Low Cost Research Articles

Carbon-Chalcogenide Cross-Coupling Reactions in Water

: Over the past two decades, researchers have witnessed the synthesis of diaryl sulfides and diaryl selenides via transition metals-mediated carbon-heteroatom cross-coupling reactions in the presence of various organic and inorganic solvents. The use of water as a clean and environmentally friendly solvent in cross-coupling chemistry of C-S/Se bond formations has attracted profound interest owing to its availability, non-toxicity, low cost and renewability. The most commonly used solvents have been recognized as being of environmental concern, but the use of green and eco-friendly solvents like water is frequently considered with respect to the recovery of catalysts, isolation of products, and recycling. The fundamental interactions between the water and the transition metal catalysts or ligands are viewed from mechanistic aspects, which mostly favours the rational selection of high-performance and safe solvents. In this article, the authors intended to focus extensively on the critical role of water in various transition metals mediated C-S/Se cross-coupling methodologies.

A polyolefin separator reinforced inorganic/organic composite electrolyte for quasi-solid-state Lithium-sulfur batteries with high cycle stability and long lifespan

Lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries are considered a promising next-generation energy storage system due to the high energy density and the low cost. However, the severe shuttle effect of polysulfide and the security issue caused by organic liquid electrolyte and lithium metal anode have hindered their commercial application. Herein we achieved a polyolefin commercial separator reinforced inorganic/organic composite electrolyte (denoted as Com-LATP) via coating the polypropylene (PP) separator with the composite of polymethyl methacrylate/poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PMMA/PVDF) modified with Li1.3Al0.3Ti1.7(PO4)3 (LATP). The Com-LATP electrolyte (thickness: ∼30 um) exhibits remarkable tensile strength of 103 MPa, an ionic conductivity of 0.47·mS cm-1 with the Li+ transfer number of 0.45, which is beneficial for the uniform Li+ flux and the stable striping and plating of Li metal. The Li symmetrical batteries equipped with this Com-LATP exhibited stable cycling for over 350 h. Meanwhile, the Com-LATP electrolyte with the special dense structure can hinder the polysulfide diffusion. The developed quasi-solid-state lithium-sulfur batteries have demonstrated impressive cycling stability with an initial specific capacity of 1184.8 mA h g-1 at a discharge rate of 0.2 C, maintaining performance over 200 cycles. Additionally, they exhibited outstanding rate capability, retaining a reversible capacity of 710.4 mA h g-1 even at a higher discharge rate of 2 C. This research introduces an innovative structural design approach for high-performance quasi-solid-state Li-S batteries, which holds significant promise for advancing the commercialization of lithium-sulfur battery technology.

Highly efficient and salt resistant solar interface evaporator based on pressed wood flour with multi-level pores

Interfacial solar steam generation has garnered significant attention as an eco-friendly and sustainable technology for desalination and wastewater purification. Nevertheless, in challenging conditions such as strong brine and high-intensity settings, both the evaporation efficiency and the service life of the solar evaporator are inevitably diminished due to salt accumulation on the surface of interfacial solar evaporators. Here, a platelike evaporator that features high water evaporation rate in brine without salt accumulation is developed by rational design of polydopamine-coated wood powder with a hierarchical pore structure. This evaporator not only exhibits high water evaporation rate of 2.299 kg m−2 h−1 along with 155.4 % solar-to-steam conversion efficiency under 1 sun illumination, but also deliver exceptional salt accumulation resistance even in 20 wt% brine. With the advantages of a high light absorption rate, easy preparation process, and low cost, this evaporator shows promising potential in the field of solar steam generation and seawater desalination.

Experimental and numerical analysis of rubber isolator dynamic stiffness under hydrostatic pressure

Due to their function in damping and attenuating vibrations, as well as their relatively low cost, rubber isolators have widespread applications in industries such as aerospace, automotive and maritime. As components with distinct nonlinear behavior, accurately predicting the dynamic characteristics of isolators is essential for overall structural design and vibration noise prediction. Although extensive research has been conducted on the static and dynamic performance of rubber isolators, there has been limited investigation into performance under certain specialized application scenarios, such as hydrostatic pressure environments. These environments are indeed real, for instance, isolators employed in the bow ballast tank of underwater vehicle to mitigate vibrations during weapon launch processes. In such instances, isolators are subjected not only to the influence of added mass due to the water medium during vibration but also to increasing hydrostatic pressure on the isolator surface with increasing depth. This study introduces an original experimental apparatus capable of measuring the dynamic stiffness of isolators while simulating hydrostatic pressure conditions. The constitutive model parameters governing the hyperelastic and viscoelastic properties of rubber were identified via nonlinear tests, serving as input parameters for numerically predicting the dynamic stiffness within a water medium environment. Furthermore, a comprehensive analysis was conducted to evaluate the impacts of preload, water medium, boundary conditions, and hydrostatic pressure on the dynamic stiffness of the isolator. Results indicate that preload tends to reduce peak dynamic stiffness in the shear directions, while the water medium significantly increases high-frequency dynamic stiffness in the shear directions. Within the range of 1 MPa, the impact of increasing hydrostatic pressure on dynamic stiffness can be largely disregarded. When calculating the dynamic stiffness of the isolator, it is crucial to consider the actual installation environment and set the acoustic boundary conditions of the surrounding water domain accordingly.

Function regionalized catalyst promoted bromine redox kinetics for bromine-based flow battery

Bromine-based flow batteries are considered as ideal large-scale energy storage devices, due to their attractive high energy density and low cost. However, the inferior redox activity of the Br3−/Br− couple leads to limited power density, which cannot meet the practical application requirements. Herein, a flexible catalytic electrode is constructed by interweaving a nitrogen-doped porous carbon (NPC) coated TiO2 (TiO2@NPC) nanofiber, via electrospinning technique. In the electrode, the NPC component with superior affinity to the reactant Br−, could assistant rapid charge transfer, and facilitate the conversion from Br− to Br3−, which plays an excellent catalytic function. With a stronger adsorption for the oxidation product Br3− than NPC, the TiO2 component can transfer Br3− from NPC, releasing the catalytic active sites on NPC timely and enabling the reaction smoothly proceeded. Consequently, the regional differentiation strategy of the catalysis and adsorption functions significantly boosts the redox kinetic of the bromine chemistry. The Zinc-bromine flow batteries equipped with TiO2@NPC can run 200 cycles stably at 80 mA cm−2, with the voltage efficiency and energy efficiency of 82.8 % and 81.6 %, respectively. This design provides a brand-new improvement strategy for bromine cathode from the perspective of accelerating the reaction rate-determining step.

Probabilistic modeling and optimization of microgrids with EV parking lots and dispersed generation

Distributed generation sources provide self-governing power during outages, making microgrids and islanded distribution networks vital for service endurance, superior power quality, reliability, and operative efficiency. However, microgrids structure are difficult to control, particularly in islanded mode where no main power source exists if the main grid fails. Fast responses from discrete generation sources using power electronics can undermine the grid during faults or normal operations without proper regulations. The double-fed induction generator (DFIG) has become the preferred wind turbine generator owing to its low cost and flexibility to varying wind speeds. This paper presents a probabilistic scheduling for day-ahead microgrid programming that includes EV parking lots and dispersed generation resources. The microgrid works in both normal and islanded modes depending on main grid conditions. The uncertainty in EV parking lot usage is modeled hourly using the Z-number method, while wind and solar generation, market prices, and loads are modeled using the Monte Carlo method. Scenario-based incidents in the upstream grid that lead to microgrid islanding are considered, focusing on the time and duration of impact. The optimization model accounts for uncertainty, EV charging/discharging, and operational costs under normal and fault conditions. The fault ride-through (FRT) method for maintaining DFIG stability in islanded microgrids are proposed. In this technique stabilizes terminal voltage during faults by employing a resistor in series with the DFIG stator, enhancing voltage stability and FRT capability. Without these methods, the DFIG may lose stability after clearing transient errors, risking generator loss and threatening microgrid stability, particularly in islanded mode. The effectiveness of these control and protection strategies is validated through comprehensive simulations in MATLAB.

Colloidal route towards sodium ionic conductor (NASICON) 3D complex solid electrolyte structures fabricated by Direct Ink Writing (DIW)

Progressing towards a sustainable energy model, safer new generation high-performance energy storage devices with large energy density and power are needed. In this sense, the improvement in terms of efficiency and sustainability has led to the interest in solid-state batteries (SSBs). Lately, sodium-ion batteries (SIBs) have become an emerging alternative due to the abundance of raw materials, low cost, and improvements in terms of fast sodium-ion conductor solid electrolytes (SCSEs). Among all the SCSEs, the sodium superionic conductor (NASICON) type electrolyte is one of the most well-known electrolytes, being widely developed in terms of synthesis and materials. However, the processing and manufacturing of these electrolytes have gone almost unnoticed, without considering that well-designed structures of electrodes/electrolytes are the bridge toward turning advanced energy materials into high-performance devices. This work presents the fabrication of 3D complex structures based on NASICON sodium solid electrolytes, obtained for the first time by direct ink writing (DIW). Through a colloidal route, fine NASICON phase powder with high pureness was prepared, enabling the manufacturing of intricate NASICON-printed electrolytes in a one-step fabrication process. By optimizing the ink, a dense electrolyte layer, acting as an ionic conductor and separator, was inserted between two complex porous pattern layers obtaining a device with a total height below 1.15 mm. Further, the densification of the 3D electrolyte was enhanced, reaching high ionic conductivities at room temperature (3.10-4 S·cm-1). Thus, a high-performance sodium ion conductor NASICON solid electrolyte with shorter diffusion pathways and larger interfacial surface areas between electrode/electrolyte was obtained, improving the overall electrochemical performance of the device by a 3D layer-by-layer design.

Performance analysis on a hybrid system of wind, photovoltaic, thermal, storage, CO2 sequestration and space heating

The combined heat and power generation (CHP) isan efficient and economical solution to the intermittency and instability faced by renewable energy power and however, the heat-power coupling lowers its regulation depth. Thermal energy storage is a valid measure to solve the above problem, however, the major bottleneck is lack of thermal energy storage ways with large capacity, high efficiency, low cost and longtime simultaneously. Here, a novel hybrid system of wind-photovoltaic-thermal-storage-CO2 sequestration-space heating is proposed, which can store thermal energy and sequestrate CO2 in saline aquifer simultaneously. The results show heat extraction power, energy storage capacity, energy storage density and thermal recovery efficiency for the hybrid system are respectively 6391.14 kW, 66263.36 GJ, 23276.37 kJ/m3 and 81.17 %. The hybrid system extends the adjustable range of CHP from 200 MW to 700 MW through thermal energy storage and heat-power decoupling, thus accommodating more renewable energy power. The amount of sequestrated CO2 captured from exhaust gas of thermal power station is 2,306,880 tons, equivalent to 854,400 tons of standard coal in terms of carbon dioxide emissions. In addition, the repeated injection and extraction of working gas in the hybrid system accelerates CO2 solubility in saline aquifer.

Study on the enhancement of flexible zinc-air battery performance with polyethylene glycol and nano SiO2 composite hydrogel

Flexible zinc-air batteries have garnered significant attention due to their high energy density, low cost, and environmental friendliness. However, issues such as poor cycle life and anode dendrite growth severely hinder their practical application. This study introduces polyethylene glycol (PEG) as a pore-forming agent and incorporates nano SiO2 into a polyacrylamide/carboxymethyl cellulose (PAM/CMC) composite hydrogel, resulting in a PAM/CMC/PEG/SiO2 (PCPS) composite hydrogel. Phase analysis and electrochemical characterization of PCPS were conducted. The hydrogel electrolyte formed in an alkaline KI environment, when assembled into a battery, achieved a capacity of 494.6 mAh/g and maintained a low potential range of 0.36 V for over 40 h, with an energy efficiency of 86.3 % for the first 60 cycles. To address the issue of dendrite growth in alkaline environments, this study also explores the performance of PCPS composite hydrogel in near-neutral environments.

Dispersion-promoted synergistic cationic dye removal through the co-introduction of natural diatomite and bentonite into chitosan-based hydrogel beads

Hydrogel beads have drawn considerable attention in sustainable wastewater treatment because of their low cost, modifiability, and feasibility. Accordingly, chitosan-based hybrid hydrogel beads were fabricated by incorporating naturally available siliceous micro- and nanoparticles, namely diatomite and bentonite, with different mass ratios. Morphology, swelling behavior, mechanical stability, and ultimately, Methylene Blue (MB)-adsorption performance of the hydrogel beads were comprehensively evaluated in terms of filler dispersion and interactions between the fillers and the matrix. Results revealed that while the simultaneous incorporation of inorganic additives inside the chitosan backbone reduced the swelling degree, the mechanical stability was significantly ameliorated when the 1:1 diatomite-bentonite mass ratio was exploited inside the chitosan matrix. That can be attributed to the well-dispersed fillers and enhanced mechanical entanglements, as well as the strengthened physical interactions between diatomite-bentonite and chitosan matrix. When the hybrid filling system was applied, MB removal efficiency increased synergistically by over 246 % compared to bentonite alone and 268 % compared to diatomite alone, even at low MB concentration (10 ppm). The MB adsorption kinetics and isotherm were also studied. The adsorption kinetics of MB were well-fitted for all compositions using the Pseudo-Second-Order model. The isotherm data for optimum beads indicate that the Freundlich isotherm model provided the best fit, suggesting the multilayer adsorption with a non-uniform distribution of adsorption heat. The cost appraisal and recyclability/reusability assessment indicate that the combination of diatomite and bentonite in chitosan-based hydrogel beads offers a sustainable, highly efficient, and cost-effective solution for cationic dye removal applications.

A monochrome pipelined HMI system for foodborne microorganisms testing

Hyperspectral microscopy imaging (HMI) is an efficient and non-destructive method to detect microbial contaminants in food, as it can provide both spatial morphology and spectral signature. Aims at reducing thermal effect, low cost, and improving spectral resolution in testing, a pipeline-operated LEDs monochromatic illumination mode is proposed, which integrates the design concepts of both grating-based and LED-based HMI systems. By design of the LED set, shared grating monochromatic optical path, and coordinated control system, an HMI system has been developed that could obtain the hyperspectral data cube with 101 bands in 400–700 nm. Hyperspectral datasets of three species of Aspergillus are prepared using the prototype, and efficient results have been achieved in the training and testing of classical classification algorithms (1D-CNN (97.33 %), k-NN (96.33 %), SVM (97.67 %) and ResNet-18 (95.67 %)). The results demonstrate that the proposed monochromatic illumination mode and associated system are potential detection solutions for foodborne microbial contaminants with low-cost and high-accurate.

Design of superparamagnetic Fe3O4@SiO2@3,4-DABP nanocatalysts, fabrication by co-precipitation and sol-gel methods, characterization of detailed surface texture properties and investigation of solar cell performance

This research focuses on the synthesis, characterization, and evaluation of Fe3O4, Fe3O4@SiO2, and Fe3O4@SiO2@3,4-DABP magnetic nanocatalysts (MNCs) for their potential use as sensors within the intricate architectures of solar cell devices. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM-EDS), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), vibrating sample magnetometry (VSM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) surface area measurements were carried out to characterize the structural, morphological and magnetic properties of the MNCs. The MNCs exhibit an average particle size of approximately 10 nm. Fe3O4, Fe3O4@SiO2, and Fe3O4@SiO2@3,4-DABP MNCs have saturation magnetization values ​​of 61.64 emu/g, 37.31 emu/g, and 20.13 emu/g, respectively. Thermal analysis reveals mass change losses of 6.5%, 12% and 28.1%, respectively, indicating different thermal stability profiles. It confirms that their crystal structure is face-centered cubic spinel, with type IV hysteresis loops and H3 loops indicating a mesoporous structure according to the IUPAC classification. Efficiency tests of Fe3O4, Fe3O4@SiO2 and Fe3O4@SiO2@3,4-DABP MNCs in solar cell devices show efficiencies of 1.49%, 1.77% and 2.15%, respectively. As the hierarchical modification of the MNCs increases, the efficiency of the solar cell devices increases. These results highlight the potential of Fe3O4, Fe3O4@SiO2 and Fe3O4@SiO2@3,4-DABP as promising sensitizers in solar cell technology. Fe3O4@SiO2@3,4-DABP MNCs have high catalytic activity, chemical stability, electronic conductivity and low cost. This study also marks the first demonstration of the effectiveness of environmentally friendly Fe3O4@SiO2@3,4-DABP MNCs in enhancing solar cell performance, prepared via a cost-effective, simple and eco-friendly approach.

Carbon dioxide capture in sodium carbonate solution: Mass transfer kinetics and DTAC surfactant enhancement mechanism

Sodium carbonate solvent absorbent has been widely studied for CO2 reduction to deal with global warming because of its green, low cost, and non-corrosive advantages. However, in the application of sodium carbonate as an absorbent for CO2 capture, there is no unified cognition of the mass transfer process, which leads to the lack of guidance for the industrial large-scale process. Moreover, the mechanism of mass transfer enhancement of surfactants, which can effectively improve the mass transfer performance, has not been effectively explored in the literature. Based on this, this paper firstly adopts the molecular dynamics method to analyze the solution characteristics after surfactant addition and optimize the surfactant. Subsequently, a classical dissolved oxygen test method was used to measure the gas-liquid mass transfer coefficient for CO2 absorption into sodium carbonate solution. And based on this mass transfer coefficient measurement method, the mass transfer process of sodium carbonate solution with surfactant was analyzed. The results showed that the sodium carbonate solution with 5 wt% concentration and 10 wt% concentration at 30 °C did not satisfy the pseudo first-order fast chemical reaction kinetics assumption. To improve CO2 absorption mass transfer rate, dodecyl trimethyl ammonium chloride (DTAC) surfactant was introduced, which was improved by 119 % compared with non-enhanced solvent at 5 wt% concentration solution, and the assumption of pseudo first order fast chemical reaction was satisfied. After the introduction of surfactant, the barrier effect decreased the liquid phase mass transfer coefficient, but the Marangoni effect happened in the 5 wt% concentration of sodium carbonate solution, which enhanced the liquid-phase mass-transfer coefficient. This finding reveals the mechanism of mass transfer promotion of sodium carbonate by the surfactant DTAC, which is of great engineering significance for the application in the field of decarbonization after the introduction of surfactant.

Evaluation of antibacterial efficacy of iron oxide nanoparticles against Vibrio vulnificus: A comparative study with standard antibiotics

The synthesis and utilization of Fe2O3 nanoparticles are increasing due to their low cost, environmentally friendly, and biocompatible nature. Antimicrobial resistance is noticed as a global health concern by the community. Multidrug therapy and improper treatment of any disease cause an exponential increase in resistant microbial species. Therefore, improving the treatment schemes for curing different types of contagious ailments caused by microbes is essential. An economical co-precipitation technique was utilized for the preparation of Fe2O3 nanoparticles. The Fe2O3 nanostructures were analyzed by FTIR, ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy, XRD, and TEM techniques. The Fe2O3 nanoparticle's dimensions were determined to be 28.72 nm. A toxicity study of these Fe2O3 nanoparticles was carried out against a Gram-negative bacterium Vibrio vulnificus and showed toxic properties towards the Vibrio vulnificus. The antibacterial properties of these Fe2O3 nanoparticles were contrasted with commonly used antibiotics, including chloramphenicol, streptomycin, ampicillin, penicillin, Tetracycline, sulphatriad, Co-Trimoxazole, Clindamycin, Oxacillin, Erythromycin, and Chloramphenicol, etc., and found to be comparable in some cases even better antibacterial activity.

Modelling of Harris Hawks optimization with deep learning-assisted microgrid energy management approach

Microgrid (MG) is a potential decentralized energy distribution and generation technology that is resilient, reliable, and efficient. This small-scale power system is reliable and resilient since it connects to the grid or runs independently. Renewable energy is difficult to integrate into MG due to variable load and unreliable electricity. MG operation relies on an energy management system (EMS) to balance electricity demand and supply, reduce operational costs, and maximize renewable energy use. Intelligent control systems, optimization methods, and machine learning algorithms were used for MG EMS. The Harris Hawks optimization with deep learning-assisted microgrid energy management (HHODL-MGEM) technique is developed in this work. HHODL-MGEM comprises two main stages. In the first step, the HHODL-MGEM approach uses the Harris Hawks optimization or HHO algorithm to meet load power demands at a low cost while maintaining DC bus voltage and protecting the battery from overcharging and depletion. In the second step, long short-term memory (LSTM) networks can predict power costs. The HHODL-MGEM approach is evaluated using multiple methods. The experimental results showed that HHODL-MGEM outperforms other methods.

Determination of brominated flame retardants in electrical and electronic equipment by micro-sample pretreatment technique combined with ion chromatography

A method for the determination of brominated flame retardants was established by micro sample pretreatment technology combined with ion chromatography. Using a sealed glass capillary as a micro reactor, the brominated flame retardants were debrominated by pyrolysis at 300 ℃ and absorbed by absorbing liquid, followed by ion chromatography determination. To improve the debromination efficiency, important factors including pyrolysis time and absorbing liquid were investigated. The linearity of the method was satisfactory over a Br− concentration of 0.05∼100 mg/L and the determination coefficient was greater than 0.999. The limit of detection and limit of quantitation of bromide ion were 1.50 μg/L and 5.00 μg/L, respectively. The potential of the established method was assessed by applying it to the determination of total bromine in actual electrical and electronic equipment. The average recoveries (97.1–104.2 %) and the precision (3.1–7.5 %) were achieved by real samples spiked with three levels. This proposed method, with simple operation and low cost, could be a good supplementary for the oxygen bomb combustion-ion chromatography method for the determination of brominated flame retardants in electrical and electronic products.

Riboflavin improves postharvest cold tolerance in zucchini fruit inducing non-enzymatic antioxidant response and phenolic metabolism

The storage of zucchini fruit at low temperatures during postharvest induces a physiological disorder called chilling injury that drastically reduces fruit quality and shelf life. The phytohormone abscisic acid (ABA) is involved in the acquisition of cold tolerance in zucchini fruit, being the riboflavin pathway one of the most differentially induced with ABA treatment. Thus, the aim of this work was to elucidate the involvement of riboflavin in quality maintenance of zucchini fruit during postharvest cold storage. After testing different concentrations of exogenous riboflavin, 0.5 mM showed the best results. Riboflavin treatment reduced H2O2 content, but the enzymatic antioxidant defense did not change significantly. This response is due to a rise of non-enzymatic antioxidant defense, by accumulating metabolites like ascorbate and carotenoids, as well as inducing phenolic metabolism. The application of this vitamin enhanced the phenolic and flavonoid content in fruit, concomitant with an induction of PAL and C4H activities and an inhibition of PPO activity. This enhancement of the phenylpropanoid pathway resulted in high vanillic acid and quercetin levels at first day of cold storage. The induction of numerous antioxidant compounds and abscisic acid by riboflavin treatment at short-term postharvest period could be responsible for the lack of chilling injuries in zucchini fruit. Therefore, riboflavin could be successfully implemented in the food industry as an alternative to physical or chemical treatments, due to it is an innocuous additive with good water solubility and low cost, as it prolongs the shelf-life of zucchini fruit and increases its nutraceutical properties.

Optimization of liquefaction cycles applied to CO2 coming from onshore pipeline to offshore ship transportation

In the field of the CO2 transportation for the Carbon Capture, Utilization and Storage (CCUS) process chain, several analyses show that, for a large-scale CO2 transportation, pipeline transportation is the preferred method on land due to its lower cost. Barges also present a feasible alternative if the capture site is near a waterway. Maritime transport becomes more advantageous than pipelines, particularly over long distances and across ocean. Despite the need to liquefy CO2 and to add temporary storage facilities for loading and unloading onto ships, beyond a certain distance at fixed CO2 transported and plant life, ship transport optimal at pressures of 7 or 15 bar depending on the type of vessel. Impurities in CO2, arising from various industrial processes and variable performances of capture technologies, increase energy consumption during compression and could cause corrosion risks. Specifications for CO2 ship transport limit the concentration of certain impurities with strict thresholds. Methods for purifying CO2, such as the two-flash system and stripping column, have been proposed to meet these specifications. The studied CO2 liquefaction methods show that hybrid cycles, combining open cycle with Joule-Thompson expansion and closed cycle with cooling machine offer reduced energy consumption and improved CO2 recovery compared to open or closed cycles. In the presence of the maximum threshold of impurities in the pipeline, energy consumption can nearly double from 21.8 kWh/tCO2 to 40.9 kWh/tCO2, with the highest recovery rising 98.1 %. This research underscores the importance of optimizing CO2 transport strategies to facilitate the deployment of CCUS technologies.

How does the application of ultrasound energy influence the ageing of a bottled red wine?

A red wine that had aged in bottle for five years was treated with ultrasound (40 kHz) for 5 min and 30 min twice weekly and analysed after 3, 6, 9, and 12 months. Sensory analysis showed differences in overall quality at months 3 and 6, with the ultrasound-treated wines preferred. The ultrasound treatment did not decrease the free sulfur dioxide content. Differences in anthocyanins, polyphenols, and proanthocyanidins were clearest at month 9. In contrast, differences in the volatile profile were clearest at month 3. From a commercial point of view, the low-energy treatment (5 min) might be preferable given the lower costs. Ultrasound treatment was effective in enhancing the overall quality during the first 6 months of bottle storage in an aged red wine and did not increase the risk of oxidation or microbial spoilage. This work made it possible to fine-tune ultrasound treatment to maximise its positive effects.

The Dial-a-Ride problem with meeting points: A problem formulation for shared demand–responsive transit

In this paper, a formulation for the Dial-a-Ride Problem with Meeting Points (DARPmp) is introduced. The problem consists of defining routes that satisfy trip requests between pick-up and drop-off points while complying with time window, ride time, vehicle load, and route duration constraints. A set of meeting points is defined, and passengers may be asked to use these meeting points as alternative pickup or drop-off points if this results in routes with lower costs. Incorporating meeting points into the DARP is achieved by formulating a mixed-integer linear program. Two preprocessing steps and three valid inequalities are introduced, which improve the computational performance when solving the DARPmp to global optimality. Two versions of the Tabu Search metaheuristic are proposed to approximate the optimal solution in large-scale networks due to the NP-hardness of DARPmp. Performing numerical experiments with benchmark instances, this study demonstrates the benefits of DARPmp compared to DARP in terms of reducing vehicle running costs.