High Energy Content Research Articles

Partitioning of nutritional and phytochemical constituents in nine Adzuki bean genotypes from Australia

With an increasing demand for the efficient use of farmland resources, there is growing interest in value-adding to crops through using them or their by-products in various food processing industries. Adzuki bean is one emerging crop which shows promise for use in the value-adding chain; however, there is limited information on the phytochemical contents of various parts of this plant when grown under Australian conditions. Consequently, this study investigated the within-plant partitioning of nutritional and phytochemical constituents in nine newly developed adzuki bean genotypes from Australia. The crop took about 80–85 days to reach maturity and showed moderate to high protein and gross energy contents in both the seed (20–25%, and 16–17 MJ/kg) and leaf (19–24% and 16–18 MJ/kg) material. The leaves also showed high levels of phenolics and antioxidants, which may be linked to improved health or growth rates if fed to livestock. Additionally, the adzuki bean seedcoat contained exceptionally high concentrations of phenolics and antioxidant compounds, indicating high potential health benefits of this crop for humans. However, there was also a significant difference in the level of health-benefitting and nutritional compounds between the different genotypes. These results support the prospect of using adzuki bean as a future high-value crop for the Central Queensland region. • Phytochemical constituents are partitioned within the adzuki bean plant. • Seedcoat showed the highest phenolic content and antioxidant capacity. • Vegetative material also showed high phenolic and nutritional content. • Adzuki bean and byproducts show promise for value-added processing.

Association between Fatty Acid Composition in Hair and Energy Availability during Early Lactation in Simmental and German Holstein Cows.

This study examined (1) if fatty acids in bovine hair are influenced by dietary energy levels and (2) if the relationship between energy availability and fatty acids in hair persists across breeds and farms. Sixty-two and 59 Fleckvieh (Simmental), and 55 German Holstein cows from three farms, respectively, were fed two levels of energy concentration of roughage (6.1 and 6.5 MJ net energy for lactation/kg dry matter) and two levels of concentrate supply (150 and 250 g/kg energy-corrected milk). The average body weight was 727 kg (Simmental) and 668 kg (Holstein). The average lactation number was 3.1. Hair samples were taken in lactation weeks 4 and 8. In Simmental cows, a lower energy deficit due to a relatively higher energy intake from high energy concentration of the roughage was associated with higher C18:2n-6 and C18:3n-3 contents in hair at week 8. In cows from all three farms, higher energy intake between lactation weeks 2 and 6 correlated with higher content of C18:2n-6 in hair samples taken in lactation weeks 4 and 8. No correlation was found for C12:0. These results provide the first evidence that increased energy intake increases the contents of C18:2n-6 in hair.

Conservation of Forest, Based on a Fuelwood Substitute as Well as Considering the Cultural and Spiritual Values: An Optimal Fuelwood Harvest Model

Abstract Excessive fuelwood harvest is a major cause of deforestation in developing countries. To mitigate this, various preventive measures have been introduced in different countries. The availability of affordable substitutes to the community dependent on the forest for domestic energy consumption may prevent further forest degradation. A stock-dependent optimal control model of fuelwood harvest from a natural forest is presented here and comparative statics has been used to show that the presence of a fuelwood substitute will reduce its harvest and increase the forest stock. The model indicates that the availability of cheaper and high-energy content alternatives for fuelwood can substantially reduce fuelwood extraction from a forest. Also, a lower discount rate and higher cultural and spiritual values (CSV) will keep the optimal forest stock close to its carrying capacity and reduce fuelwood harvest. The model reveals that the maximum sustainable yield of forest stock and the ratio of energy content per unit mass of fuel plays a central role in the fate of forest stock and the level of fuelwood harvest. An empirical example of the Southeast Asian Forest growth model along with Liquid Petroleum Gas (LPG) as a substitute has been used to illustrate the results. The outcomes of this study can be incorporated into forest conservation policies.

Bimetallic Lanthanum-Cerium-Loaded HZSM-5 Composite for Catalytic Deoxygenation of Microalgae-Hydrolyzed Oil into Green Hydrocarbon Fuels.

Due to their high lipid content, microalgae are one of the most significant sources of green hydrocarbons, which might help lessen the world's need for fossil fuels. Many zeolite-based catalysts are quickly deactivated by coke production and have a short lifetime. In this study, a bimetallic Lanthanum-Cerium (La-Ce)-modified HZSM-5 zeolite catalyst was synthesized through an impregnation method and was tested for the conversion of hydrolyzed oil into oxygen-free hydrocarbon fuels of high energy content. Initially, hydrolyzed oil (HO), the byproduct of the transesterification process, was obtained by the reaction of crude oil derived from Chlorella vulgaris microalgae and a methanol. Various catalysts were produced, screened, and evaluated for their ability to convert algal HO into hydrocarbons and other valuable compounds in a batch reactor. The performance of HZSM-5 was systematically tested in view of La-Ce loaded on conversion, yield, and selectivity. NH3-TPD analysis showed that the total acidity of the La-Ce-modified zeolites was lower than that of the pure HZSM-5 catalyst. TGA testing revealed that including the rare earth elements La and Ce in the HZSM-5 catalyst lowered the catalyst propensity for producing coke deposits. The acid sites necessary for algal HO conversion were improved by putting La and Ce into HZSM-5 zeolite at various loading percentages. The maximum hydrocarbon yield (42.963%), the highest HHV (34.362 MJ/Kg), and the highest DOD% (62.191%) were all achieved by the (7.5%La-2.5%Ce)/HZSM-5 catalyst, which was synthesized in this work. For comparison, the hydrocarbon yield for the parent HZSM-5 was 21.838%, the HHV was (33.230 MJ/Kg), and the DOD% was 44.235%. In conclusion, La and Ce-loading on the parent HZSM-5 may be responsible for the observed alterations in textural properties; nevertheless, there is no clear correlation between the physical features and the hydrocarbon yield (%). The principal effect of La and Ce modifying the parent HZSM-5 zeolite was to modify the acidic sites needed to enhance the conversion (%) of the algal HO during the catalytic deoxygenation process, which in turn raised the hydrocarbon yield (%) and increased the HHV and DOD%.

Assessing the potential for resource competition between the Kerguelen Plateau fisheries and southern elephant seals

Indirect ecological interactions such as competition for resources between fisheries and marine predators have often been proposed but can be difficult to demonstrate empirically. The Kerguelen Plateau in the Southern Indian Ocean supports fisheries for both Patagonian toothfish and mackerel icefish and is also an important foraging ground for several avian and mammalian predators, including the southern elephant seal. We quantified the spatio-temporal use of the plateau by southern elephant seals and found that males and females spent 30% of their time on the plateau within the commonly used fishing grounds, indicating the possibility of competition for resources there. We then contrasted the seals’ use of two habitat types, the benthos (where interactions with the long-line fisheries are most likely) and the epi-pelagic zone. The likelihood of feeding on the benthos declined as ocean depth increased and was also less likely at night. Males were also more likely to feed on the benthos than females. The sub-adult male seals consumed an estimated 6,814 – 14,848 tons of high energy content prey (including toothfish) and females 7,085 – 18,037 tons from the plateau during the post-molt winter months. For males this represented 79.6 - 173.4% of the mean annual catch by the Kerguelen fishery compared to 82.8 - 210.7% for adult females. When considering the seals consumption of fish from the benthos within the fishing grounds these estimates decreased to 3.6 - 15.1% of the fishery’s total annual catch for females and 7.8 - 19.1% for males. While this further indicates the possibility of indirect ecological interactions (with the fishery taking more fish than the seals), the lack of detailed diet information for the seals precludes us from establishing the degree or nature of the possible interactions because the importance of toothfish and icefish in the diet of the seals is unknown. However, the unique life history and highly polygynous nature of this species, and the lack of evidence of a measurable effect on either the seal’s population growth rates or the catch per unit of the fishery, suggest that any indirect ecological interactions are not of sufficient magnitude to affect either the seal population or the fishery.

Valorization of restaurant waste oil and cow-bone doped siliceous termite hills towards biodiesel production: Kinetics and thermodynamics

The type of feedstock and catalyst selected are major factors in determining the process efficiency, product cost and fuel yield obtained from a biodiesel production process. The use of termite hill as a highly reusable inert support, doped with cow bones in the synthesis of biodiesel from restaurant waste oil (RWO) could be a cost-effective alternative to other conventional catalyst types or processes. Therefore, two catalysts (raw cow-bone supported on silica; R–SC1.5 and calcined cow bone supported on silica; C-SC1.5) were developed and used in biodiesel production. The maximum conversion of RWO was 95.12% using C-SC1.5 at reaction time 2.5 h, methanol to oil ratio 9:1, temperature 65 °C and catalyst loading of 2 %w/w. The prepared catalysts were characterized using SEM, EDX, FTIR, XRD and BET analysis. The kinetics of the RWO with R–SC1.5 and C-SC1.5 was further studied. The activation energy (Ea) and frequency factor (A) were found to be 41.4 kJ/mol, 53.41 kJ/mol and 2.24 × 104 min−1, 2.29 × 106 min−1 respectively. The transesterification reaction adhered to first order law, while physicochemical properties of the biodiesel obtained were within the American Standard for Testing and Materials (ASTM) limits, since the product has low FFA content, low viscosity, high thermal stability with high energy content and improved combustion characteristics. Reusability of C-SC1.5 was also examined, which revealed effectiveness up to 5 reuses without significant reduction in biodiesel yield.

Green Hydrogen Production Technologies from Ammonia Cracking

The rising technology of green hydrogen supply systems is expected to be on the horizon. Hydrogen is a clean and renewable energy source with the highest energy content by weight among the fuels and contains about six times more energy than ammonia. Meanwhile, ammonia is the most popular substance as a green hydrogen carrier because it does not carry carbon, and the total hydrogen content of ammonia is higher than other fuels and is thus suitable to convert to hydrogen. There are several pathways for hydrogen production. The considered aspects herein include hydrogen production technologies, pathways based on the raw material and energy sources, and different scales. Hydrogen can be produced from ammonia through several technologies, such as electrochemical, photocatalytic and thermochemical processes, that can be used at production plants and fueling stations, taking into consideration the conversion efficiency, reactors, catalysts and their related economics. The commercial process is conducted by using expensive Ru catalysts in the ammonia converting process but is considered to be replaced by other materials such as Ni, Co, La, and other perovskite catalysts, which have high commercial potential with equivalent activity for extracting hydrogen from ammonia. For successful engraftment of ammonia to hydrogen technology into industry, integration with green technologies and economic methods, as well as safety aspects, should be carried out.

Influence of coherent structure on turbulence characteristics of 0814 strong typhoon Hagupit

In order to explore the formation mechanism of the nonstationary wind speed in the eye wall regions and eye region of a typhoon, taking the measured data of No.0814 strong typhoon Hagupit as the research object, we identify and extract the coherent structure of the measured wind field by discrete wavelet transform combined with hypothesis testing, and analyze the influence of the coherent structure on the nonstationary and non-Gaussian wind speed and study the influence of the coherent structure on the wind turbulence characteristics. The results show that for the 0814 typhoon Hagupit process, the coherent structure is the main reason that leads to the nonstationary and non-Gaussian fluctuating winds in the typhoon field, and with the coherent structures being exacted from the original winds, the nonstationary and non-Gaussian characteristics of the nonstationary wind samples are significantly weakened. The average contribution of the coherent structure to the turbulence parameters ranges from 6.42% to 32.40%. The duration of the coherent structure is about 10.60% of the sample duration, however, its contribution to turbulent kinetic energy is up to 40.50%. The coherent structure has the characteristics of short duration and high energy content, which is the cause of the abnormally large turbulence parameter value. This study can provide a reference for the refined wind resistance design of structures under the action of nonstationary wind.

Effect of the meltdown on thermoplastic joint produced by quasi-simultaneous laser transmission welding

This study aims to investigate the effect of the polymer pair meltdown process and mechanical properties using three different laser transparencies 20%, 30% and modulated, ranging from a minimum 27% to a maximum 47%. The cross-sections of joints were analysed with an optical microscope. Burst pressure was performed to evaluate the strength of welded joints produced with different laser welding process parameters. Welding parameters, scanning speed and meltdown were varied and their influence on the quality of the polymer joint was recorded and evaluated. With the increase of meltdown, a more molten volume of polymer can be seen in the cross-section area. It was shown that with the increase of meltdown, the formation of pores occurred due to the high energy concentration obtained within each laser scan passing across the weld seam. The decrease of burst pressure in all polymer pairs was observed with 0.33 mm and 0.34 mm targeted meltdown. Burn marks and burned lines were observed in joints with 20% laser transparency. Modulated laser transparency influenced non-homogeneous temperature distribution inside the joint, which influenced the formation of heat-affected zones (HAZ) and pores. A study of the influence of cooling time on joint formation showed that it is possible to variate total meltdown while changing cooling time until the joint is solidified. • Within the increase of meltdown, bigger weld flash occurred inside weld seam. • Peak weld strength observed at specific meltdown values. • The decrease of weld strength is influenced by defect formation inside seam. • Non-homogeneous melting, HAZ observed with modulated laser transparency polymers. • Total meltdown can be controlled by modulating cooling time.

The Production of Pestil (Fruit leather) from Different Hawthorn (Crataegus spp.) Fruits

Pestil is one of the important foods traditionally produced in Türkiye, with high energy, vitamin and mineral content. It is obtained by naturally drying the pulp obtained from different kinds of fruits after mixing it with ingredients such as sugar and flour. In regions where the fruiting period depends on the season, fruit pulp is produced in order to benefit from it in winter. In addition, bioactive components originating from the fruit increase the nutritional value. In this study, the physicochemical and antioxidative properties of the pestil obtained from three different Hawthorn fruits (Crataegus meyeri, Crataegus turkestenica and Crataegus orientalis) known to have positive effects on health were investigated. The results revealed that, depending on the fruit type, pestil samples have high antioxidative properties (IC50: 50.11±0.16-52.1±2.14 mg/mL) due to the high phenol content (39.8±0.16-52.95±1.21 mg GA/g DW). In this context, in the present study, it has been seen that the pestil prepared with the traditional method from three different Hawthorn fruits should be industrially produced as a product for people to access healthy and various foods today.

PERFORMA PRODUKSI ENTOG (Cairina moschata) JANTAN YANG DIBERI RANSUM BERBASIS HIJAUAN ECENG GONDOK (Eichhornia crasipess)

The performance of mutton is influenced by quality feed, easy to obtain, and does not compete with humans. Water hyacinth has a fairly high content of protein, fiber, fat, and energy. The purpose of this study was to analyze the effect of the use of water hyacinth-based forage rations on the performance of sorghum. The study was conducted experimentally using a completely randomized design (CRD). A total of 80 male mutton were placed in 20 cage plots, so that each cage plot consisted of 4 birds. The types of treatment used were P0 (100% rice bran) as control, P1 (75% rice bran + 25% water hyacinth), P2 (50% rice bran + 50% water hyacinth), P3 (25% rice bran + 75% water hyacinth). The variables observed were ration consumption, body weight gain, ration conversion, feed cost per gain, and mortality. The research data were analyzed using analysis of variance and if they showed significant differences, they were further tested using Duncan's multiple distance test. The results showed that the ration consumption, body weight gain, ration conversion, and feed cost per gain with the addition of water hyacinth in the ration statistically showed a significant difference while the mortality calculated descriptively did not show any difference. Mortality occurred in treatment P3 (25% rice bran + 75% water hyacinth). It can be concluded that in order to improve the performance of male gibbons, the provision of forage water hyacinth in the ration should not be more than 50%.

Reducing Emissions from Combustion of Grape Residues in Mixtures with Herbaceous Biomass.

The use of grape residues as a renewable energy source for combustion presents various problems. One of these is the excessive production of carbon monoxide and nitrogen oxides. Analyses and combustion tests were performed on white and red grape pomace as well as grape stems. To verify the possibility of a reduction in emissions, straw of Miscanthus sinensis was added to mixtures with red grape pomace. Emission concentrations of carbon monoxide and nitrogen oxides were determined on a grate combustion device with a nominal thermal output of 8 kW under steady-state conditions. In addition to these emission concentrations, the excess air factor and the flue gas temperature were monitored. The results show a high energy content in grape residues. In red grape pomace, the gross calorific value of dry matter reached 22.17 MJ kg−1. Unfavourable properties included high ash and nitrogen contents. During combustion tests on all types of grape residue, the emission concentrations of carbon monoxide were above the legal limit for the combustion of solid fuels. The addition of Miscanthus straw improved the behaviour during combustion. The maximum content of grape pomace in the mixture capable of meeting legislative emission requirements was 50% wt.

Temperature Measurement during Abrasive Water Jet Machining (AWJM).

This study was undertaken to look for confirmation that heat transfer induced by abrasive water jet machining (AWJM) affects the microstructure of the material cut. The structure of S235JR carbon steel used in the experiments was reported to change locally in the jet impact zone due to the high concentration of energy generated during cutting with the abrasive water jet. It is assumed that some of the energy is transferred into the material in the form of heat. This is particularly true for materials of considerable thickness with a high thermal conductivity coefficient when cutting is performed at low speeds or with high abrasive consumption. The literature on the subject suggests that in AWJM there is little or no thermal energy effect on the microstructure of the material cut. The research described here involved the measurement of the cutting temperature with thermocouples placed at four different distances from the edge. The distances were measured using computed tomography inspection. The thermocouples used in the tests were capable of detecting temperatures of up to 100 °C. Locally, temperatures at the edge may reach much higher values. The results of the X-ray diffraction qualitative phase analysis reveal that locally the temperatures may be much higher than the eutectoid temperature. Phase changes occurred along the edge since austenite was observed. This suggests that the temperature in the jet impact zone was much higher than the eutectoid temperature. Optical microscopy was also employed to study the material microstructure. Finally, the material nanohardness was determined.

Scaling demodulation-based mode decomposition for analyzing nonstationary signal with close-spaced and intersecting frequency trajectories

Mode decomposition is an important tool for processing vibration signals in engineering fields. However, classic methods cannot work for decomposing a signal with close-spaced and intersecting frequency trajectories. For addressing the aforementioned problem, a novel technique, termed scaling demodulation-based mode decomposition (SDMD), is proposed in this paper. The main novelties of this paper are summarized as follows: (a) a scaling demodulation transform (SDT) is developed to estimate instantaneous frequency (IF) curves by selecting optimal demodulation parameters from a series of parameter sets with a criterion for searching maximal spectrum peaks of demodulated signals; and (b) a time–frequency representation (TFR) with high energy concentration is constructed using the Dirac delta function, estimated IFs and instantaneous amplitudes (IAs). The performance of the SDMD is evaluated through simulated and measured signals. Furthermore, comparison results with classic methods show that the developed technique has a much better ability to decompose and characterize nonstationary signals with close-spaced and intersecting frequency trajectories.

Intrauterine malnutrition disrupts leptin and ghrelin milk hormones, programming rats.

Herein, we assessed milk hormones, the biochemical composition of milk, and its association with neonatal body weight gain and metabolic homeostasis in weaned rats whose mothers were undernourished in the last third of pregnancy. From the 14th day of pregnancy until delivery, undernourished mothers had their food restricted by 50% (FR50), whereas control mothers were fed ad libitum. The litter size was adjusted to eight pups, and rats were weaned at 22 days old. Milk and blood from mothers, as well as blood and tissues from pups, were collected for further analyses. At birth, FR50 pups were smaller than control pups, and they exhibited hyperphagia and rapid catch-up growth during the suckling period. On day 12, the milk from FR50 mothers had higher energy content, glucose, total cholesterol, triglycerides, and acylated ghrelin but lower leptin and corticosterone levels. Interestingly, FR50 mothers were hypoglycemic and hyperleptinemic at the end of the nursing period. Weaned FR50 pups had an obese phenotype and exhibited insulin resistance, which was associated with hyperglycemia and hypertriglyceridemia; they also had high blood levels of total cholesterol, leptin, and acylated ghrelin. In addition, the protein expression of growth hormone secretagogue receptor (GHSR) in the hypothalamus was increased by almost 4-fold in FR50 pups. In summary, maternal calorie restriction during the last third of pregnancy disrupts energy and metabolic hormones in milk, induces pup hyperleptinemia and hyperghrelinemia, and upregulates their hypothalamic GHSR, thus suggesting that the hypothalamic neuroendocrine circuitry may be working to address the early onset of obesity.

English

Mulberry (Morus spp.) of Moraceae family is regarded as a unique plant on this earth due to its broader geological distribution across the continents. It is well recognized as alternative feed resources for livestock due to high protein and energy contents as compared to other tree leaves and conventional forages. Furthermore, it can be stored for longer period for livestock in the form of silage and hay. Previous studies have explored that mulberry leaves can be ensiled with or without additive for longer periods without deteriorating quality of silage. Moreover, mulberry leaves had potential to be stored in the form of hay by different techniques. Both mulberry leaves silage and hay influence antioxidant capacity, immunity, milk yield, dry matter intake, nutrient digestibility, and milk and meat composition. This review will explore the potential positive effects of mulberry leaves in fresh and preserved forms on animal’s health and production parameters. Through this review paper, all the important nutritional characteristics of mulberry leaves both fresh and preserved form will prove that it is a novel alternative of conventional fodders or agricultural by products for livestock

Framework for Energy-Averaged Emission Mitigation Technique Adopting Gasoline-Methanol Blend Replacement and Piston Design Exchange

Measurement to mitigate automotive emission varies from energy content modification of fuel to waste energy recovery through energy system upgradation. The proposed energy-averaged emission mitigation technique involves interfacing piston design exchange and gasoline–methanol blend replacement with traditional gasoline for low carbon high energy content creation. Here, we interlinked the CO, CO2, NOx, O2, and HC to different design exchanges of coated pistons through the available brake power and speed of the engine. We assessed the relative effectiveness of various designs and coating thicknesses for different gasoline–methanol blends (0%,5%,10%, and 15%). The analysis shows the replacement of 5%, 10%, and 15% by volume of gasoline with methanol reduces the fuel carbon by 4.167%, 8.34%, and 12.5%, respectively. The fuel characteristics of blends are comparable to gasoline, hence there is no energy infrastructure modification required to develop the same amount of power. The CO and HC reduced significantly, while CO2 and NOx emissions are comparable. Increasing the coating thickness enhances the surface temperature retention and reduces heat transfer. The Type_C design of the steel piston and type_A design of the AlSi piston show temperature retention values of 582 °C and 598 °C, respectively. Type_A and type_B pistons are better compared to type_C and the type_D piston design for emission mitigation due to decarbonization of fuel through gasoline-methanol blend replacement. Surface response methodology predicts Delastic, σvon Mises, and Tsurface with percentage errors of 0.0042,0.35, and 0.9, respectively.

Parallel Frequency Function-Deep Neural Network for Efficient Approximation of Complex Broadband Signals.

In recent years, with the growing popularity of complex signal approximation via deep neural networks, people have begun to pay close attention to the spectral bias of neural networks—a problem that occurs when a neural network is used to fit broadband signals. An important direction taken to overcome this problem is the use of frequency selection-based fitting techniques, of which the representative work is called the PhaseDNN method, whose core idea is the use of bandpass filters to extract frequency bands with high energy concentration and fit them by different neural networks. Despite the method’s high accuracy, we found in a large number of experiments that the method is less efficient for fitting broadband signals with smooth spectrums. In order to substantially improve its efficiency, a novel candidate—the parallel frequency function-deep neural network (PFF-DNN)—is proposed by utilizing frequency domain analysis of broadband signals and the spectral bias nature of neural networks. A substantial improvement in efficiency was observed in the extensive numerical experiments. Thus, the PFF-DNN method is expected to become an alternative solution for broadband signal fitting.

A Comparison of the Mediterranean Diet and Current Food Patterns in Italy: A Life Cycle Thinking Approach for a Sustainable Consumption.

The transition toward more sustainable food systems, which already represents a central element of the European Farm to Fork and Green Deal strategies, could be an effective measure to contribute to global decarbonization and greenhouse gas (GHGs) reduction goals; concurrently, it could improve the health status and nutrition of the global population. In this context, the Mediterranean diet (MD) could play a considerable role, as it is generally recognized as a more balanced, healthy, and sustainable eating pattern than Western consumption patterns, which are characterized by excess food and high energy content, thus causing undesirable effects on both human health and the environment. Although traditionally linked to MD, Italy sees relatively moderate adherence by its citizens, as they consume about +75% of the daily caloric intake recommended by MD. Therefore, this study aims to quantitatively assess the potential environmental, economic, and health impacts of this lower adherence to MD by Italians. Current Italian Food Patterns (CIFP) in 2019 were analyzed and compared to the MD recommended amounts through a Life Cycle Thinking (LCT) approach (LCA) and carbon footprint (CF) analysis. The results show that CIFP, compared to MD, has +133% greater impacts on the environmental macro-area, +100% greater impacts on the human health macro-area, and +59% greater impacts on the economic macro-area (with annual fossil and mineral resource savings of $53.35 per person, $3.2 billion per year). The analysis also shows that CIFP has a CF of 6.54 × 101 kg CO2 eq, +142% over MD (2.7 × 101 kg CO2 eq), resulting in a lower environmental impact of the Mediterranean diet.

Understanding the Upgrading of Sewage Sludge-Derived Hydrothermal Liquefaction Biocrude via Advanced Characterization.

Hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL) can thermochemically transform sewage sludge into a biocrude with high energy content, high chemical complexity, and high O and N content. The development of an efficient upgrading process for such complex feedstocks necessitates detailed knowledge of the molecular composition and the specific heteroatom-containing compounds to understand and optimize the hydrotreating reactions. In this study, we present the upgrading of sewage sludge-derived HTL biocrude via a two-stage hydrotreatment process and perform advanced chemical characterization of the feedstock, intermediate, and final upgraded products with gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS) and Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (FTICR–MS). We show that hydrotreatment significantly improves the quality of the oil, primarily succeeding in cracking the heavy molecules and removing the sulfur- and oxygen-containing components. FTICR–MS analysis shows that the HTL biocrude has a high concentration of fatty acid amides that readily lose their oxygen and nitrogen during hydrotreating and are converted into saturated hydrocarbons, whereas the aromatic OxNy compounds are converted into N1 and N2 classes, which are more resistant to hydrotreating. We also demonstrate that the upgraded HTL oil can be successfully blended with intermediate refinery streams, such as vacuum gas oil (VGO), for further co-processing to in-spec fuels in conventional processes. This provides an alternative route to introduce renewable carbon in existing fossil-based refineries.