Increase In Energy Production Research Articles

Effect Use of Pulsed Deficit Drip Irrigation for Tomato Crop in Greenhouse powered by solar energy

The presented study aims to investigate the effect of using two effective irrigation techniques; the pulse-deficit drip irrigation and the deficit irrigation powered by solar energy in a greenhouse. This work studied impact of these factors a tomato soilless productivity, water productivity and of these techniques solar energy productivity. The experimental study was carried out at Tractors and Farm Machinery Research and Test Station, Alexandria Governorate. The results showed that, the pulsed-full drip irrigation at100%of ETc (FP100) gave the highest yield of 35.8 ton/fed., but the continuous- deficit drip irrigation at 50%of ETc (DC50) gave the lowest yield of 20.4 ton/feddan. The highest water productivity (WP) was 37.1 kg/m3 when using the treatment of (DP50), on the other hand the Continuous-Full drip irrigation at 100%of ETc (FC100) (control treatment) represents the lowest WP of 27.9 kg/m3. Application of pulse-deficit irrigation (DP50) saved 50% of the water irrigation requirements and decreased the total tomato yield per feddan by 34%, but the water productivity increased by 33% compared with continuous-full irrigation (FC100) as control. Treatment of pulse-deficit irrigation (DP50) saved 50% of solar energy consumption and increase energy productivity (908 kg/kWh) by 33% compared to continuous-full irrigation (FC100) as control. The results showed that pulse-deficit drip irrigation technique, decrease tomato yield but increase WP in all treatments. This study recommend apply, pulse-deficit irrigation (DP75) technique results in reducing tomato yield by 3% and increasing water and energy productivity by 29.3 and 29.4% respectively.

Modelling, Sensitivity and Exergy Analysis of Triple-Pressure Heat Recovery Steam Generator

Combined with the increasing demand for environmental pollution and electrical energy, combined cycle power plant power plants are increasingly important. It is necessary to increase the performance of power plants, reduce carbon emissions and increase energy production. Any change to the heat recovery steam generator design is an important component of the combined cycle power plant, as it directly affects the performance of the combined cycle power plant. This study describes the modeling, sensitivity and exergy analysis of a HRSG in a combined cycle power plant. Three-pressure HRSG was modeled with the Aspen Plus simulation program and sensitivity analysis was performed. At the same time, energy and exergy analyzes were made for each component in the combined cycle power plant.

NAMPT Over-Expression Recapitulates the BRAF Inhibitor Resistant Phenotype Plasticity in Melanoma.

Simple SummaryMalignant melanoma (MM) is the most fatal skin cancer due to its high metastatic potential. Treatment strategies are dramatically changing due to the introduction of BRAF/MEK inhibitors (i) and immunotherapy; however, multiple resistant mechanisms rapidly occur including metabolic rewiring. This study aimed to establish the driver role of the nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD)-biosynthetic enzyme nicotinamide phosphoribosyltransferase (NAMPT) in BRAFi resistance development. We defined that NAMPT over-expressing MM cells were strikingly similar to cells that acquired resistance to BRAFi in terms of growth, invasion, and phenotype plasticity. These findings confirmed NAMPT as a key factor in melanoma progression and in the onset of BRAFi resistance in melanoma patients, opening new therapeutic possibilities for this subset of patients.Serine–threonine protein kinase B-RAF (BRAF)-mutated metastatic melanoma (MM) is a highly aggressive type of skin cancer. Treatment of MM patients using BRAF/MEK inhibitors (BRAFi/MEKi) eventually leads to drug resistance, limiting any clinical benefit. Herein, we demonstrated that the nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD)-biosynthetic enzyme nicotinamide phosphoribosyltransferase (NAMPT) is a driving factor in BRAFi resistance development. Using stable and inducible NAMPT over-expression systems, we showed that forced NAMPT expression in MM BRAF-mutated cell lines led to increased energy production, MAPK activation, colony-formation capacity, and enhance tumorigenicity in vivo. Moreover, NAMPT over-expressing cells switched toward an invasive/mesenchymal phenotype, up-regulating expression of ZEB1 and TWIST, two transcription factors driving the epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) process. Consistently, within the NAMPT-overexpressing cell line variants, we observed an increased percentage of a rare, drug-effluxing stem cell-like side population (SP) of cells, paralleled by up-regulation of ABCC1/MRP1 expression and CD133-positive cells. The direct correlation between NAMPT expression and gene set enrichments involving metastasis, invasiveness and mesenchymal/stemness properties were verified also in melanoma patients by analyzing The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) datasets. On the other hand, CRISPR/Cas9 full knock-out NAMPT BRAFi-resistant MM cells are not viable, while inducible partial silencing drastically reduces tumor growth and aggressiveness. Overall, this work revealed that NAMPT over-expression is both necessary and sufficient to recapitulate the BRAFi-resistant phenotype plasticity.

Vertical greening systems as an inherent feature of sustainable smart city

Considering the processes of social and climate change at the global level, more and more cities worldwide have reformatted development strategies to implement «smart» reforms to ensure sustainable development, increase energy production by expanding renewable resources, and improve waste management. Upgrading to a smart city means improving urban residents’ quality of life by providing cultural, economic, and social development opportunities in a healthy, safe, and inspiring environment. An analysis of the most effective initiatives within the concept of «smart» city, related to the development of «green» buildings with special emphasis on the concept of vertical landscaping. The detailed characteristic of positive effects from the installation of designs of a «green» cloth is given. Among the above advantages of implementing these technologies, reducing pollutant emissions, which are the greenhouse effect’s driving forces, and energy savings are the most significant. Based on the results of the analysis of the effectiveness of the implementation of the concept of vertical landscaping, proposals for the development or improvement of strategies for sustainable development of urban areas with an emphasis on «green» and «smart» technologies.

Urban metabolism: measuring the Kaunas city sustainable development

Urban metabolism seeks to assess the amount of resources produced, consumer and disposed of in the city. Material and energy flow analysis becomes an important tool to understand the city’s environment and propose the more sustainable urban design and planning to improve residents’ health, ensure sustainable production and consumption. The purpose of this study is to measure the changes in Kaunas city material and energy use in period from 2010 to 2018. Kaunas city urban metabolism analysis is based on energy production and outflows data analysis with the city’s waste management analysis from an urban metabolism perspective. To understand the city social and economic transformation, it is also including social and economic aspects analysis. Research results have revealed better living conditions and a growing economy increase energy production and demand, construction materials, and waste flows along with rising environmental issues. Air pollution analysis has shown that SO2, CO2, NO2 and O3 emissions in the city remain stable. The paper helps to understand the importance of assessing city’s environmental impact and highlights the necessity of Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) implementation.

ENERGY CONSUMPTION AND ECONOMIC GROWTH NEXUS IN NIGERIA: EVIDENCE BASED ON ARDL BOUND TEST APPROACH

This study examines the relationship between economic growth and energy consumption in Nigeria by using ARDL Bound Test regression analysis. In the investigation process energy consumption, was disaggregated into electricity, coal and petroleum with growth rate of GDP data is used from 1980-2017. The findings show that petroleum and electricity variables are positive and significant to growth while coal is positive but not significant. Overall outcome is that energy consumption has a positive relationship with economic growth. The coal deposit must be put in use to increase energy production and consumption and stimulate other economic activities for growth Keywords: Energy consumption, economic growth, ARDL test.JEL Classifications: Q32, Q044DOI: https://doi.org/10.32479/ijeep.10021

Economic feasibility analysis of small hydro power projects

The clean development mechanism (CDM) was created with two main goals: help developed countries achieve the greenhouse gas emissions reduction targets set out in the Kyoto Protocol and provide sustainable development to developing countries who host the projects. Sustainable project management shares the same goals as the CDM project, which could be a valuable asset in the development of new projects. Much has been discussed about the effectiveness of the program in achieving those goals and even more in the post-2012 period when the CDM has experienced fewer new projects and lower certified emissions reduction (CER) prices compared to previous years. Based on Brazilian CDM project data, this works aims to analyze the economic aspect of sustainable management by observing the influence of the obtained CERs on the internal rates of return (IRRs) of a small hydro plant (SHP) according to the current CDM scenario, marked by CER prices reaching their lowest historical values. For this study, a spreadsheet was developed to simulate a project’s cash flows and thus determine its IRRs. The results show that using the current CER prices, carbon credits do not significantly affect SHP projects’ IRRs, with increases of less than 0.2% compared to a scenario with no credits. CDM projects may benefit more from optimizing the investment costs or increasing energy production. These results highlight a need to emphasize the sustainable benefits of the CDM program rather than only focusing on the economic return perspective.

An initial study into the potential of wind farm control to reduce fatigue loads and extend asset life

A quasi-static open loop wind farm control approach is considered, where optimisation is carried out offline in a simulation environment to create a lookup table of yaw setpoints implemented by a central wind farm controller. The objective of the optimisation is to reduce blade root bending moment for all turbines on the site, thereby increasing the asset life, and this is achieved by querying a fatigue loads database in DNV GL’s LongSim software for wind farm control design, optimisation and verification. The Lillgrund 48-turbine layout is used for this example. The optimisation results in a small increase in annual energy production of 0.13% which is combined with a 0.4% increase in blade life, which is translated to an increase in asset life to yield a 0.5% increase in energy production over the farm lifetime. In this case we make the simplistic assumption that blades have the minimum life of all turbine components, and limit fatigue life. The results are a step towards wind farm control techniques which maintain and extend wind farm life, whilst simultaneously increasing energy production.

Study of the departure of pine wood nematode, Bursaphelenchus xylophilus (Nematoda: Aphelenchoididae) from Monochamus alternatus (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae)

In order to study the causes of pine wood nematode (PWN) departure from Monochamus alternatus, the effects of the feeding behavior of M. alternatus on the start date of the departure of PWN were studied. The start date of the departure of PWN carried by the directly fed M. alternatus was 5–13 d after beetle emergence, mainly concentrated within 6–10 d, with a mean (±SD) of 8.02 ± 1.96 d. The start date of the departure of PWN carried by the M. alternatus fed after starvation was 5–14 d after beetle emergence, mainly concentrated within 6–9 d, with a mean of 7.76 ± 2.28 d. The results show that there was no significant difference in the start departure date of PWN between the two treatments. This shows that the feeding behavior of M. alternatus is not the trigger for PWN departure. At the same time, it was found that the motility of the PWN carried by M. alternatus at 8 d after emergence was significantly greater than that of the PWN carried by the newly emerged M. alternatus. And the PWN carried by M. alternatus at 8 d after emergence was extracted more easily than the PWN carried by newly emerged beetles. These results show that greater motility was associated with easier departure of PWN from M. alternatus. In addition, transcriptome sequencing found that the level of oxidative phosphorylation metabolism of PWN carried by beetles at 8 d after emergence was significantly higher than that in the PWN carried by newly emerged beetle. High oxidative phosphorylation was associated with increased energy production and motility by the PWN and were the internal cause of the start of nematode departure.

Maximum Power Point Tracking Menggunakan Algoritma Artificial Neural Network Berbasis Arus Hubung Singkat Panel Surya

The conversion of solar energy into electrical can be utilized by using the solar panel, but the energy conversion ratio is still low. Maximum Power Point Tracking (MPPT) is a method used to increase energy production in the process of converting electrical to the solar panel. Artificial Neural Network (ANN) is one of the soft-computing methods that can be applied as MPPT with the advantage of having a learning process, very stable, fast, doesn’t require complicated mathematical modeling, and has good performance. ANN is proposed with input from the short circuit current of the solar panel and is used as a reference for the ANN to reach the maximum power. The process of detecting a short circuit current is indicated by a momentary decrease of the power by the solar panel. The results show the proposed algorithm can reach the maximum power operating point of the solar panel despite the change of radiation. When at maximum power operating point, ANN can hold the value, so the resulting value doesn’t change and doesn’t generate ripple. At radiation of 1000 W/m 2 and using 100 WP, ANN can produce a maximum power of 99.97 Watts with a time of 0.063 seconds.

Integral sliding-mode controller for maximum power point tracking in the grid-connected photovoltaic systems

<p>The output power generated in the photovoltaic modules depends both on the solar radiation and the temperature of the solar cells. To maximize the efficiency of the system, it is required to monitor the maximum power point of the photovoltaic system. For this purpose, monitoring the maximum power point (MPPT) of photovoltaic systems should be as quick and accurately as possible for increasing energy production, which ultimately increases the cost-efficiency of the photovoltaic system. This paper proposes a new approach for MPPT) using the concept of the integral sliding mode controller (ISMC) to ensure fast and precise monitoring of the peak power. The performance of the ISMC is significantly influenced by the choice of the sliding surface. To assess the reliability ISMC control, the results have been compared with those of a PI controller. The results obtained are used to evaluate the performance of the ISMC strategy under different climatic conditions. Finally, the effectiveness of the proposed solution is confirmed using simulations in PSIM tools and experimental results were used to evaluate the effectiveness of the proposed approach.</p>

Analytical and Experimental Investigation of Perforation Layout Parameters on Hydraulic Fracture Propagation

Abstract Horizontal wellbore fracturing technology is an effective method to stimulate reservoirs and increase energy production, such as gas, oil, and geothermy. The perforation layout parameters are the key parameters affecting the fracturing effect. To analyze the influence of perforation layout parameters on hydraulic fracture propagation and optimization of the perforation layout parameters, the stress surrounding the perforation is derived, key oriented points and effective oriented angles are defined, and effective oriented criteria are proposed. The principal stress direction angle can be divided into three stages as the distance from the fracturing hole increases: decreasing stage (tends to the connection direction of perforations), stable stage, and increasing stage (tends to the maximum horizontal ground stress direction). A common relationship between the perforation length, the initial angle, the ground stress difference, and the suitable oriented angle is obtained. The results will guide the field application of the above fracturing technologies.

Energy Clusters as a New Urban Symbiosis Concept for Increasing Renewable Energy Production—A Case Study of Zakopane City

One of the priority lines of action in Poland is to increase energy production from renewable energy sources (RESs). Based on the “Poland’s national energy and climate plan for the years 2021–2030”, Poland aims to achieve 21%–23% of RES share in gross final energy consumption by 2030. While coal is still the most important source of energy, new technological and organisational solutions for increasing RESs are being tested and implemented. Therefore, the creation of energy clusters based on the idea of urban and industrial symbiosis was first proposed by the Ministry of Energy in 2016. To date, there are 66 clusters in different regions in Poland, but only a few of them are active and innovative. One of them is located in the city of Zakopane, a mountain resort, which attracts about 3 million tourists annually and has developed the wide-ranging use of geothermal sources for energy supply and recreation. The paper aims to analyse the impact of the creation of energy clusters on the city’s development, including economic, social, and environmental aspects. The “willingness to pay” (WTP) method was used to calculate the impact of air pollution on Zakopane and to compare it with the Polish average to estimate the significance of the transformation to RESs in this tourist city. The results from the studies are as follows: health cost per capita in Zakopane is between 252.07 and 921.30 euro. The investigations presented can be the basis for recommendations in strategic documents in the field of regional development and environmental protection, especially on the use and promotion of urban symbiosis for increasing use of RESs.

Bio-sun tracker engineering self-driven by thermo-mechanical actuator for photovoltaic solar systems

Solar trackers increase energy production by adjusting the collector to the optimum angle relative to the sun. Nevertheless, these devices are still fronting several challenges that limit their performance, which affects their use, such as the bad atmosphere impact, the components multiplicity, the complexity of programming and repairing. The provision of integrated solar trackers that completes the system, self-driven to face the sun, ensures stability against bad weather and easeful use that can be a step forward, which increases their use and improves the production of green energy. In this study, an integrated solar tracker has been proposed that based on the shape memory alloys (SMA). These materials can act as a thermo-mechanical actuator that memorizes two shape, one at high temperature the second at low temperature. The exposure of solar radiation raises the actuator temperature. According to degree of temperature, the actuator controls the angle of inclination with which the collector moves to face the sun. Then, a mathematical modelling has been carried out to optimally adapt the proposed actuator with the solar system. In order to validate the numerical study, a comparative study has been conducted to compare the concordance of the simulation results with literature. The proposed solar system that integrated the thermo-mechanical tracker shows an increase of energy production about 39% compared to a fixed system.

Photosynthesis and related metabolic mechanism of promoted rice (Oryza sativa L.) growth by TiO2 nanoparticles

Titanium dioxide nanoparticle (nano-TiO2), as an excellent UV absorbent and photo-catalyst, has been widely applied in modern industry, thus inevitably discharged into environment. We proposed that nano-TiO2 in soil can promote crop yield through photosynthetic and metabolic disturbance, therefore, we investigated the effects of nano-TiO2 exposure on related physiologic-biochemical properties of rice (Oryza sativa L.). Results showed that rice biomass was increased >30% at every applied dosage (0.1–100 mg/L) of nano-TiO2. The actual photosynthetic rate (Y(II)) significantly increased by 10.0% and 17.2% in the treatments of 10 and 100 mg/L respectively, indicating an increased energy production from photosynthesis. Besides, non-photochemical quenching (Y(NPQ)) significantly decreased by 19.8%–26.0% of the control in all treatments respectively, representing a decline in heat dissipation. Detailed metabolism fingerprinting further revealed that a fortified transformation of monosaccharides (D-fructose, D-galactose, and D-talose) to disaccharides (D-cellobiose, and D-lactose) was accompanied with a weakened citric acid cycle, confirming the decrease of energy consumption in metabolism. All these results elucidated that nano-TiO2 promoted rice growth through the upregulation of energy storage in photosynthesis and the downregulation of energy consumption in metabolism. This study provides a mechanistic understanding of the stress-response hormesis of rice after exposure to nano-TiO2, and provides worthy information on the potential application and risk of nanomaterials in agricultural production.

Forecast-informed reservoir operations to guide hydropower and agriculture allocations in the Blue Nile basin, Ethiopia

ABSTRACT Predictive hydroclimate information, coupled with reservoir system models, offers the potential to mitigate climate variability risks. Prior methodologies rely on sub-seasonal, dynamic/synthetic forecasts at short timescales, which challenge application in practice. Here, coupling a local-scale seasonal, statistical streamflow forecast with a reservoir model addresses this gap, to explore hydropower and agricultural production benefits under various operational strategies. Forecast-informed optimization of reservoir releases increases energy production (6–14%), agriculture allocations (54–68%), and net profit. Application to Ethiopia showcases a novel seasonal-scale statistical forecast coupled reservoir model that translates hydroclimatic predictions into actionable information for better management at the local scale.

Near Future Energy Self-sufficient Wastewater Treatment Schemes

Achieving energy self-sufficiency is critical for wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) to comply with rapidly changing environmental regulatory standards in a sustainable manner. Currently, a small percentage of WWTPs around the world produce energy for beneficial use and only a handful of these plants are energy self-sufficient. We propose three energy-positive wastewater treatment schemes and use quantitative analysis to assess their potentials for carbon and nitrogen removal and energy generation from municipal wastewater. This research identifies potential challenges in the selection and implementation of energy recovery process configurations and proposes practically feasible energy-positive wastewater treatment process configurations. Energy self-sufficiency can be achieved through biogas production while simultaneously minimizing the energy consumption for treatment. Furthermore, energy recovery can be enhanced in the near future (i) by increasing the COD capture in primary treatment to enhance energy production; (ii) by replacing activated sludge process with other less energy-intensive biological treatment technologies; and (iii) by increasing energy production from digesting supplementary feedstock in anaerobic codigestion (AD) schemes. This paper presents a quantitative analysis of three process schemes that progressively build upon the concept of transforming the conventional activated sludge wastewater treatment plants (CAS-WWTP) into energy self-sufficient wastewater treatment facilities. These schemes also include a hypothetical but practically feasible WWTP configuration, which represents an alternative energy self-sufficient wastewater process scheme for future designs.

Is MCU dispensable for normal heart function?

The uptake of Ca2+ into mitochondria is thought to be an important signal communicating the need for increased energy production. However, dysregulated uptake leading to mitochondrial Ca2+ overload can trigger opening of the mitochondrial permeability transition pore and potentially cell death. Thus mitochondrial Ca2+ entry is regulated via the activity of a Ca2+-selective channel known as the mitochondrial calcium uniporter. The last decade has seen enormous momentum in the discovery of the molecular identities of the multiple proteins comprising the uniporter. Increasing numbers of studies in cultured cells and animal models have provided insight into how disruption of uniporter proteins affects mitochondrial Ca2+ regulation and impacts tissue function and physiology. This review aims to summarize some of these recent findings, particularly in the context of the heart.

Design and analysis of a wake steering controller with wind direction variability

Abstract. Wind farm control strategies are being developed to mitigate wake losses in wind farms, increasing energy production. Wake steering is a type of wind farm control in which a wind turbine's yaw position is misaligned from the wind direction, causing its wake to deflect away from downstream turbines. Current modeling tools used to optimize and estimate energy gains from wake steering are designed to represent wakes for fixed wind directions. However, wake steering controllers must operate in dynamic wind conditions and a turbine's yaw position cannot perfectly track changing wind directions. Research has been conducted on robust wake steering control optimized for variable wind directions. In this paper, the design and analysis of a wake steering controller with wind direction variability is presented for a two-turbine array using the FLOw Redirection and Induction in Steady State (FLORIS) control-oriented wake model. First, the authors propose a method for modeling the turbulent and low-frequency components of the wind direction, where the slowly varying wind direction serves as the relevant input to the wake model. Next, we explain a procedure for finding optimal yaw offsets for dynamic wind conditions considering both wind direction and yaw position uncertainty. We then performed simulations with the optimal yaw offsets applied using a realistic yaw offset controller in conjunction with a baseline yaw controller, showing good agreement with the predicted energy gain using the probabilistic model. Using the Gaussian wake model in FLORIS as an example, we compared the performance of yaw offset controllers optimized for static and dynamic wind conditions for different turbine spacings and turbulence intensity values, assuming uniformly distributed wind directions. For a spacing of five rotor diameters and a turbulence intensity of 10 %, robust yaw offsets optimized for variable wind directions yielded an energy gain equivalent to 3.24 % of wake losses recovered, compared to 1.42 % of wake losses recovered with yaw offsets optimized for static wind directions. In general, accounting for wind direction variability in the yaw offset optimization process was found to improve energy production more as the separation distance increased, whereas the relative improvement remained roughly the same for the range of turbulence intensity values considered.

Contrasting responses of macro- and meso-fauna to biochar additions in a bioenergy cropping system

Combining bioenergy land use with biochar production could represent a win-win management strategy to increase energy production whilst reducing greenhouse gas emissions. However, a fuller understanding of the effects that these changes in land use and soil amendment could have on soil biodiversity and processes is needed. We performed a 2-year field experiment to determine the consequences of adding three different amounts of biochar (10 t ha−1, 25 t ha−1 and 50 t ha−1) to a commercial Miscanthus bioenergy plantation on soil invertebrate community structure and abundances of enchytraeids, collembolans, mites and earthworms. We also used stable isotope analyses to determine shifts in feeding preferences and to quantify C assimilation by those soil organisms most likely to be affected by soil amendments (i.e. soil ingesters: earthworms and enchytraeids). Results showed that biochar additions to the soil had a negative effect on larger-sized soil fauna (earthworms) significantly reducing their population sizes and species richness whereas, in contrast, mesofauna appeared to benefit from the input of the biochar. Although significant assimilation of new C by anecic earthworms was observed, it was clearly insufficient to support population growth and, more importantly, the dominant ecological group in these agricultural soils (endogeics) showed the lowest assimilation values. These results indicate that biochar additions might result in the loss of some of the ecosystem services provided by earthworms, an important concern in these intensively managed agricultural soils. Finally, our findings highlight the need for more field research at species level to fully elucidate the mechanisms driving the biological responses to these types of ecosystem management.