tier, including communication links between the tiers. Furthermore, fog network modeling is analyzed with particular emphasis on application scenarios and the energy consumed for communication and computation. We perform a detailed analysis of model parameterization, which is crucial for the results presented in the surveyed works. Finally, we survey energy-saving methods, putting them into different classification systems and considering the results presented in the surveyed works. Based on our analysis, we present a classification and comparison of the fog algorithmic models, where energy is spent on communication and computation, and where delay is incurred. We also classify the scenarios examined by the surveyed works with respect to the assumed parameters. Moreover, we systematize methods used to save energy in a fog network. These methods are compared with respect to their scenarios, objectives, constraints, and decision variables. Finally, we discuss future trends in fog networking and how related technologies and economics shall trade their increasing development with energy consumption.

Interfacial engineering of hydrangea-like MnSe/NiSe heterostructure catalysts for methanol-assisted water splitting

Replacing the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) with the methanol oxidation reaction (MOR) is an effective strategy for energy-saving production of hydrogen in the water splitting technique. In this work, we prepared hydrangea-like heterogeneous nanostructures composed of manganese selenide and nickel selenide (denoted as MnSe/NiSe), in which heterometallic nickel can be controllably introduced into manganese selenide to promote electron transfer from manganese selenide to nickel selenide. Electronic regulation optimizes the adsorption of water and methanol by heterojunction catalysts, forming dual active sites at the MnSe/NiSe heterointerface, thereby achieving excellent hydrogen evolution and methanol oxidation performance. The two-electrode cell utilizing MnSe/NiSe as a bifunctional catalyst necessitated electrolytic potentials of 1.53 V and 1.79 V to achieve current densities of 10 and 50 mA cm−2, respectively, which are clearly lower than those of the overall water splitting. This work offers an energy-saving method for hydrogen production.

Photothermal Catalytic Removal of 1,2-DCE with High HCl Selectivity over the Brønsted Acid-Enriched Sulfur-Doped MOFs.

Chlorinated volatile organic compounds come from a wide range of sources and are highly toxic, posing a serious threat to biological health and the environment. Herein, a high-efficiency and energy-saving photothermal synergistic catalytic oxidation method was developed for the removal of 1,2-dichloroethane (1,2-DCE). Compared to traditional thermocatalysis, the 1,2-DCE conversion over Ru-U6S in photothermal synergistic catalysis at 340 °C increased by approximately 44% not only reducing energy consumption but also avoiding the instability of MOF structure caused by high reaction temperature. The excellent photothermal catalytic oxidation activity was derived from the synergistic effect of photo- and thermocatalysis. Ru-U6S demonstrated excellent 1,2-DCE adsorption capacity and stronger light utilization and could produce more reactive oxygen species (•OH and •O2-) after light illumination, which participated in the oxidation reaction, promoting the release of the active site of the catalyst. The results of H2O-TPD and NH3-DRIFTS exhibited that the use of S-containing ligands in the synthesis process increased the hydroxyl groups and Brønsted acid sites, significantly improved the selectivity of CO2 and HCl in the oxidation process, and reduced the release of chlorine-containing byproducts. This work provides a high-efficiency and energy-saving strategy for removing chlorinated volatile organic compounds and increasing the selectivity of ideal products directly with MOFs directly.

Analysis of home thermal energy conservation and green environment design based on intelligent devices and optical image monitoring

Global climate change and energy crisis are becoming increasingly serious, and household energy consumption occupies a certain proportion in the overall energy consumption. The purpose of this study is to analyze thermal energy use in home environment through intelligent devices and optical image monitoring technology, so as to achieve effective energy conservation and environmental optimization design. In this paper, intelligent sensors and optical image monitoring equipment are used to monitor and collect the thermal energy consumption of different households in real time. At the same time, data analysis technology is used to deeply analyze the heat flow, heat loss and equipment use efficiency in the home. The study compares the effect of traditional energy-saving methods and intelligent monitoring technology. After implementing targeted optimization design through intelligent monitoring equipment, the overall thermal energy saving rate is higher, and the comfort level and green index of the home environment are significantly improved. The results show that intelligent equipment and optical image monitoring technology show a good application prospect in home thermal energy saving. Through accurate monitoring and data analysis, heat energy waste can be effectively identified, so as to take corresponding measures to achieve energy conservation and emission reduction, and promote the landing of green environmental design.

Energy-saving synthesis of wurtzite ZnS nanoparticles using Yttrium as a defect regulator by hydrothermal method

In this work, Y-doped ZnS nanoparticles were synthesised using the hydrothermal method with doping percentages of 0.5%, 1%, 2.5%, and 5%. XRD study revealed that doping caused a phase transition from cubic to hexagonal, further confirmed by Raman analysis and TEM images. Morphological studies conducted by SEM and TEM provided insights into the structural changes. Diffused reflectance studies were used to evaluate the band gap, with values obtained as 3.33eV, 3.45 eV, 3.45 eV, 3.44 eV, and 3.37 eV for pure, 0.5%, 1%, 2.5%, and 5% Y-doped ZnS, respectively. Photoluminescence analysis revealed the presence of defect states in ZnS nanoparticles, indicated by peaks at 362 nm, 383 nm, and 390 nm in both pure and doped samples. The intensity of these peaks increased with Y doping, attaining its highest at 1% Y doping, while concentration quenching was observed at higher doping percentages. The EDAX analysis confirmed the successful integration of Y as a dopant in the ZnS lattice. These findings highlight the importance of optimizing the doping concentration to achieve the desired luminous features and provide valuable insights into the doping-dependent luminescence behaviour of Y-doped ZnS nanoparticles. The visible light photocatalytic activity of the nanoparticles was investigated, and it was revealed that the photocatalytic efficiency increased initially and then declined with the doping concentration increased. It was found that the ideal doping concentration for 93% degradation efficiency was 1%. The novelty of this work lies in developing a simple and energy-saving method for synthesizing hexagonal ZnS at low temperatures, which avoids the need for high temperatures and advanced anti-oxidation apparatus.

Novel energy savings method considering extra sensor battery discharge time for fish farming applications

Energy savings in Wireless Sensor Networks for fish farms is necessary and beneficial. We present a novel energy savings method that minimizes the interpolation errors of sensors' measurements. Sensors follow a working cycle in which they are active when measuring data, and inactive or suspended when data is interpolated from the above measurements and consumed energy is reduced. To our knowledge, we are the first to implement interpolation for energy savings. We improved that model to describe the non-linear property of the consumed energy in the batteries, adding a new variable that explains their real behavior. Several experiments with a prototype of a Wireless Sensor Network with pH, water temperature, and ambient temperature sensors are implemented to validate our method. We made a series of measurements to determine the actual energy savings at each sensor and compared these savings with those predicted by each theory model. The results show that the model is more accurate, presenting less than 5 % prediction errors which does not affect fish growth. Furthermore, our paper introduces an energy-saving method for extending WSN lifetime by modeling the non-linear power consumption of sensors' batteries. We propose a new mathematical optimization formulation using an efficient interpolation mechanism that operates in real-time. A real-scale WSN prototype installed over water validates and refines our method. Finally, we showed that the number of interpolated values is of a broader range for aquatic sensors than for outdoor sensors such as ambient temperature. That is, energy savings for fish farming is acceptable.

A Fluorine-Free Superhydrophobic Cotton Fabric Prepared by a Green and Energy-Saving Method Is Used for Long-Lasting and Efficient Oil-Water Separation.

Oil pollution poses a major threat to the ecosystem. Therefore, it is necessary to develop a material that can separate oil and water efficiently. Fabrics have a wide range of applications due to their economic simplicity and degradability. However, the existing methods of preparing superhydrophobic fabrics are complicated and energy-consuming, which are difficult to meet the concept of green and sustainable development. Moreover, various modified fabrics are less stable in harsh environments and do not have the ability to efficiently separate oil and water over a long period of time. In this paper, superhydrophobic zirconium dioxide (ZrO2) obtained from the modification of stearic acid was loaded onto the fabric surface using the adhesive properties of PDMS, resulting in the preparation of superhydrophobic/superoleophilic STA-ZrO2 fabrics. The fabric is made without involving time-consuming and energy-consuming heating, and it offers efficient oil-water separation, good stability and excellent recyclability. Truly in line with the concept of sustainable development.

Enhancing on-grid renewable energy systems: Optimal configuration and diverse design strategies

This study explores the optimization of hybrid renewable energy systems in smart grids, incorporating configurations involving multiple sources such as solar photovoltaic, wind, and combined PV/wind systems with advanced battery storage strategies. The goal is to develop optimal sizing and energy management solutions that not only reduce the grid use factor but also enhance the sustainability and reliability of energy systems through innovative energy-saving methods and carbon-neutral approaches. Utilizing a novel methodology that integrates particle swarm optimization, long short-term memory, and genetic algorithms, this research identifies the most effective mix of renewable energy capacities alongside versatile energy storage solutions, to align energy production with consumption efficiently. The study demonstrates significant environmental benefits, crucial for sustainable management aimed at achieving carbon neutrality, including reducing CO2 emissions by 122.29 tons per year and maintaining a notably low levelized cost of energy at $0.0417/kWh. The model proves accurate in forecasting renewable energy generation, emphasizing its potential as a sustainable and cost-effective alternative to traditional energy sources. These findings underscore the critical importance of integrating optimal hybrid renewable systems that incorporate strategic energy storage, innovative optimization for energy savings, and robust measures towards achieving carbon neutrality, thus enhancing both energy sustainability and economic feasibility.

Performance analysis of a novel air filtration and sterilization PV-Trombe wall

Bioaerosols have received widespread attention since the outbreak of Coronavirus Disease 2019 owing to their harmful effect on public health. To deal with indoor bioaerosols in an energy-saving method, an air filtration and sterilization PV-Trombe wall was proposed in this study. An experiment rig concerning thermal sterilization of aerosolized Klebsiella pneumoniae was set up to test its feasibility and effectiveness at different exposure temperature and residence time. With the experimental data, an inactivation model was derived based on the first kinetic model and Arrhenius equation. Besides, a mathematic model concerning heat and mass transfer was established for simulating the system performance at different conditions. The results reveal that: (1) The survival ratio of bioaerosols was 0.848, 0.689, 0.493 and 0.257 for the exposure temperature of 45 °C, 60 °C, 73 °C and 85 °C at the residence time of 6.5 s (2) the survival ratio predicted by the inactivation model corresponded well with the experimental results and the root mean square error was 0.041. (3) The electrical and thermal efficiencies were 0.134 and 0.218 while the indoor bacterial concentration was reduced by over 60 % with bacterial quantity of filter maintained at a low level. (4) The increase of air velocity could significantly improve the purification performance.

Carbon coated Li3V2(PO4)3 derived from phytic acid with ultra-high rate performance for rechargeable Li ion batteries

The carbon coating strategy has great potential in improving the conductivity of Li3V2(PO4)3 (LVP). However, the preparation of carbon-coated LVP requires an additional carbon source and a complex synthesis process, such as the prereduction of V5+, which poses obstacles to large-scale production. In this article, the phytic acid, a kind of natural biological material with environmental benign and natural abundance, is directly chelated with V3+ and employed as both the phosphorus source and carbon source in the manufacturing procedure of LVP/C material for electrodes. The physical and electrochemical properties of LVP/C material may be tailored by carefully controlling the heat treatment temperature. This process leads to a remarkable boost in key performance metrics, including initial discharge capacity at 1 C (128.35 mAh·g-1), long cycle life at 10 C (115.75 mAh·g-1 after 1000 cycles), and rate capability at 50 C (101.83 mAh·g-1), all attributed to improved electronic conductivity and enhanced ion diffusion kinetics. The simple, novel, and energy-saving method demonstrates great potential for large-scale preparation for the high-performance cathode materials.