Natural Energy Sources Research Articles

Niobium Interlayer Coating: Is it a Practical Approach to Tune the Protective Pt Loading in PEM Water Electrolyzers?

The surge in energy demand, along with global warming emissions from natural energy sources, has accelerated the transition towards renewable energies at an unprecedented rate. Among the array of potential candidates, green hydrogen stands out as a particularly promising alternative. In this regard, proton exchange membrane water electrolyzers (PEMWE) have gained widespread acceptance for green hydrogen generation due to their high efficiency and low operating temperatures. However, the relatively high cost of PEMWE components like catalysts, porous transport layer (PTL) and bipolar plates remains a challenge. For instance, commercial PTLs, comprising over 20% of the total PEM stack, often incorporate precious metal coatings to prevent passivation. In this study, we aimed to address the cost issue by replacing precious metal with non-precious metals. Niobium is known for its corrosion resistivity within acidic electrolytes [1]. Here, niobium thin films were deposited onto commercial titanium felt PTLs using pulsed laser deposition (PLD), a technique that allows precise control over film thickness and composition. Corrosion tests were conducted using an electrochemical potentiostat, with end-of-life tests employed for comparison. Results showed improvements in the performance of niobium-supported titanium felts compared to uncoated felts, indicating promise for cost optimization in PEM stacks.To deposit niobium thin films, a pulsed KrF laser with a wavelength of 248 nm was employed. Prior to each deposition, the chamber was evacuated to 5 × 10−5 mbar, followed by the introduction of specific gases such as N2 or He into the chamber during deposition. The choice of background gas is presumed to impact the composition of the niobium based thin films on PTL [2]. The corrosion resistivity of the produced niobium-coated titanium PTLs using two different gases were evaluated using a three electrodes cell. An ex-situ electrochemical setup was designed and 0.5 M H2SO4 electrolyte was used to simulate the electrolyzer media. The temperature was set at 70 °C. Chronopotentiometry was employed to assess the end-of-life characteristics of the samples over a period of at least 10 hours.The thickness of each sample was controlled by X-ray reflectivity (XRR) accompanied by the cross-section scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Corrosion tests were performed on Nb-based thin films with a thickness of 120 nm. Figure 1(a) demonstrate the chronopotentiometry results of niobium-coated samples using nitrogen and helium in compared to bare PTL. In these tests, a constant current density of 400 mA/cm² was applied for an extended duration, allowing the potential to change within the 0-10 V range. These graphs show that with the same current density, the electrochemical potential was found to be lower in niobium-coated Ti PTLs compared to the uncoated counterpart, indicative of enhanced surface conductivity post-coating. It is observed that the potential of uncoated titanium PTL rises after 3 hours of this test. In contrast, both niobium-coated films demonstrated prolonged test duration, with no cessation even after 10 hours, underscoring the advantage of niobium-coated films over bare titanium PTLs. Intriguingly, niobium films subjected to nitrogen gas exhibited a lower potential than counterparts grown in helium, suggesting the potential presence of nitride compounds replacing oxides within the thin film structure of niobium. Given that the electrical conductivity of NbN is higher than that of the NbO structure [3], it can be inferred that the presence of nitrogen may enhance both the electrical conductivity and corrosion resistance of the PTL. Figure 1 (b)-(d) reveals the SEM images of these samples after three hours of the corrosion tests. These results confirm that the surface of the niobium thin film grown in nitrogen exhibited less peeling compared to other niobium-coated and uncoated titanium PTLs. Hence, it is inferred that niobium thin films grown in a nitrogen-rich environment exhibit noteworthy potential for prolonged stability when contrasted with both the uncoated PTL and the niobium-coated PTL developed under nitrogen-deficient conditions.Fig. 1 (a) Chronopotentiometry curve obtained for different coated and uncoated titanium PTLs. The SEM images of the (b) Nb:He, (c) Nb: N2, and (d) uncoated titanium PTLs after three hours of corrosionWe would like to acknowledge the support of the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada, Canada Research Chair and PRIMA Québec and Niobay team for their constant support.

Light‐Assisted Polyproton Dissociated PAAm‐PA Hydrogel‐Based Moisture‐Driven Electricity Generator with a Broad Operating Range

AbstractDue to its widespread availability and spontaneity, moisture electricity generation (MEG) holds unique advantages in self‐powered systems. However, it faces challenges, including the limitations of relying on a single kind of power generation and insufficient output performance. Inspired by the mechanisms of water absorption of plants, this paper explores a light‐moisture coordinated electricity generating hydrogel (L‐MEGH) device with flexible, scalable, and highly efficient energy conversion performance, which is obtained through the UV polymerization of hydrophilic acrylamide (AAM) and phytic acid (PA) in the presence of photosensitizers. The obtained hydrogel demonstrates superior moisture absorption and remarkable electricity generation stability across a range of humidity conditions. Notably, the open‐circuit voltage (Voc) of the L‐MEGH increased from 0.675 to 0.838 V after the addition of photosensitizers (Erythrosin B, E) (the significant enhancement, up to 24%), and the short‐circuit current (Isc) reaching 635.543 µA. This L‐MEGH can realize stable electrical output even under extreme temperatures, producing 0.5 V at −20 °C for 45 h. The scalable L‐MEGHs (connected on‐demand in series/parallel) can power various commercial electronics, including nighttime illumination, mobile phones, and health monitoring sensors. This work pioneers a sustainable power generation pathway capable of enhancing performance through the hybrid collection of multiple natural energy sources.

Wind power prediction based on deep learning models: The case of Adama wind farm

Wind is a renewable energy source that is used to generate electricity. Wind power is one of the suitable solutions for global warming since it is free from pollution, doesn't cause greenhouse effects, and it is a natural source of energy. However, Wind power generation highly depends on weather conditions. It is very difficult to easily predict the amount of power generated from wind at a particular instant in time. Adama wind power farm is one of the wind farms in Ethiopia. There is no accurate and reliable forecasting model for the Adama wind farm that enables the forecasting of the power generated from the farm. The main objective of this research is to develop a wind power forecasting model for the Adama wind farm using deep learning techniques. Forecasting of wind power generation capacity involves appropriate modeling techniques that use past wind power generation data. The experiments have been conducted using Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM), Bidirectional Long Short-Term Memory (Bi-LSTM) and Gated Recurrent Unit (GRU). To achieve the highest forecasting accuracy, four years of data (from 2016 to 2019), with 5-min intervals, have been collected with a total of 163,802 rows. For hyperparameter optimization grid search and random search techniques have been utilized. The performances of the proposed deep learning models were investigated error metrics, including Mean Absolute Errors (MAE) and the Mean Absolute Percentage Error (MAPE), Root Mean Squared Error (RMSE) and R squared (R2). Bi-LSTM outperforms the other two algorithms, scoring 0.644, 0.388, 0.769 and 0.978 MAE, MAPE, RMSE and R2 values respectively. Such wind power forecasting helps energy planners and regional power providers to compute power production and energy generated from other sources.

Fabrication of pyridine incorporated and O-doped g-C3N4/COF: A type-II heterojunction for enhanced hydrogen production under visible light irradiation

The fabrication of heterojunction photocatalysts is important for achieving highly efficient electron transfer, charge separation, and catalytic activity. In this study, we report the successful creation of a type II heterojunction between pyridine incorporated and O-doped g-C3N4 (POCN) and a covalent organic framework (COF). The heterojunction formation significantly reduced the fluorescence intensity of the POCN/COF, indicating effective separation of electron-hole pairs. Additionally, POCN/COF demonstrated excellent interface charge transfer resistance and photocurrent response. Its hydrogen production rate was remarkably high at 3500 μmol g⁻1 h⁻1, about 1.6 times that of pure COF (2200 μmol g⁻1 h⁻1) and 3.5 times that of the physical mixture (1000 μmol g⁻1 h⁻1), and it also exhibited enhanced stability. This indicates that it can be effectively fabricated into a heterojunction of POCN and COF. The optimal value for adding POCN was approximately 5 wt% of COF. This demonstrates greater activity compared to other composite catalysts made from graphitic carbon nitride and COF. This study presents a valuable approach for fabricating reusable heterojunction photocatalytic systems and efficiently generating hydrogen from natural energy sources.

Thorium – A Prospective Source of Energy

The rising problem of fossil fuel reserve limitation along with environmental constraints connected with climate change and the necessity to reduce CO2 emissions led to the recognition of nuclear energy as green energy. Currently, nuclear energy amounts to ~10% of the global generating electricity of ~4300 GW. Of the three known nuclear fuel elements: thorium, uranium, and plutonium, most of the operating nuclear reactors use uranium or a mix of uranium-plutonium as their fuel. As a result of using such a fuel for more than 50 years, a huge amount of long-lived hazardous radioactive waste has been accumulated. On the other hand, thorium as a nuclear material has several advantages over uranium. Among others, the advantages include favorable nuclear properties, along with much reduced nuclear waste. The article includes an overview of thorium as a prospective natural source of future energy. It deals with world thorium reserves (including in Egypt), the rationale of the thorium-based fuel cycle, the reasons behind the selection of thorium fuel, and issues to be considered while dealing with the thorium nuclear fuel cycle.

Passive Design Strategy of Vertical Housing for Optimizing Energy Efficiency

Abstract Passive design is crucial for sustainable building, maximizing comfort while minimizing energy use and environmental impact. It optimizes heating, cooling, ventilation, and lighting through natural energy sources like sunlight and wind, promoting responsible energy consumption. As the Indonesian economy continues to grow, urbanization rates in major cities are rapidly increasing, leading to urban sprawl. One proposed solution is densification through vertical housing construction. However, a concern with vertical housing is the energy consumption for thermal and lighting comfort, particularly in Indonesia’s tropical climate. Passive design presents an effective energy efficient solution for optimizing comfort in vertical housing. This study explores various passive design strategies based on six basic principle. Firstly, it presents local climatic conditions. Then, it discusses lessons learned from traditional buildings and modern buildings. Finally, it introduces a passive design method for high-rise housing, focusing on six points: massing and orientation, building envelope, passive cooling, thermal mass storage, natural air circulation and daylighting. The study presents results and potential recommendations for passive design to optimize energy efficiency.

Analysis of renewable energy resources based on frank power aggregation operators and EDAS method for circular bipolar complex fuzzy uncertainty

The model of circular bipolar complex fuzzy (Cir-BCF) sets computed based on the membership function, non-membership function, and radius among both functions for each value of the universal set. The technique of the Cir-BCF set is the modified or extended form of fuzzy sets, complex fuzzy sets, bipolar fuzzy sets, bipolar complex fuzzy sets, and simple circular bipolar fuzzy sets to cope with uncertain and vague information. In this manuscript, we describe the novel technique of frank operational laws based on Cir-BCF values for frank t-norm and frank t-conorm. Further, we simplify the model of Cir-BCF frank power averaging (Cir-BCFFPA), Cir-BCF frank power weighted averaging (Cir-BCFFPWA), Cir-BCF frank power geometric (Cir-BCFFPG), Cir-BCF frank power weighted geometric (Cir-BCFFPWG) operators, and highlighted their valuable properties, called idempotency, monotonicity, and boundedness. Moreover, analysis of renewable energy resources is very awkward and complicated, but it is natural sources of energy that are refilled constantly or relativeness quickly on a human timescale. Further, solar energy, hydroelectric energy, geothermal energy, biomass energy, and wind energy are five major sources of energy, but it is complex to find which one is the best and which one is worst. For evaluating the above problems, we construct the technique of evaluation based on the distance from the average solution (EDAS) method under the presence of the Cir-BCF numbers (Cir-BCFNs). At the end, we arrange the comparison between proposed and existing techniques based on some numerical examples to describe the validity and proficiency of the initiated information.

Estimating the Wind Power by Using K-Nearest Neighbors (KNN) and Python

In recent years the production and distribution of renewable energy has become a popular trend in power generation, and renewable energy sources such as hydro, solar, and wind energy are examples of natural and clean energy sources. Among the renewable energy sources, wind energy source is one of the trending and crucial energy sources that has outstanding electricity power generation. This research investigates an estimation model of wind power to address the real-life issues in renewable energy power generation by estimating an accurate amount of wind power production by applying the machine learning (ML) K-Nearest Neighbors (KNN) technique integrated with Python programming. To achieve the expected outcome for this research, it is expected to collect data from wind energy, wind speed forecasts, and all the relevant information that supports the research in analyzing the technique. There are various meteorological methods to evaluate the performance of wind power generation, but in this research, the methodology is to employ machine learning techniques such as KNN integrated with Python coding to achieve estimated wind energy output. Python is a software program and is diversely used for coding various algorithmic formulas to obtain results. In this research, Python is best suited for investigating the performance of the KNN technique for estimating the most accurate result for wind power generation. Here, the report presents the methods of applying the KNN technique and displaying the outcome on screen by a graph representation. The outcome of the research showed that the KNN is a more reliable technique to make an accurate prediction on wind power generation. A similar approach can be implemented in various renewable energy data to estimate an accurate energy output.

Fast and efficient synthesis of polymers driven by solar radiation. New insights on dye/dendrimer photoinitiating systems

The performance of a series of visible-light driven photoinitiating systems (Vis-PIs) for radical polymerization was evaluated. The Vis-PIs formulations consisted of aqueous solutions containing xanthene dyes as sensitizers, while polyamido-amine (PAMAM) dendrimers were tested as alternative co-initiators of lower toxicity than the traditional amines. Acrylamide and HEMA were used as probe monomers and the respective polymers were characterized by FTIR, DSC and viscosimmetry. In order to elucidate the mechanism of photopolymerization, the triplet excited-states and semirreduced forms of the dyes were characterized by transient spectroscopy. Photophysical parameters as intersystem crossing and radical quantum yields were also determined for each dye/dendrimer couple. All Vis-PIs operated successfully under solar irradiation, achieving high monomer conversions after short exposure times. Interestingly, formulations with partially halogenated dyes showed the highest efficiency, which correlates inversely with the affinity and the electron transfer capability between the reactants. This study demonstrates the usefulness of dye/dendrimer combinations to operate as efficient aqueous Vis-PIs under an inexpensive, unlimited and natural energy source such as sunlight.

Multiresponse Liquid Metal Bionic Flexible Actuator.

The flexible actuator has attracted significant interest for its ability to respond flexibly to external stimuli, especially for renewable natural energy sources. However, the flexible actuator faces issues such as inadequate sensitivity and inability to achieve synergistic responses. Therefore, we prepared a highly sensitive flexible actuator by mixing liquid metal (LM) with poly(vinylpyrrolidone) (PVP), graphene oxide (GO), and coating the resulting mixtures onto poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) substrate materials using the rod coating process. The flexible actuator responds quickly to near-infrared light and humidity and can be rapidly transformed from flat to curved with a maximum angular change of 540°. By demonstrating the flexible actuator in action, it can be used to create a crawling robot that mimics the movement of an inchworm on a leaf, as well as a gripper capable of lifting objects 5 times its weight, and a crawling robot that moves forward, turns left, and then right. Flexible actuators hold significant promise for applications in emerging fields such as advanced bionics and artificial intelligence.

Effect of solar powered MgO/graphene nano catalysed biodiesel production from Scomber scombrus

The aim of the work is to find the efficiency of solar power in biodiesel preparation from mackerel fish. The paper also focusses on the ability of MgO/graphene prepared by one-pot synthesis using combustion methodology. The physicochemical properties of the material were analysed by XRD, N2 sorption studies, BET sorption analysis and SEM. The adsorption studies revealed the porosity of the graphene is intact, and the morphology studies indicated that MgO is uniformly distributed on the graphene surface. The highest biodiesel yield of 98.95% was obtained using the solar-powered Fresnel solar concentrator at 12.30 p.m in 6 min reaction time using 3 wt% MgO/GO catalyst at 65 °C. Conventional heating produced only 75% biodiesel at the same reaction condition, consuming25 min to complete. The solar assisted biodiesel had better HHV of 37.81 MJ/Kg, viscosity of 4.3 mm2/s, pour point of −15 °C, and a density of 0.875 g/mL. The optimized catalyst showed a shelf life of 5 cycles. The results portray the efficacy of natural energy source in alternative liquid fuel production.

Dinamic Economic Dispatch (DED) Berbasis Mixed Integer Linear Programming (MILP) Dengan Mempertimbangkan Pembangkit EBT Pada Kelistrikan Pulau Sumbawa

In the Dynamic Economic Dispatch (DED) based on Mixed Integer Linear Programming (MILP) for the electricity of Sumbawa Island by considering RE (Renewable Energy) power plants, several aspects need to be considered, namely Variable Addition and Limitations: In the MILP model, the new variable must include the allocation of power from RE sources, such as solar power plants or geothermal power plants. Relevant technical and operational constraints should also be applied, such as capacity limits, characteristic curves and sustainability limits for renewable energy sources. The Sumbawa Island electricity system must consider the technical limitations related to RE Power plants. This includes capacity limitations, sustainability limitations (such as solar radiation levels or water discharge during the dry season), as well as the system's ability to handle variations in power generated by RE Power plants that depend on natural energy sources. One of the challenges in integrating RE Power plants is its variability. Renewable energy sources such as solar and hydropower tend to fluctuate in their power output depending on weather conditions. Therefore, the DED model must consider predictions or estimates of the power generated by RE Power plants to optimize accurate power allocation and minimize operational costs. The simulation results show that the Mixed Integer Linear Programming (MILP) method is able to provide a simple and economical solution to the DED problem. The change in operation using gas fuel and cofiring by 5% is a factor in the existence of minimal fixed power in the system. This thesis is a DED solution using Mixed Integer Linear Programming (MILP) by considering fuel changes as the main consideration in mathematical calculations to determine plant operation. With the change in PLTMG fuel type from B35 to gas, total generation costs decreased by 10.89%. With the change in PLTMG fuel type from B35 to gas and PLTU cofiring by 5%, total generation costs decreased by 10.94%.

Evaluation of antioxidant activity in different Egyptian barley cultivars: an in vitro and in silico study

BackgroundCereals have historically played a crucial role in the human diet, serving as a significant natural source of energy and offering various health benefits. Barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) has been given significant attention in recent years due to its exceptional nutritional value, surpassing that of other cereals. The objective of this research is to evaluate the antioxidant activity of various solvent extracts obtained from three different barley cultivars.ResultsThe G.136 variety's acetone extract exhibited the highest level of antioxidant activity in both the DPPH assay, with an IC50 of 55.62 µg/ml, and the FRAP assay, with 447 μM trolox/mg extract. The dominant compounds identified before in the acetone fraction were subjected to an evaluation of their docking scores, along with an assessment of ADMET (Absorption, Distribution, Metabolism, Excretion, and Toxicity) and TOPKAT (Toxicity Prediction by Komputer Assisted Technology) studies. Notably, hordatine A1, prodelphinidin B3, hordatine B1, procyanidin B2, and isovitexin 7-O-glucoside were the major compounds with the highest LipDock scores compared to trolox the reference drug with polyphenol oxidase.ConclusionsThe findings indicate that the acetone extract from all three cultivars demonstrates noteworthy results, surpassing the efficacy of other solvent extracts against the antioxidant activity.

Photosynthetıc Energy Nanogenerators

Photosynthetıc Energy Nanogenerators

Sustainable Renewable Energy Resources in Comoros Islands

Sustainable Renewable Energy Resources in Comoros Islands

Effect Of Heat And Time On A 5 Kg Capacity Clothes Dryer Machine

Utilization of natural energy sources such as solar thermal energy and geothermal energy converted into electrical energy through appropriate technology has been widely used and cannot be separated from the climate. One of them is the process of drying clothes. The drying process used by many people is still simple, namely by drying directly under the sun. This method is less effective because it takes a long time and still depends on the weather. So from here, we will innovate in making a clothes dryer that uses a heating element as a heat source and a fan. The purpose of using a heating element and fan is to help speed up the process of drying clothes in a short time without having to wait a long time and to be able to control the temperature of clothes.

The Importance of Geopolitics and Identity of Underdeveloped Countries in Resolving Crises in the International Community

The generic nature of conflicts in the world is causally and consequently related to the instabilities that are most pronounced through economics, politics, the formation of a new geopolitical identity of peoples, dependence on sources of natural energy sources, international law, security and other areas. At the same time without neglecting historical, geographical, ethnic, sociological and other factors. Crises and crises initiated by instability in today's international relations should be viewed multidisciplinary. Theoretical approach, analysis and explanation in many ways can give some common determinants for conflict situations in general, primarily for the purpose of avoiding or overcoming them. Underdeveloped countries, as a weak geopolitical factor in the international community, have limited decision-making options in the same. This paper deals with the specifics of such countries in resolving conflict situations in the international community.

SUN TRACKING SOLAR PANEL USING ARDUINO UNO

The importance of natural energy sources as a substitute for conventional energy sources has increased due to rising energy demand and environmental concerns. A growing number of nations are turning to the renewable energy sector as a new avenue for growth because of its enormous potential, both commercially and environmentally. Particularly in rural areas, solar energy is a crucial primary energy source. The goal of this project is to create a procedure that uses an Arduino Uno and an LDR sensor for real-time monitoring in order to track the sun and maximise efficiency. The project is split into two phases: software development and hardware development. Four light-dependent resistors (LDR) have been employed in hardware development to capture the maximum amount of light source. Having two servo motors. Key Words:- Arduino Uno, Solar Panels, Servo Motor, LDR Sensors.

Analisa Analisa Pencahayaan dan Penghawaan Alami Pada Tourist Information Center (TIC) dan Market Ekonomi Kreatif

Abstract: Natural lighting and ventilation are seen as key elements in supporting environmental sustainability and enhancing occupants’ physical and psychological comfort. The analysis involved measuring light intensity, light distribution and natural ventilation strategies to achieve optimal indoor conditions. The use of natural energy source such as the sun and outside air supports the principle of sustainability in building design. This journal examines natural lighting and ventilation in Tourist Information Center (TIC) and Creative Economy Market buildings which is expected to provide in-depth insight into the effectiveness of natural lighting and ventilation systems. Recommendations for design improvements or enhancements are presented to improve energy efficiency, environmental quality, and user comfort at these locations. Keywords: natural lighting, natural ventilation

Soiling impact and cleaning techniques for optimizing photovoltaic and concentrated solar power power production: A state-of-the-art review

Nowadays, renewable energies are capturing the world's attention, particularly in light of the phenomenon of climate change and carbon dioxide emissions, which have caused major environmental damage. As a result, many investors have recently focused on developing investments in renewable energy projects worldwide, specifically photovoltaic and concentrated solar power plant projects. These solar technologies are considered among the most profitable solutions for generating power from a natural, free, and unlimited energy source. This review paper discusses one of the most significant issues affecting the performance of these solar systems, which is known as soiling. It has been supported by several studies in various nations with different climatic conditions, which offered accurate empirical data on the degradation rate of photovoltaic and concentrated solar power systems’ production due to the soiling effect. Furthermore, it provides various mitigating soiling ways, including manual and autonomous cleaning methods for both solar technologies. Ultimately, it summarizes each cleaning technique's main advantages and drawbacks, specifying its applicability according to the location characteristics and climatic conditions. Additionally, the review results reported in this work are intriguing enough to warrant further development of concentrated solar power and photovoltaic technologies.